Topic: Heart & Vine Glass Vase, Signed.. Tiffany?

[Tipton444]

Hello all!

I recently picked up this beautiful vase at an estate sale, and I'm trying to find out more about it.  I am a dealer in jewelry and Asian art, but I'm far from an expert on art glass, so any help would be appreciated!  I believe it is a heart and vine pattern, and I do believe it has some good age to it, but I'm not certain.  There is the FAINTEST engraved mark on the bottom that can really only be seen when held up to a light... and I just can't make out what it says exactly... The more I look at it, I wonder if it actually says "TIFFANY" with a really fancy cursive T... but where's the second F in the center?  You can clearly see an "i" for the second letter, and it certainly looks like "ny" at the end, but I could totally just be imagining it!  The weird part is, I saw a couple early Tiffany pieces with a crazy cursive T, somewhat similar but not exact.  Also, Tiffany did make some early heart and vine vases, but none in this shape that I could find.  AND Tiffany never seemed to write just the word "Tiffany" as it usually had LCT or Favrile with it, so it seems but I'm no expert.  So, I'm guessing it doesn't actually say Tiffany, unless it does and someone just wrote it in to be deceitful.  There's a number underneath as well, either a year that looks like 1980, or a production number.  I was thinking this vase is antique though, anyone else agree?  I could be so very wrong though.  Anyone know what the signature actually says? 

Thank you all very much, glad to have found this forum.
-Eric

[Tipton444]

more pictures attached

[flying free]

Hi and welcome to the board

In your first post with photo of sig against light I can see what looks like a 1980 or 1981 written underneath the signature. Perhaps the year of making? The signature ends in a y I think, but I don't think it reads Tiffany.
I'm also not entirely sure but I don't think L.C. Tiffany signed in that way.  The base finish doesn't look right either. 
That said,hopefully someone more helpful will come along who recognises it.

The design also reminds me of pieces referred to as 'hearts and vines'.  There were other makers who made this type of design including studio glass makers iirc.

m

[chopin-liszt]

I think the base finish is very wrong and that this is a lot thicker and heavier than LCT glass.
Still a lovely thing.
If you were to rub a bit of talcum powder (or cocoa or cinnamon) with your thumb over the faint marks, it would help to bring them up to see and photograph a bit better.
Cornflour would work too. Just a very fine powder in a contrasting colour you might happen to have handy. 
Welcome. 

[NevB]

I thought it might say Hilary, the only possible one I could find was Hilary McHugh.

[Tipton444]

Hello all,

Thank you all very much for your thoughts!  I'm very happy to have found the forum.  Talcum powder is a very interesting idea, I've never heard of that but it sounds very useful, I'll have to try it!  I definitely don't believe it is a Tiffany piece, but likely someone copying the heart and vine style.  Hilary McHugh is an interesting idea, although I couldn't find too many of her works, but it very well could be.  After more research I definitely do believe it is more contemporary, and that number 1980 or 1989 underneath the name is indeed the year it was made, instead of a product number. 

A friend of mine thought it might be the artist "Robert Coleman," and the colors, styles, and even year of 1989 really seems to fit perfectly, but still the signature doesn't appear to say that.  Anyone have any knowledge of Robert Coleman art glass?

If anyone has any more ideas on the signature or maker, I'd certainly love to hear them!  Thanks so much

Eric

[chopin-liszt]

I googled him, and while he made some wonderful and very organic looking irisecent stuff, it does not seem very consistent with your far more traditional vase shape and the neat, illustrative decoration.
I found images of his signature, which is nothing like the marks on this.
https://www.artfoxlive.com/product/5648286.html
https://danajtharpauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=7569

There is a Bobby Coleman glass artist in Scotland.
http://www.bobbiecolemanglass.co.uk/
She is not the far more famous American Robert Coleman you were referring to.

My first thoughts on your piece were that it might be american. It has the look of the feel of Dugan or Orient and Flume, although I am not very familiar with those makers, I have not been able to handle much.
I know from the marks that it is not an early John Ditchfield unique piece. 

[abc]

I think it’s a modern vase and it’s nothing to do with Tiffany . It looks very similar to Lundberg American Glass so that would be my best guess

[Ekimp]

Decor is also similar to John Ditchfield Glasform Lily Pad design.