Hi Paul,
Thank you for your reply.
You're absolutely right about about the real learning part. I definitely didn't.
To make it even funnier, there's also "Opaline de Foire", which is a poor man's opaline.
These are the molded milky glass things, made by Vallerysthal etc.
Back to piece itself..
You mentioned the satinized finish. That's what I thought at first.
But the things is.. if it was only a finish on the outside, then the part were the piece was broken off, it should be
untreated within. This really looks like a mix between opaline, alabaster glass and what not.
I'm sure it's made somewhere in the 20th century. Can't name a country.
The later opalines are mostly from Italy. But the brace-shape top is more Bohemian.
Yesterday, I have indeed made a request to return the item. I paid about € 380 for it.
I also said I doubted the dating and even the material.
Just now I receive a reply saying that it's:
Opaline glass, from the Louis Philippe era, about 1845.
,,En verre granité comme a fait baccarat ou saint Louis".
(Granite glass, like Baccarat or Saint-Louis made it.)
I never heard of this 'verre granité'. It's probably like satin finish or crackle finish.
A quick search didn't really discover anything.
About the alabaster glass;
I do struggle with this though. I also didn't know that it was 'invented' in the 1920's.
I have to say there are pieces from the 19th century, which I myself describe as opaline/alabaster glass.
Now why I do that? Because something in me says, this is alabaster glass, more than opaline.
But it would still go for opaline. Therefore I'm putting the "/" in the description.
Plus, I don't only do that to white pieces, like for example the blue beer jug.
I will try to explain my thoughts here, because I feel like there ìs a difference between the 2 sorts of glass.
Maybe I'm wrong about the opaline-alabaster distinction. But there is a difference.
The opalines from France, I have the least trouble with. Sometimes I could still be wrong, but most of the times I'm right.
I recognize the style. The glass itself. The era. And I have 2 opaline books, and a self-made database to go with.
(Once again, I'm the one who learned only from pictures. Little to no reading.)
Now the glass that I described as alabaster glass, or at least I'm unsure about:
This glass has the appearance of opaline glass. It mostly online goes as opaline glass.
I'll find some pieces online, and sum up some links under here as I write.
I would describe it as, more cloudy glass. Troubled glass. With more bubbles inside.
Also it has, I don't know how to say it in English... It has streaks/wipes/smudges/fades in it.
Unfortunately (or not) I have sold most of my boxes the last month, so I don't have anything to show right now.
I'll try to find pictures of my old boxes.
It has sort of change or transition in the glass, like lithyalin glass has.
But, other than lithyalin glass, these are transitions with the same color.
Which you could also simply see as 'lower quality' glass.
It's hard to keep my finger on it, but thàt to me is the difference.
(The bristol glass discussion, I don't really have any facts on to really discuss it.
I just know what the mainstreams sees as bristol glass. And it's not only limited to deeper colors.)
I could easily be wrong with it, but maybe I'll show some examples later, of what I think it is.
In the pictures is a white opaline glass?
box.
This is what I would call either opaline or alabaster glass.
It has some bubbles and imperfections in it. Also the 'swipes' but that not visible in pictures, unfortunately.