Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass Paperweights => Topic started by: BLUE HARVEST on January 21, 2011, 03:38:59 PM
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Possibly very early venetian? The base colour is a sea green.
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Hi there.
Very Pretty item there. I am not sure about it, but I think you may be right? What is the size of it, as hard to tell -- as it looks smaller by the pics, and the size of your Fingers (in the Pic). Sorry if that is a silly question, but I just can not tell the size. May we have the size of it.
Love the aventurine in it !! Thanks :thup:
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I'd agree with 19th C Venetian. Dating these precisely is not easy: the few 1840s ones tend to have a poor surface quality (ridges, pits) and canes very near the surface, and often a good variety of canes including silhouettes or pictures (and even dates or signatures).
The later 19th C ones tend to have more aventurine, no silhouettes or pictures, and an improved - though still poor - surface quality. Pontil marks are rough throughout, the glass is usually rather dark, and the shapes are quite variable from cones to squat lumps to spheres: the later ones tend to be better shaped. Sizes vary too, with more smaller ones later, I think. I keep saying 'tend' because there is a lot of variability in the ones I have seen.
If I had to give a view on date I would veer towards later 19th C.
Alan
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The large cog canes, thick latticinio, and orangy-gold aventurine suggests a later date - perhaps as late as the 1950's
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Sorry Rose
the diameter at widest point is 5.5cm
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Thank you for your considered reply Alan,
I'm not really entirely sure it's a 19th century one. I've had a number of the Bigaglia weights, both good and bad and the canes, colour, weight and metal are different. The surface of the glass is different, too; almost waxy and the canes are set quite deep within the glass. Also, the blowing rod used appears to be of a different size to the ones found on 19th century examples.
The colour palette is also different to the 19th century ones. The base colour is a quite distinct sea green, full of tiny pinhead sized "starfield" bubbles you often find in pre 18th century venetian and facon de venise cristallo. The only reference I've found to a millefiori weight that has a similar base colour was one fished out of a Venetian lagoon and dated to the end of the 15th century ( in the "minature di vetro" book, page 13 illustration 31- I'll try and post a photo of the illustration in the next couple of days).
Have you, or any board members ever seen a pre 18th century venetian weight? or know of specific references to the same?
Once again many thanks, in advance for any replies.
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I am inclined to agree with Alan based on the millefiori style in the weight matching up to those found in the African Trade Beads of late 19th century.
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I vote with cfosterk: as late as the 1950's , because of the whole setting.
Surly the item is not classic Murano.
And it does not look like 1865 till 1890 Murano/Venice.