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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: TxSilver on July 10, 2010, 02:18:54 AM

Title: White Bird -- Glass or Ceramic?
Post by: TxSilver on July 10, 2010, 02:18:54 AM
I recently bought this bird on eBay. It arrived today. It looked like unusual pasta glass, but it sounds like ceramic when I thump it. So is it ceramic that looks like glass? Or is it glass that sounds like ceramic? This one has me puzzled.
Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180523362043&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
Title: Re: White Bird -- Glass or Ceramic?
Post by: Lustrousstone on July 10, 2010, 10:50:21 AM
We may have to report you for cruelty to birds.  ;D  I would say glass on this occasion. The joins would be filled with glaze if it was ceramic.
Title: Re: White Bird -- Glass or Ceramic?
Post by: TxSilver on July 10, 2010, 02:04:47 PM
This is one of those pieces that puts the senses at odds. I remember the last puzzling piece I had turned out to be blanc de chine. Still another that felt like a ceramic coffee mug turned out to be contemporary North American glass. These puzzling pieces make me feel really dumb. :spls:
Title: Re: White Bird -- Glass or Ceramic?
Post by: rosieposie on July 10, 2010, 05:02:48 PM
Anita!!  Don't thump it, just think yourself lucky that I didn't see it first! How did I miss it??!! :cry:
Title: Re: White Bird -- Glass or Ceramic?
Post by: TxSilver on July 10, 2010, 05:45:30 PM
Ah, but rosieposie, what is it?
Title: Re: White Bird -- Glass or Ceramic?
Post by: rosieposie on July 10, 2010, 05:52:17 PM
That is a good question Anita!!  The first thing I would have done, would have been to ask the GMB....who else has all the answers? :rah:
Title: Re: White Bird -- Glass or Ceramic?
Post by: johnphilip on July 10, 2010, 07:35:35 PM
I vote glass, i am sure i have seen this somewhere , i would have bought it . jp
Title: Re: White Bird -- Glass or Ceramic?
Post by: rosieposie on July 10, 2010, 08:51:13 PM
How come so few of us saw it!! :o
If you didn't see it JP, then I wouldn't stand a chance. You always seem to 'Pip' me to the post.
I vote glass as well, by the way.
Are you selling it Anita?????
Title: Re: White Bird -- Glass or Ceramic?
Post by: TxSilver on July 10, 2010, 09:08:07 PM
I'm still in the "What is it?" phase. I'm sure it will appear in the store after I figure out what it is. At the moment I'm still trying to figure out if my Pillsbury Doughbird is treasure or trinket.
Title: Re: White Bird -- Glass or Ceramic?
Post by: TxSilver on September 19, 2010, 11:35:09 PM
I ran into a couple of bird bowls in the last few days. This is one of them: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180560385934. The form of the birds is so much like mine. It was particularly evident in the other bowl, which unfortunately I didn't bookmark. I believe these bowls are from Mexico. So maybe my bird is Mexican, also. I'm still not certain mine is glass, but it probably is.

I better paste some pictures of my bird. The link in the OP is probably going to be gone soon.
Title: Re: White Bird -- Glass or Ceramic?
Post by: TxSilver on September 19, 2010, 11:41:55 PM
I forgot to mention that the other ashtray bird had the joint in the neck like mine does. The one in the eBay link I provided looks like it does, but it is difficult to see it with the casing.
Title: Re: White Bird -- Glass or Ceramic?
Post by: jinxi on September 21, 2010, 08:24:03 AM
Surely it's glass Anita?  I think it is lovely but I think it would be even more lovely and aesthetically pleasing without the neck join!  I would imagine that if it were ceramic, even if initially made in sections, it would be smoothed over and 'integrated' at assembly.  Everything else seems carefully and finely modelled except for this join which suggests perhaps that it couldn't be done for technical reasons rather than the artist was being lazy or sloppy - therefore I vote for glass!

Veronica
Title: Re: White Bird -- Glass or Ceramic?
Post by: Cathy B on September 21, 2010, 01:31:40 PM
If it were ceramic, you'd expect some points where the glaze didn't cover. Glaze is applied as a liquid, which then melts on a second firing of the piece. The usual practice these days is to leave bare the section of the base that sits on the kiln shelf, so the matt, slightly rougher surface of the ceramic shows through. An older practice involved coating the entire piece in glaze, but using some sort of stand, which was snapped off after firing, leaving characteristic marks.
Title: Re: White Bird -- Glass or Ceramic?
Post by: TxSilver on September 21, 2010, 04:04:07 PM
I do believe it is glass, just a form I am not used to. I handle European glass mainly. This bird is probably a different consistency. After checking as much as I can on Mexican birds, I feel almost certain it is what I am looking at -- either that or a copy of a Mexican bird. I haven't seen any other country that has a neck joint like this. I haven't found company names on any of the pieces I've seen, so I think the best we can do until more information comes in is say it's probably a very nice Mexican glass bird. And remind myself to be careful when buying things online. I think I seriously overpaid, expecting Italian glass.  :-[ At least it is pretty.