Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => France => Topic started by: heavyd on September 13, 2006, 11:21:15 PM
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Hello all!! I just happened across this forum and I thought this would be a good place to get some information on some glass pieces I have. I did a few searches but came up empty.
I have a set of 3 large black glass panels (they are at least 3 foot by 5 foot each at least 1/2 inch thick and HEAVY) with images carved into them. One of them is a fish, one is a weeping willow tree and I can't remember what the other is. I have the panels wrapped up in storage and I haven't looked at them in quite a while. The panels are marked A. Hunnebelle, Paris. I have researched Hunnebelle a little, but I have only seen vases and bowls, nothing nearly the size of my panels. Does anyone know of any other pieces like these? Do they have any value? I will have to go to where the panels are stored to take some pictures to post. I was going to fabricate some Stainless Steel frames for them and hang them on my walls, but I haven't gotten around to it. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
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It all depends when they were made and what the designs are like... etched, cut or other. Would need some pics.
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Panels by Hunebelle would certainly be valuable though it is difficult to say how much so without seeing them. In fact, they sound a very interesting discovery; I have personally never seen architectural panels by Hunebelle during the time I have been collecting. It would be fascinating to find out where they were originally installed.
The panels will almost certainly be moulded/ cast if they are Hunebelle. Production would be between about 1927 and 1938. The use of black glass sounds unusual as well. Most Hunebelle production I have seen has been in opal or colourless glass.
The only book on Hunebelle I am aware of is Benazet's 'Andre Hunebelle Maitre Verrier', published in France in January of this year. i still haven't been able to get my hands on a copy yet, though it may provide more information regarding your items.
Steven
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I will post some pics as soon as I can get to the panels. They really are quite interesting to look at. The glass is mostly black, but there are grey/silver highlights throughout the panels and the negative areas of the images are dull and rough, almost as if they were sandblasted. The only reason I have them is because they were going to be thrown in a dumpster when the company I worked for closed up shop. They had been found behind a wall in the building where the shop had been located years ago. When they moved to the new building, the panels got moved with all of the glass table tops. They sat on the scrap glass rack for years untill we emptied out the building.
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Scrap glass rack? What kind of company was it? It might help explain why these curious panels exist if it's something glass related. A specially commissioned piece, or am unusual commercial sample, for example.
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It was a custom metal furniture shop. I have no idea what was in the original building before hand. As i said, the panels were found in that building behind a wall. The scrap glass rack in our shop was for glass tops that were ordered wrong or had imperfections in them. When the company closed down, all of the scrap glass went in the trash. I kept the panels because they were too nice to trash and I thought they would look nice on my walls. The only thing I have found in my research that is remotely close to what I have is Vitrolite which was a popular architectural glass from the 30's.
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I'll take a shot since I have seen these large black amethyst panels before. Probably a decade ago I ran into a dealer who had four of these same type of panels & they were from a demolition project of an old bank built around 1910 in Cleveland Ohio. It was a four story building & had two elevators & on each side of the elevators were two panels. Originally they demolition/salvage operator thought they were marble, but when they removed them they found they were glass so they had no iterest in them. He picked them up for $200 & a week after I saw them he sold them to a guy who was rehabing a large 14 room house & he was going to use two of them in the entrance hall & two to frame a large fireplace. He got $1,000 out of them. I remember two of them had greek goddess forms & one was horses & the other had large fish. At the time I thought they were extraordinary pieces, but at $1,000 & with no plan on what I'd do with them I passed. I'll bet these are the same type of panels. Ken
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Hi,
The architectural use of black Vitrolite panels, with engraved or sandblasted decoration, was relatively common in the 1930's, both for large-scale projects, and smaller commissioned works for domestic interiors.
Panels of this type were also used in the outfitting of some new trans-atlantic liners, and vessels on the UK-South Africa-Australian routes.
Certainly examples are to be found in the "Studio" year-books of that period.
Regards,
Marcus
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The panels sound wonderful!
I recall reading somewhere that Hunebelle did do designs for one of the big ocean liners, although I don't remember which one/s.
His designs were sometimes done in black and I've also seen a dark charcoal grey colour.
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It has been a long time sice I have posted, but I finally have pics of the panels. The fish panel is about 2 feet tall by 6 feet long. The other 2 are approx. 2 1/2 feet tall by 5 feet long. All 3 panels are signed A. Hunebelle Paris as well as (E or L) Parisio. I am going to contact Tim Dunn, the Vitrolite guru to see what he thinks of them.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/tallicamom/panel3a.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/tallicamom/panel1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/tallicamom/panel2a.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/tallicamom/xmas07073.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/tallicamom/xmas07074.jpg
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Hi,
Those panels are stunning and look to be in great condition. It is wonderful that even an image can give so much pleasure.
