Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Murano & Italy Glass => Topic started by: glassobsessed on October 11, 2011, 12:00:36 AM
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A very finely blown vase with pale blue body and foot with applied cobalt blue handles. The rim around the foot is folded over and there is a neat and small pontil mark. Very light in weight (175g) and 21cm tall.
Age and maker are a mystery to me but it dawned on me this evening that this may be lamp worked.
Any ideas?
John
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seeing a folded foot, and that sort of delicacy, might a Venetian/Murano output be a possibility? Snapped pontils were not uncommon from that source. Just an idea. :)
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I think John (and I) have already decided it probably comes from a small island near Venice, in Italy, in Europe, Paul - so you're the third vote on that! :thup: :thup: :thup:
It's quite exquisite, isn't it? The sort of thing you might like to keep your ashes in when the time comes - except the ashes would spoil it's appearance. :spls:
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Move to Murano, please. Looks good !
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Thanks all, it is beautifully made.
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It is a type of glass known as soffiati. Soffiati glass is impossibly thin. It was most popular in the 1920-30s in Venice, though it is still made. Most soffiati I have seen is unmarked -- even the Venini soffiati, since much was made before Venini started stamping their glass. Companies known for fine soffiati like this include Venini, Cappellin, and Zecchin-Martinuzzi (different Zecchin), though there were others. A good place to start is with a flashlight and some good magnifiers to see if you can find any marks at all. Sometimes a surprise "Made in Italy" may hop out.
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Wow, thank you Anita. I have had a look with several different lights and there are no marks.
After a trawl around the web I ended up back on this forum....
Sofiati
(for those not familiar with the term)
Defined by Carl Gable in Murano Magic as:
"Mouth blown glass with classic lines and delicate colors"
Well, it definitely fits that description. What a lovely find, amazing what can be picked up from time to time.
John
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hello John - reminds me of someting equally delicate and 'impossibly thin' that I had the good fortune to find couple of years back..........although mine was marked, as you can see from the thread. Obviously, ignore any reference to the Stuart piece. Might Anita comment on whether my piece should also technically be described as 'Soffiati' glass. Here is the link to my bowl... http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,28600.0.html which unfortunately is now showing some slight suface cloudyness - although presumably it can be removed. Also, apologies for piggy backing onto your post. :)
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Looks good to me Paul but I am a complete beginner in terms of Soffiati (no apologies needed).
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hello John - reminds me of someting equally delicate and 'impossibly thin' that I had the good fortune to find couple of years back..........although mine was marked, as you can see from the thread. Obviously, ignore any reference to the Stuart piece. Might Anita comment on whether my piece should also technically be described as 'Soffiati' glass. Here is the link to my bowl... http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,28600.0.html which unfortunately is now showing some slight suface cloudyness - although presumably it can be removed. Also, apologies for piggy backing onto your post. :)
Paul, your glass looks like it could qualify for soffiati, especially with the Cappellin signature on bottom.
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thanks Anita :)
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Yep it is soffiati glass. I have about 40 pieces from SVdA, CVM etc from the 20's/30's. A very good piece glassobsessed and yes Paul i would consider that soffiati. Most tends to be unmarked from what I can tell. A consideration on this piece obsessed would be CVM as to maker due to the colour and also the handles.
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I second CVM - I've had a marked piece with the same handles, although the vase was in a rauchtopaz colourway.
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Thank you Kane and Nic, this is entirely outside of my collecting field so your help is much appreciated.
This one bears some similarities and has a label (lot 3038): http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/6121212
Similar but with handles (lot 3043): http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/6121217
Others I have found online have feet or handles in a second colour and/or a very similar shape to this one.
I was thinking of bringing the vase with me to the National Glass Fair next month if anyone wants to take a look at it.
John