Topic: sweet little 1960s vase from Malta

[Heidimin]

I just bought this on e-bay, and wondered if anyone here recognised the signature?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140077137196

Thanks in advance,

[Cathy B]

Is it Phoenician? http://www.phoenicianglass.com/

[Frank]

I had not noticed their range before, excellent!

[lyndhurst44]

Nice one, their iridescent pieces, in particular, are very attractive and can fetch really good money, almost up with the Okra's and Ditchfields of this world.

Bryn (not Brian)

[chopin-liszt]

 
It's a really lovely little vase!

The Phoenician Glass studio, another off-shoot from Mdina, was founded by Leonard Sullivan, at Sliema on Manoel Island. I'd guess at '70's, not '60's, as Mdina wasn't set up til '68, and it would have taken some time to train apprentices enough to set up studios of their own!

As the influence of Michael Harris becomes better known, I think all of the artists and studios that owe their origins to him will become more collectable, now folk can "pigeonhole", name and recognise the work.

[Heidimin]

Wow - thanks, everybody!

Phoenician looks right for the signature (though it'll be easier to be sure when I can see it for myself), and "Phoenician Malta" is the same format as other, stickered Phoenician Glass items on e-bay. There's no history section on their site, but according to the Great Glass website's list of manufacturers:

Phoenician glass
Sliema, Malta (c 1980s - )
Leonard Mulligan (from Mdina Glass). Hand-blown studio glass, often iridescent

It's quite different in style to their current range, so might be an early piece?

[chopin-liszt]

 

Yes, I think it's early, simply because it's really, basically a Michael Harris design.

[Pip]

It's the same (or similar) shape to my little Mdina vase I posted about yesterday which, I think, is 1970's...

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,9066.0.html

[lyndhurst44]

Here is another vase which I actually purchased yesterday that has the same provinance, or so i am led to believe, as others influenced by Michael Harris. I believed Michael Harris designed for Kerry Glass in the 1970's.
I have added this photo to the Glass Queries Gallery.
http://i18.tinypic.com/30j0llt.jpg

This a quite large piece.

Bryn (not Brian)
 

[Heidimin]

By way of an up-date, the vase arrived today and the signature is definitely Phoenician. Something I hadn't appreciated from the auction pics is that it's cased in clear glass and therefore surprisingly heavy for its size. Also, there's a ground band inside the neck, suggesting that it might once have had a stopper?

Anyway, it's definitely found a loving home here! 

Thanks again to everyone who contributed their expertise to this thread - it adds so much to my appreciation to know about where and when it was made.