Topic: Help Id Mediterranean? Middle Eastern? art glass vase. ID = Hebron Glass

[snesbit]

I've seen this style glass before and thought I'd seen it I'd as Mediterranean (?) or perhaps Middle Eastern (?), my memory isn't much anymore.  But, the style is pretty distinctive.

Not sure if this is recycled glass? but the pictures are pretty self explanatory.  This is one of the larger examples of this stuff I've seen, measuring 8" high and 7 1/2" wide.  Unfinished pontil mark. 

Any leads would be greatly appreciated.

[glassobsessed]

Made in the West Bank, Hebron Glass, some examples here:
https://www.sapergalleries.com/HebronGlass.html

https://bethtib.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/img_6934_sm.jpg

John

[snesbit]

Hi John,

Thanks so much for the quick response and the info / links re Hebron glass!

Best Regards,

Shawn

[glassobsessed]

You are welcome Shawn, I should add that this type of glass is called Chalcedony. As I understand it it is a technically demanding type of glass to work with, the range and depth of the colours revealed will change depending on temperatures achieved and how it is worked.

It has become popular again on Murano, if you search there are lots of spectacular sculptures etc to be seen. Always thought this 18th century bowl was stunning, here aventurine has been added to the chalcedony, as if it needed any more wow but it works so well... :
https://courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/what-on/exhibitions-displays/illuminating-objects/a-venetian-chalcedony-and-adventurine-glass-bowl

[chopin-liszt]

I believe a chalcedony stock enamel can be bought nowadays, rather than the maker having to mix all the colours up. The lovely little Hebron piece I have (ta, John!) is not satinated and the surface is not all smooth - it feels as if the colours were all mixed. But my Richard Golding bit (thanks again, John) is completely smooth. It was made using mixed colours, not a stock.
I don't know enough yet about this sort of glass.
There is a good bit of interesting stuff in that link. 

[flying free]

I saw a piece of 18th century chalcedony in Amsterdam in a museum.  What I had absolutely not appreciated when looking at photos online, was how transparent it is.  An amazing piece of glass.

And I don't know what makes this 18th century Chalcedony bowl glow red
https://courtauld.ac.uk/up-close-and-personal-illuminating-objects
 but I have a Will Shakspeare bowl that is a curious teal/midnight blue  and a very dark brown interior that is indeed like chalcedony colours but not swirled, and it glows bright red when held up to light.  It's one of a handful of my all time favourite pieces.  It's really special and I've never seen another one of them he's made. 

[chopin-liszt]

Glass plays with light, it's not like mixing paint. 

This blue-ish Ramski cameo vase also glows a glorious blood red when the light source is inside it.
https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,50150.msg283257.html#msg283257

[flying free]

I love that vase Sue, and yes, I can see exactly that would happen as it's a very similar effect to the Shaks bowl.  Although the Shaks bowl is silver inside  No idea how he's made the glass silver - it's not silver foil or anything,it's silverblue glass like a metallic car .  The outside is v dark midnight teal blue and somewhere in there is the dark reddy brown of the foot I guess.

[glassobsessed]

Same with this urn, when the foot is backlit the reds come through.

The various colours seen are apparently a result of silver salts and oxides rather than a batch of colours semi mixed. With the urn it looks like the base glass is a dark red, I think the metal needs to be opaque for it to have the full effect.

[flying free]

The metal on the one I saw in Amsterdam looks opaque John.  But when you look a bit more closely it is transparent. It was wonderful - an amazing piece to see in real life.  Presumably because looking from a slight distance the light reflects off the outer side of the piece but once close up the light from above in the cabinet shone inside it so the transparency could be seen easily.
My Shaks bowl only shows it's red interior if I have it held close to a light source and angled.  But the piece in Amsterdam was sat on a shelf and the transparency could clearly be seen.  Very fine glass yet looked so substantial looking at it from slightly further away.

m