Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: ckscot on December 08, 2007, 04:15:16 PM
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Another find at the auction. It has an amber/greenish base with an aquamarine spiral (at least, it looks greenish in daylight and blueish in electric light); the glass itself is ridged/swirling on the underside swirling out from around the centre; it's 29 cm/11.25"in diameter; has a ground pontil and a beautiful ping. I tried it on the Whitefriars site on the off chance but thumbs down. Any info most welcome.
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-8871
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-8870
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I don't know, but it looks like a very nice bowl!
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Thank you! It does look great against the light on my window sill - it masks all the little scratch marks that don't show up in the photo.............Iain
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Iain,
it looks good quality, possibly , as you are in Scotland, it could be a Scottish maker??
Cant help more than that,sorry,
Andy
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Thanks for the suggestion Andy, I'll have a wee rummage about the web for other Scottish stuff, starting with Scotland's Glass, and see what turns up.
Regards, Iain
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I had a quick look the other day, no reason for it to be Scottish. The spiral was handtrailed, followed by a gather of clear (coloured?) then blowing into a 18 cog dip mould and then twisted to final shape.
The trailing is not first class so I would consider a small studio...
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Thanks Frank, that's so useful to know how it was made. I'm intrigued by your saying the trailing isn't first class. I hadn't considered that, and wonder how you can tell. Any tips for a novice? Regards, Iain. Btw it's definitely got a pale green base.
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Trailing applied by machine is perfectly spaced and even, the same applies to a master glassmaker but there would be measurable variations. In this case the bands spacing is irregular.
Now despite saying that the technical skill is less than a master, it does not make it a poor piece. There is a school that says never mind the technique it is the effect that counts. Monart and a lot of Scottish glass, sort of, falls into that category. As do many studio workers whose aim is art rather than craft.
If you look at striped Monart, it is always done with a dip mould, I do not recall ever seeing a trailed piece... apart from the odd rare applied rim. They marvered the stripe colour on to the parison and then blew into the dip mould (like an inside cog) this stretched the glass into the valleys pushing the stripe colour back. The piece is then twisted. For crossed line pieces a second colour is then marvered in and the dip mould process repeated. This time twisting the other way. Finally covered in clear glass for blowing to final size.
You piece not having a colour added before using the dip-mould shows how this technique affects underlying layers, due to the transmitted pressure. The trailed spiral would have been tightened as the piece was twisted following the dip mould stage.
Counting the 'teeth' can be a useful aid towards identifying as few glassmakers would have a large selection of dip-moulds. Big ,heavy and expensive to buy. I think Monart used 3 or 4, check some of Kevin's posts in paperweights for counts of Monart and Vasart dip moulds.
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Thanks so much Frank, fascinating stuff. I've just recently acquired a copy of An Illustrated Dictionary of Glass, by Harold Newman. That's a great help in telling me eg. what a marver and a parison are!