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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: twistergbs on July 30, 2009, 06:27:04 PM

Title: ID please: heavy & coloured round abstract glass sculpture? = Dartington Studio
Post by: twistergbs on July 30, 2009, 06:27:04 PM: I bought this at an antiques fair last Sunday. The seller believed it to be Pukeberg. It's massively heavy. 6 1/2 inches in diameter and 2 inches thick!
Any help would be appreciated!
Title: Re: ID please: heavy & coloured round glass sculpture? Pukeberg?
Post by: Max on July 30, 2009, 08:02:50 PM: Welcome to the GMB!

This scupture/disc thing is ringing a bell somewhere for me...I think we might have had one on here before, but I can't find it in Search. Anyhoo, I've altered your title a bit so that hopefully more people come and have a look. :)
Title: Re: ID please: heavy & coloured round abstract glass sculpture? Pukeberg?
Post by: glassobsessed on July 30, 2009, 09:05:56 PM: Dartington Studio, take a look here http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,25850.msg142828/topicseen.html#msg142828

John.
Title: Re: ID please: heavy & coloured round abstract glass sculpture? Pukeberg?
Post by: twistergbs on July 31, 2009, 08:10:24 AM: Thanks John...however not what I wanted to hear..... as an avid collector of retro Scandinavian glass! Still it's a lovely piece I suppose. Not a great admirer of Dartington I'm afraid!

Thanks again

Geoff
Title: Re: ID please: heavy & coloured round abstract glass sculpture? Pukeberg?
Post by: glassobsessed on July 31, 2009, 08:39:08 AM: Hi Geoff, I am not sure that Dartington Studio is the right description, in the other thread Bryn said his had a paper label "Innovate, the art of glass" and it was bought in a "Dartington outlet shop". Maybe I am just confusing myself.

As to Dartington Glass itself, I think Frank Thrower is somewhat underestimated as a designer. He may not have designed anything that revolutionary but he was prolific and Dartington Glass produced a lot of both practical and decorative glass.

I now regret selling a face vase (FT52) in kingfisher that I found, although often thought of as quite ugly (reminds me of Bart Simpson) it does have character. Here is a photo for anyone who has not had the misfortune/good fortune to see one.

John.
Title: Re: ID please: heavy & coloured round abstract glass sculpture? Pukeberg?
Post by: twistergbs on July 31, 2009, 09:24:11 AM: John, I hope I haven't offended you! I do have quite a few Frank Thrower pieces and appreciate his artistic flair and designs. I would dearly love one of his large floor vases!
It's just that I am building a considerable collection of Scandinavian 60's and 70's architectural designs and I was totally convinced that my sculpture was Swedish. Of course, having said that, it could have easliy been designed by a Scandinavian judging by it's form and colouration so you never know! Thanks so much for all your help in identifying my piece and track down another FT52. (reminds me of a Wiktor Berndt piece!)

Best Regards

Geoff
Title: Re: ID please: heavy & coloured round abstract glass sculpture? Pukeberg?
Post by: glassobsessed on July 31, 2009, 10:49:00 AM: Geoff, no offence taken at all, recently I have come to regard much of Dartington's output with a little more respect.

I can be opinionated, dense, clumsy and often incorrect. Luckily I am not easily offended (it helps if bald, big nosed people learn to roll with it), after all everone is entitled to their opinions even when they are obviously delusional and wrong. ;D

Big nose bald head looking for FT52 in clear.
Title: Re: ID please: heavy & coloured round abstract glass sculpture? Pukeberg?
Post by: Max on July 31, 2009, 12:38:43 PM: Re: Dartington face vase

David Encill had a Dartington face vase a while ago and we met up with Kim Thrower so that Kim could look it over, as they're pretty scarce items. I couldn't think exactly what Kim said about this vase, so I'll let David tell you what he remembers: (although Kim would be the person to ask for definite confirmation):

David Encill says:
Quote
It went something along the lines that a Dartington worker used the moulds
to produce his own version of the Face vase, at the factory, and not with
permission! Kim believes the moulds eventually found their way to Spain,
where reproductions were manufactured. Now, I can't remember if I have
this right, but I think the heavier ones are genuine face vases, and the
lighter ones (soda glass?) are copies.

I believe it was only the clear ones that were reproduced and I've
attached my photo of the one that Kim now owns, which he confirmed as genuine.
The greenish tinge is a little over-emphasised due to the lighting.

T

Face vase in question shown below:
Title: Re: ID please: heavy & coloured round abstract glass sculpture? Pukeberg?
Post by: glassobsessed on July 31, 2009, 01:35:24 PM: I did not know that there were copies, the glass was thick 5-8mm (from memory) and that the vase was heavy. I had seen and handled the blue face vase in a Charity shop several times over a period of months before I realised one evening what it was. Needless to say I was at their door at 9am the following morning.

The vase that Kim Thrower bought was also found in South Wales, not sure what this might say about the taste or aesthetic values of people here, when they were made (1968-70). ;D

John.
Title: Re: ID please: heavy & coloured round abstract glass sculpture? Pukeberg?
Post by: aa on July 31, 2009, 02:08:11 PM: There is quite a lot of info on the face vase in "I'm forever blowing bubbles" which is on Sky on Sunday 8th August see here:

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,27769.new.html#new
Title: Re: ID please: heavy & coloured round abstract glass sculpture? Pukeberg?
Post by: malcyp on August 18, 2009, 08:39:01 PM: i got some lovely dartington innovate vases from tkmaxx quite recently.not a bad price either.
looks like your sculpture could be newer than you think.