Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: CityGirl8 on December 01, 2012, 04:55:35 PM
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I am new to collecting and just purchased this vase. The owner thought is was French, perhaps from the 1800's.
I do not see any maker's marks. The base is heavy, and might be gilded bronze.
Can anyone help me in learning about this vase, time of manufacture and approximate value?
Thanks so much!
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Hello and welcome to the board :)
Your vase is pretty and is I think known as an 'epergne'. I also I believe made of opalescent glass.
I'm sorry I can't date it - I might have thought Italy or France possibly, but that would be a guess.
I'm sure someone will be along shortly who will be able to help you much more than I can :)
Is it possible to put on clear pictures of the base that enlarge when clicked as well as a clearer picture of the metal part please?
many thanks
m
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It looks a bit like blue straw opalescent - not just plain opalescent - or is it missing the straw yellow colour?
Does it glow bright green under ultra-violet light?
(welcome from me too! :) )
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hello and welcome from me also :) It's attractive - so often these single epergnes lose their base and all you end up with is the glass. How about French Empire style from 1840 - 50 with an ormolu base, which as you say is gilt over bronze - but not opaline I don't think.
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Not sure I have access to ultraviolet light....have to think about that.
Attached is an additional picture of just the base.
Is there a way to verify if it is gilt?
Thanks for all of your help!
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quote............"Is there a way to verify if it is gilt?"...... yes, scratch it, and assuming it comes off, then it's, gilt - although wouldn't recommend doing that anywhere it can be seen.
Originally, ormolu was an alloy of copper, tine and zinc, producing a gold coloured metal throughout its thickness - but like everything else in life the cost cutters got to work and the product ended up more usually as gilt on brass or bronze.
I'd agree with m, and consider this to be opalescent and not opaline - it has less opacity than opaline. It may indeed be French, but equally might not be.
Some very attractive Venetian revival style glass was produced in the U.K. during the 1870 - 90 period by people like Salviati (who appears to have influenced Sowerby) and Harry Powell - most pieces of which have in common some variation on a theme of pale milky/bluish white colourway, and all of which seem to have been described at that time as opalescent.
Hope you don't mind, but I've added couple of pix of an opaline turquoise finger bowl which, when compared with your piece, show the higher level of translucency of your opalescent epergne, when compared with the more opaque opaline.
Pieces like this with their wavy thrown rims may well owe their design pedigree to the fashion of the Venetian revival period which I've mentioned.
Sorry, but the GMB tend not to provide values for glass - these things are too personal to be set in stone. You might try ebay or look at professional sources such as auction guides etc. :)
P.S. If I have any of the above wrong, please correct me as soon as possible - thanks. :)