Topic: Strange red over clear glass vase...

[Anne]

I've had this for a while and kept forgetting to take pics of it until today! It's very heavy, with a solid base, the vase would only hold a stem, possibly two, as it's quite narrow inside - the glass is thickish,  and fans out into lobes at the top, which have been drizzled (I can't think of a better word for it!) with something red. It's a surface treatment and doesn't seem to want to scratch off, but it is proud of the surface.  No clues on it as to who may have made it. It has a polished bottom and stands 9" (230mm) tall, and measures 2¾" (70mm) across the base.  Has anyone seen anything like this before please? Any ideas of maker welcome. Thanks!

http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-4866
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-4864
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-4865

[Ivo]

These are alternatively called the curse of the flea markets, or cabbages. There used to be one in every stall. It has always been assumed they were Italian, but last Queensday I saw a rather large Czech woman systematically collecting these, muttering they were from her native country. I have one example with a rough broken pontil, and a triangular ashtray with a neatly polished base - so still no attribution, but the confirmation that these are around; you have not scored an alien!

[Anne]

   Thanks Ivo, that made me chuckle!   I bought it whilst collecting up props that could be used as potential murder weapons for a murder-mystery play night last year. It's so heavy that if you hit someone with it they would suffer a nasty (if not fatal!) injury.  Then it ended up staying with me instead of being put into props as there's something of a taboo about glass on stage.

[David E]

Wouldn't even need to use any fake blood

[Anne]

David, that was part of its attraction!