Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass Paperweights => Topic started by: alan2001 on December 05, 2009, 02:22:33 PM
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my fiancee has recently inherited a collection of 116 paperweights.
we know nothing about the subject, so i'm just posting a few photos and saying 'hello!' :)
there are no plans to sell any of them, but it would be interesting to hear any comments about any of these pieces.
thanks
alan
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some more photos:
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Hello Alan,nice collection can see a Mdina,possible Caithness,Murano? and maybe Whitefriars(I think) some one will be along soon and let you know,Keith.
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Me again,can see another Mdina some Chinese and a possible Strathearn and lots I don't know,Keith
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thanks for the quick replies, Keith!
this sounds encouraging. we are in Scotland, by the way, which might explain some of the types.
what i'd ultimately like to do is catalogue them properly, but things are pretty hectic at the moment. they'll probably remain in their boxes for quite a while. hopefully i'll be able to devote some quality time to this project so we know what we have. :)
cheers
alan
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A fair number of them will be Chinese - like
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The next two will most likely be Mdina, a glass studio on Malta - usually signed on the base. For most weights one really would need more detailed images, always including an image of the base, to have a chance of identification.
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That is a nice collection of mostly modern Chinese weights. That includes the three in the red boxes with white satin lining and the three animals.
Wuff has pointed out the Mdina ones. The only Scottish one that I can identify is - main photo, fourth row up from the bottom, sixth weight in from the left, a regular daily production "cartwheel" design by Strathearn Glass 1965-1980 (has ten white spokes radiating from a central row of six millefiori canes around a central cane, with millefiori canes between each spoke).
Some of the abstract design weights may be by better-known studios or companies but from the general views I cannot see anything that I immediatley recognise.
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thanks for the information, folks, it's most appreciated. we've also got a book on the subject - Miller's Paperweights of the 19th & 20th Centuries - which is pretty interesting.
i wish i had taken my girlfriend's advice and photographed them on a white sheet. they don't all have a pink glow about them!
The only Scottish one that I can identify is - main photo, fourth row up from the bottom, sixth weight in from the left, a regular daily production "cartwheel" design by Strathearn Glass 1965-1980 (has ten white spokes radiating from a central row of six millefiori canes around a central cane, with millefiori canes between each spoke).
that'll be this one. thanks very much!
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Do any of the Pears have controlled bubbles and a small crease going down from the stalk for about a half inch if so they could be Whitefriars .jp
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one of the pears does look like that, yes.
we had a very quick look through them again tonight and discovered hardly any with markings, which is a shame. a few of them have 'made in poland' stickers, and there is this one.
underneath it says:
700
Caithness
Whitefriars Summer Blue
Scotland
not sure why it says Caithness AND Whitefriars...? :huh:
thanks for all the comments so far. i think we're beginning to slowly identify the chinese ones...
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not sure why it says Caithness AND Whitefriars...? :huh:
Caithness took over Whitefriars in 1980/81 and since then produced a "Whitefriars series": "Summer Blue" is one of them - made in 1988 with a planned edition size of 100, but only 91 were actually produced.
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As a broad indication of mid to late 20th century Chinese manufacture, the base of many of their paperweights shows an uneven base finishing (not properly round, or round with an obvious indent) which is also rough ground rather than smooth and polished. But newer Chinese (and Taiwanese) weights can show much improved finishing with many being smoothly polished and well rounded.
Also note that a rough ground base does not mean something is definitely Chinese. Lots of modern Studio makers around the world use a rough grinding for finishing. Also, a base that is not properly round can be found on some modern studio pieces, too.
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not sure why it says Caithness AND Whitefriars...? :huh:
Caithness took over Whitefriars in 1980/81 and since then produced a "Whitefriars series": "Summer Blue" is one of them - made in 1988 with a planned edition size of 100, but only 91 were actually produced.
Forgot two things to mention and ask, respectively:
1. The design was by Allan Scott.
2. Interesting is the base signature with "Whitefriars" actually written out: would you allow us to use your images for the Caithness catalogue on Scotlandsglass (link in the footer) - you'd be mentioned as copyright holder, of course.
Thanks and best regards - Wolf
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thanks again, folks.
