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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Malta Glass => Topic started by: Littleblackhen on November 18, 2008, 11:07:39 AM

Title: Mdina bowl - ID = Mtarfa
Post by: Littleblackhen on November 18, 2008, 11:07:39 AM
I have this lovely bowl which was sold to me as a signed Mdina piece.  It does have a signature on, but it seems very crudely done and not the usual signature I have seen before, so I wondered if anyone could identify it as correct or not?

I love the bowl anyway, but the signature just doesn't seem quite right.

I have done the best photos I can, so I hope you can see
Title: Re: Mdina bowl - dodgy signature?
Post by: scimiman on November 18, 2008, 12:15:59 PM
Hammer & Chizel job.
Title: Re: Mdina bowl - dodgy signature?
Post by: Littleblackhen on November 18, 2008, 02:12:24 PM
I have managed to zoom in on the signature a bit.  I hope this helps.  If it is a forged signature, then why?  The bowl is a nice one anyway  :huh:
Title: Re: Mdina bowl - dodgy signature?
Post by: Lustrousstone on November 18, 2008, 02:17:23 PM
I'm not convinced it actually says Mdina
Title: Re: Mdina bowl - dodgy signature?
Post by: scimiman on November 18, 2008, 02:32:22 PM
I'm with you on that I cant see it being Mdina certainly not from the sig on the base
Title: Re: Mdina bowl - dodgy signature?
Post by: Littleblackhen on November 18, 2008, 06:56:51 PM
So if it isn't mdina, any ideas what it might be?  I tried turning the signature upside down and it looks like tu design that way up, is there any such maker?
Title: Re: Mdina bowl - dodgy signature?
Post by: Pinkspoons on November 18, 2008, 07:05:37 PM
Mtarfa, possibly?

Edit: Very similar labelled Mtarfa bowl on this shop site - HERE (http://www.artfostersbabycham.co.uk/16253.html?*session*id*key*=*session*id*val*)
Title: Re: Mdina bowl - dodgy signature?
Post by: Littleblackhen on November 18, 2008, 08:06:38 PM
Thank you Nic, the style is quite similar as you say, and I was already thinking that the colour and pattern were nearer to mtarfa than anything else, so that may be the answer.


There is a signature on a Mtarfa piece here http://bootyliciousbargains.co.uk/maltese.aspx  which doesn't really look much like it, but it says a squiggle is usual for maltese glass.
Title: Re: Mdina bowl - dodgy signature?
Post by: Littleblackhen on November 18, 2008, 08:19:28 PM
There is another Mtarfa signature on this vase on ebay.  I can't really see a resemblance in the signatures, even though the style and colour etc are looking quite like Mtarfa. :huh: 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mtarfa-Organic-Pink-White-Glass-Vase-Signed_W0QQitemZ120305778832QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item120305778832&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
Title: Re: Mdina bowl - dodgy signature?
Post by: Lustrousstone on November 18, 2008, 08:21:46 PM
That looks like the signature found on older pieces
Title: Re: Mdina bowl - dodgy signature?
Post by: Pinkspoons on November 18, 2008, 08:26:30 PM
There's a mix of signatures here, all quite different:

http://www.20thcenturyglass.com/glass_encyclopedia/maltese%20glass/maltese_glass.htm
Title: Re: Mdina bowl - dodgy signature?
Post by: Lustrousstone on November 19, 2008, 07:25:24 AM
They seem to fall into two types though, spiky handwriting type with the very long f (which generally seems to be earlier I think before their stuff got all splodgy) and stubby block capitals type, which is what we seem to have here
Title: Re: Mdina bowl - dodgy signature?
Post by: Littleblackhen on November 19, 2008, 02:03:35 PM
I think that I feel confident enough to attribute the bowl to Mtarfa now.  It is a strange signature, with a mixture of capital and lowercase, but that doesn't seem that unusual, and the rest of the style, colour and pattern look very typical for Mtarfa, so that is what the label will say :)

Thanks to everyone for their help :)
Title: Re: Mdina bowl - dodgy signature?
Post by: Sue C on November 19, 2008, 05:48:32 PM
Sorry to come late to this, but i had a pink bowl with that signature and a black mtarfa label.