They are worth a lot of money and maybe a museum would be interested in acquiring them. Send some pics to the Corning Museum of Glass.
Patrick.
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WOW! :o Those are incredible. Let us know what you discover!
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Stunning!
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The pictures do the panels no justice. They are absolutely amazing in person!!! The images are etched and sandblasted into the glass giving them a three dimensional feel.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/tallicamom/xmas07094.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/tallicamom/xmas07093.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/tallicamom/xmas07085.jpg)
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Thank you for sharing these! Absolutely stunning and your photos well do them justice! :clap:
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Hi HEAVYD . I have shown your panels to my Brother-in-law who lives in North Carolina and he thinks as we all do that they are amazing......
It would be great if you could contact me via. my private message account , I would love to talk to you about them.
Best wishes Patrick.
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Email sent, Patrick.
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They are fabulous! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
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Thank you all for your great comments!!! I have sent a few pictures to the Corning Museum. I have yet to hear back fom them yet.
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Well, the Corning Museum was no great help. They told me that they had never seen large Hunebelle pieces like this before and that museum personnel cannot discuss value. I had also sent pictures to Christie's Auction House using their online appraisal form. They told me that they could not appraise the panels because they had never seen anything like them and have nothing to compare them to. Anybody have any other ideas?
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Try Skinners they do more glass.
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Bonhams? http://www.bonhams.com/ (http://www.bonhams.com/)
You could also try contacting Eric Knowles though his agent. I can see them being the sort of thing to pique his interest; I saw him at a glass fair and he seemed very approachable and down to earth (he moved his own kit around, which scored in my book) http://www.ericknowles.co.uk/ (http://www.ericknowles.co.uk/) Look under bookings
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Or maybe here ? http://www.aihv.org/index.html
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I would think it near impossible to get an appraisal on these panels as they are so different from Hunebelle's regular production. I've had a look through my copy of Andre Hunebelle Maitre Verrier Periode 1927-1931 by Louis Bénazet, (ISBN: 9782911955204) and can find nothing like them. I've tried emailing M. Bénazet but am not sure if the address I have is still current. I will let you know if I get a response.
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Thank you all so much for your help and sugestions. I will definately try all of the places suggested.
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Digging up an old thread. I have yet to find any answers on these panels. :huh:
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According to Louis Benazet, a similar style panel was sold in Rennes on 4th June 1991, but this depicted an elephant rather than birds & fish. I've invited him to join the discussion here.
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Just some information
http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Biographies/mainBiographies/H/Hunebelle/Hunebelle.htm
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According to Louis Benazet, a similar style panel was sold in Rennes on 4th June 1991, but this depicted an elephant rather than birds & fish. I've invited him to join the discussion here.
Thank You! It would be wonderful to hear his insight on these!
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Still up in arms...
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I have the owner of Architectural Artifacts in Chicago interested in purchasing these panels. He wants to know my asking price, but I am still unsure of their value. Any suggestions?
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A few noughts on the end...
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Each. They are unique are irreplaceable. Start high.
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Please would you consider asking the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, in Paris if they would be interested in acquiring these panels?
http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/english-439/
I am pretty sure they would be interested, and may well be prepared to:
make a very decent offer, possibly more than an architectural antiques dealer would offer,
take responsibility for packing, shipping, insurance etc,
give them a permanent display opportunity.
Your first point of contact would be:
Jennifer dot Hallot at lesartsdecoratifs dot fr
It would be worth including a link to this topic in your e-mail to her.
M
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Hi,
It would be nice to see them on public display, rather than to a specific dealer.
Stunning.
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Please would you consider asking the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, in Paris if they would be interested in acquiring these panels?
http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/english-439/
I am pretty sure they would be interested, and may well be prepared to:
make a very decent offer, possibly more than an architectural antiques dealer would offer,
take responsibility for packing, shipping, insurance etc,
give them a permanent display opportunity.
Your first point of contact would be:
Jennifer dot Hallot at lesartsdecoratifs dot fr
It would be worth including a link to this topic in your e-mail to her.
M
Thank you for the contact information. I have sent an email with a link to this thread. I do agree it would better to see these on display rather than hidden away in a private collection. I originally contacted the dealer in Chicago looking for information because they have a carved Vitrolite panel for sale on their website. The panel they have is much simpler and unsigned.
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Just adding another book that may be of use to this, and similar enquiries, about Hunebelle (and other) glass panels:
Arts décoratifs à bord des paquebots français 1880-1960, Louis-René Vian (Auteur)
(decorative arts on board French ships 1880-1960)
http://www.librairiedesarchives.com/Arts-decoratifs-a-bord-des.html
Also these panels(or others of the same design) were discussed in depth by an appraiser here: http://www.justanswer.com/antiques/8qzlt-etched-glass-vitrolite-panels-signed-andre.html