2. Interesting is the base signature with "Whitefriars" actually written out: would you allow us to use your images for the Caithness catalogue on Scotlandsglass (link in the footer) - you'd be mentioned as copyright holder, of course.
of course you can, thanks for asking! don't worry about any copyright text. :)
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ALAN, threre is a weight in photo, IMG_4221 just to the right of the green mdina with the knob on top, it has what looks to be orange and black around the outside with a central cane. could you post a close up pic, it might be interesting!.
kindest regards theglassnut...
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IMG 4217 the blue and white mushroom on the far left looks like a Wedgewood weight,does it have anything on the base?Keith.
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ALAN, threre is a weight in photo, IMG_4221 just to the right of the green mdina with the knob on top, it has what looks to be orange and black around the outside with a central cane. could you post a close up pic, it might be interesting!
Hi nut ;)
it's a strange wee thing. there's no clear glass, it's solid colour all the way round. i'm guessing the millefiori is only painted on and there are no markings on it anywhere. but here are some photos anyway. :)
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IMG 4217 the blue and white mushroom on the far left looks like a Wedgewood weight,does it have anything on the base? Keith.
no markings at all. would you call it a paperweight? it would be pretty impractical! but here are some photos anyway... :)
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right then, one more post tonight! ;D
i had a closer look at these two. the coloured one is nothing special looking, but the clear one is absolutely gorgeous. it's definitely become my favourite out of the 116. what makes them potentially interesting, however, is what's inscribed by hand on their bases. sorry the photos are rather unclear.
the clear one says:
CAITHNESS - SCOTLAND - SAMPLE - STARWATCH SILVER
the coloured one says:
CAITHNESS - SCOTLAND - SAMPLE - NEON-3
cheers again! :thup:
alan
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The mushroom does look a slightly different shape close up,see pic's,Keith.
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......and the base finish is completely different,Keith.
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You certainly have some interesting and possibly "valuable" Caithness ones. I'm using valuable loosely here. Perhaps you ought to check the bottoms of the others.
The mushroom is more Avondale like I think
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quote from ALAN,
Hi nut ;)
it's a strange wee thing. there's no clear glass, it's solid colour all the way round. i'm guessing the millefiori is only painted on and there are no markings on it anywhere. but here are some photos anyway. :)
HI ALAN, the central cane looks like an ysart stone and is certainly not painted on. i have seen a similar weight recently that was an ysart.
kevh is a far better man than i on ysart weights i will leave it up to him...
kindest regards theglassnut...
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The small weight (IMG_4246/7/9) is a type that I have not seen before. It is the neatly formed pulled yellow canes over "black" surface that is new to me. Those canes seem to be three-ring "bullseye", which is not a Scottish cane form that I am aware of. And although the central millefiori canes are very much like Scottish "cog canes", I cannot say for sure that they are - or are not.
There were small 'weights' made by Vasart Ltd as attachments to bar items, car gear shifts etc. I have also seen a couple of very small items that were surface decorated (i.e. no clear glass over the basic design). But Alan's item does not look like any of those I have seen.
However, just because I have not seen something like this one, does not mean it is not Scottish. But I would be surprsied if it was shown to be by and of the Ysart men.
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I am not really into paperweights so I tend to overlook when I buy glass. However, images 4246,4247 & 4249 is absolutely beautiful. I would snatch that up. Only a small amount of millefiori and black and yellow colour is superb. :thup:
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ALAN, threre is a weight in photo, IMG_4221 just to the right of the green mdina with the knob on top, it has what looks to be orange and black around the outside with a central cane. could you post a close up pic, it might be interesting!
Hi nut ;)
it's a strange wee thing. there's no clear glass, it's solid colour all the way round. i'm guessing the millefiori is only painted on and there are no markings on it anywhere. but here are some photos anyway. :)
The photographs you have posted remind me of a very early Caithness weight I've got - will have to dig it out. Now that theglassnut has suggested there is an Ysart cane in it, it seems you might have something very interesting!
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It is the neatly formed pulled yellow canes over "black" surface that is new to me. Those canes seem to be three-ring "bullseye", which is not a Scottish cane form that I am aware of.
hello again. here's some more information and photos of this one.
it's only 45mm in diameter. the yellow stripes on the outside are marginally wider than the black stripes, giving it a ridged feel around the circumference. (sorry, but there's just no way of wording that without it sounding rude. :mrgreen: )
the last photo shows more clearly how the millefiori circle is offset from the centre of the weight.