Hi All,
The purpose of my last post was to engender discussion about something that seems to have just been stated at the beginning of the thread.
“Since I started collecting Monart, I have always hunted out the miniature vases. Anything under 100mm high. “
Reading this thread it would appear that folk are accepting the use of 4” (100mm) as the definition and generally discussing what they own, not the definition of a miniature.
Having re-read the thread I seem to have missed your statement about the concept being arbitory Frank, perhaps you would be kind enough to point it out for this particular thick ‘un?
It has long been believed that there were small wooden suitcases taken to retailers with samples housed in compartments, indeed I understand that one of the suitcases used is known to exist up in Scotland. I therefore referred to ‘sales reps’ and put that title in parenthesis to indicate my loose use of the term.
In other areas of the antique world it would not be acceptable to have a range of different sizes as miniature – it would be the smallest - 4” (100mm), is not generally regarded as miniature in my experience. Try looking at Ruskin or Moorcroft and suggesting 4” (100mm) as a miniature, for instance.
I asked a collector to help out with the illustrations, not having a 4” (100mm) example of Monart to hand it was substituted with Vasart. I have now been supplied with a second photo:
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-3446You will note that the larger pieces are all 4” (100mm) high, whether Monart or Vasart, whereas the shape SA in the middle is 2 3/8” (60mm) high. The sense of size, and therefore scale, between the two seems self-explanatory, moreover the 4” (100mm) represents two sizes above the smallest in Monart terms. See the previous picture for the red, black and aventurine shape C example for the intermediate size.
I cannot believe that Monart is the exception in the antique world where anything but the smallest item made by a company might be considered as miniature. How is it possible to allow three size increments
ALL to be miniature? Surely one’s reaction on being confronted by the item should be “WOW!! That’s tiny.” not, “Oh, that’s small.”?
I'm afraid I have never subscribed to Vasart pieces of 4" (100mm) as being miniature
They are production ware that was produced in large numbers for a particular market and are small versions of larger items on the whole. Unless you include the small surface decorated baskets, I cannot think of a Vasart piece that could be considered in the catagory of miniature in the same way that the antique or decorative arts world would :cry:
I felt that I had to enter this discussion, if only as devil's advocate, but unfortunately I will not be able to continue as I am about to go off for 7 - 10 days. I look forward with interest to reading people's comments when I return.
Nigel
Topic: Where are the Monart miniatures? (Read 31486 times)
