Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Scandinavian Glass => Topic started by: wesley on January 30, 2008, 06:17:47 PM
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I am quite new to vintage Scandinavian glass and I am finding it fascinating.
I am though, having trouble trying to find a reference book or site to identify and explain the signatures letters and initial it. I am thinking along the lines of something similar to a silver hallmark book for Scandinavian glass. Is there such a thing out there, or am I going to have to write one over the next couple of years?
Wes
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Our very own Ivo's book is a good starting place for some of them. See here (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Glass-Millers-Pocket-Fact-Files/dp/1840004290/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201718115&sr=8-2)
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Ah yes, I have this one and it is very useful. I was thinking more about the ins and outs of the signatures. Is there a logical way to unpick them.
This example has the name Stromberg and a number B936/c1049 (i think!) another name and then another number. How do I break it down? Is there a sequence and significance to the numbering?
Thank you for your reply.
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B means vase, 936 seems to have been made between 1954 and 1962 (can't pin it closer from Ivo's book); the later name - can you make out what it says... I think I can see R TRAND but if you can pick out the rest it would be useful. :)
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Rune Strand worked for Stromberg in the 1960's.
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Thank you Anne & Lustrousstone, I see it in the book now.
I would still like to see a photo archive of the signature intials in catalogued in one place for Scandinavian glass (maybe not as complicated as the silversmiths site I use. (http://www.silvercollection.it/Englishsilvermarks1.html) . Or maybe we could do this on glassmessages a bit like the labels archive there is on glassmessages?
Thank you,
Wes
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Wes, we are slowly building up a collection of labels and marks on GlassGallery, the image hosting server for the GMB. If you'd like to add yours to the collection please do, we'd appreciate that. http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/index.php?cat=6
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This particular piece probably has the longest signature you will find, lol. It includes the manufacturer-Stromberg B 936. and it also includes the maker of the vase- A. (Asta) Stromberg and the engraver Rune Strand.
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Hartmann's Glasmarken Lexikon is the most complete book 1600-1945 and his website expands this to 2005 http://www.glasmarken-lexikon.de/reg.php
Neither option is cheap, but invaluable.
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My site catalogues Kastrup and Holmegaard markings - these two companies account for the majority of Danish signed factory glass.
http://www.holmegaardresource.com/labels.html
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Not sure, but I thought Ivo (or someone: Gareth?) posted on a topic, which gave some of the designers and unravelled the numbering. However, I can't remember which Scandinavian company - might have been Orrefors.
I am aware about the FM Konstglas, Ronneby, marking system that was definitely posted by Ivo and/or Ingela a while back.
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Possibly Bill Geary, David? It rings a vague bell with me too.
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Orrefors : Decoding Orrefors Glass Marks (http://www.xs4all.nl/~abel/Ofdecode.html)
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Ulrika Ruding has a chapter in Kerstin Wickman (editor) Orrefors: A Century of Swedish Glass that has the most comprehensive account of the Orrefors signature system. Both the Leslie Pina books also have brief accounts of each companies signature system.
David
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The information on numbering can be found in the Swedish glass production catalogues book (Ricke) which is out of print and near impossible to find. I had to abbreviate the information on Strömbergshyttan to fit the book, so I only included the major codes (Blomvase, dish, ashtray etc) and concentrated the item numbers in 10 year groups. That way you'd get at least a time frame when design numbers were issued, and in combination with the information on designers you could get a fairly accurate approximation. But if you want to get to the bottom of the matter, there is no substitute for the production catalogues.
I also reached a point where I had to decide "yes but WHY would anyone want this information"? These are minor production designs, I think "Strömberg 1960s designed by Strand" would be perfectly adequate - the further information that it has made e.g. in the first quarter of 1963 as an olive dish would not greatly enhance the product.