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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Malta Glass => Topic started by: davidfish1212 on May 19, 2010, 03:10:19 PM

Title: Mdina confirmation ( or not ) please - YES!
Post by: davidfish1212 on May 19, 2010, 03:10:19 PM
Hi, I bought this vase on Sunday and was hoping someone could tell me if it was Mdina glass ( or not ) There are no markings to the base and the vase stands roughly 34cm high. The seller told me that he believed it to be from the late 60's, but he would say that wouldn't he >:D
Cheers, David.
Title: Re: Mdina confirmation ( or not ) please
Post by: chopin-liszt on May 19, 2010, 03:16:29 PM
I reckon it's more into the '70s or later, but yes, it's Mdina, Earthtones pattern, one of Michael Harris' designs but not really made while he was there.
It's still a design used today, although the appearance suggests this one is not quite contemporary!
Mdina glass today call this Earth, rather than Earthtones.
Title: Re: Mdina confirmation ( or not ) please
Post by: davidfish1212 on May 19, 2010, 06:22:13 PM
Thanks for the quick reply Sue, why would this vase not be signed? thats 2 vases, that I have now, that are Mdina, but dont  have any signatures. Thanks again :thup: D
Title: Re: Mdina confirmation ( or not ) please
Post by: chopin-liszt on May 19, 2010, 06:46:17 PM
They're not all marked, David. It's entirely random. Some still have paper labels stuck on. (Later bits have plastic labels.).
Title: Re: Mdina confirmation ( or not ) please
Post by: paulbowen on May 20, 2010, 03:17:38 PM
I have seen the identical piece signed Mdina before.

Title: Re: Mdina confirmation ( or not ) please
Post by: chopin-liszt on May 20, 2010, 03:34:02 PM
Entirely random. :thup:

But it's NOT signed - it's MARKED - with the Mdina name.  >:D
Signed would be with an artist's name.
Title: Re: Mdina confirmation ( or not ) please
Post by: astrid on May 20, 2010, 04:18:30 PM
One thing that I found handy when trying to determine how old or new a Mdina vase is, is check their own website e-shop at http://mdinaglass.net/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=MG (http://mdinaglass.net/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=MG). It's very handy, as they give the current shape and heights of all items available per pattern. And knowing what the new price is never hurts...
Title: Re: Mdina confirmation ( or not ) please
Post by: chopin-liszt on May 20, 2010, 04:29:56 PM
Hmmm, some interesting name changes!

Michael Harris colourway designs still in production are the crizzle effect -(now called "Blue crystal"), Earthtones, (now called "Earth"), the one now called "Crystal blue stripe", which doesn't have a Harris name to my knowledge;
Dobson's Tiger is now called "Marble", and.....

Said's own chevron pattern is called "Blue Roman".
Title: Re: Mdina confirmation ( or not ) please
Post by: paulbowen on May 20, 2010, 05:36:10 PM
David, I can't help pin down the age for you, but if you're interested in value estimates, I've seen two of these in the past year or so, both signed Mdina; one was for sale for $150, and the other for $165.  Both sold.


Title: Re: Mdina confirmation ( or not ) please
Post by: chopin-liszt on May 20, 2010, 05:59:59 PM
That seems rather high to me, I suppose it depends where you saw them!
It does depend a lot on how attractively the pattern is executed, this is a nice one, and probably reasonably early. It's quite different to the current style where the background is much paler, almost frothy rather than bubbly, and the brown/red strappy bits are thinner and seem loopy-er.
Title: Re: Mdina confirmation ( or not ) please
Post by: davidfish1212 on May 20, 2010, 08:04:03 PM
Thanks everyone, I wont tell you what I paid ( but I'll hint that i've bought dearer cups of coffee >:D ) Funny I never used to give Mdina glass much thought, then I bought one piece from a friend, now I have 10 pieces!! The same friend has just been given a box of Mdina glass by his mother, included in the range of 60's and 70's bits she has given to him is a fantastic axe vase which is marked Mdina, dated and signed by the artist ( I will try and get pictures to post ) I'm a little bit jelous :mrgreen:

Cheers all, D
Title: Re: Mdina confirmation ( or not ) please
Post by: chopin-liszt on May 21, 2010, 09:21:46 AM
Funny how Mdina seems to be really growing on everybody right now!
However, it's NOT called an axe, David that's a misnomer - it's a Fish.

Looked at straight on, it's like a manta ray from above. :thup:
Title: Re: Mdina confirmation ( or not ) please
Post by: Andy on May 21, 2010, 12:20:10 PM
Interested to see a pic of the Ax......... , sorry, fish vase and signature  ;D
Title: Re: Mdina confirmation ( or not ) please
Post by: davidfish1212 on May 21, 2010, 01:10:24 PM
Just as soon as I ' catch the fish ' I'll post it,
Cheers, D
Title: Re: Mdina confirmation ( or not ) please
Post by: chopin-liszt on May 21, 2010, 01:36:39 PM
Grand - I should be able to id the signature.

(but not if anybody calls it an axe - I shall huff.)