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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: chriscooper on February 11, 2011, 03:50:17 PM

Title: Mdina Sculptural bottle early one?
Post by: chriscooper on February 11, 2011, 03:50:17 PM
Confirmed on page 52 of my Christmas present :sun:
Stands 7" high and weighs 1.6kg
Question, can anyone tell from the colours whether it's hopefully a good early one.

https://picasaweb.google.com/107067405711297858658/209#5572458261433822530

thanks Chris
Title: Re: Mdina Sculptural bottle early one?
Post by: glassobsessed on February 11, 2011, 05:24:13 PM
This design is post Harris so c1973 onwards, they are sometimes dated and I do not remember ever seeing one from the 1980s, so mid to late seventies I suspect. I have not studied signed examples enough to know if the colours can give a more precise date, build up a little database of them if you have the will and the patience. ;D

Very nice they are too.

Here's another: https://picasaweb.google.com/Johnmj100/LaterMdinaGlass#5430029772930323442

John
Title: Re: Mdina Sculptural bottle early one?
Post by: glassobsessed on February 11, 2011, 06:27:24 PM
On second thoughts, I imagine they were made into the 80's as well.

John
Title: Re: Mdina Sculptural bottle early one?
Post by: chopin-liszt on February 12, 2011, 12:47:58 PM
I think that's very possible, John. I have one dated '74, two @ '75, three @'77 and one @ '78.
And a few with no dates at all.

These mostly come with the internal decoration being the same as the early Michael Harris Cut-ice Lollipops - basically, it's the same beast, but left unflattened, I believe it to be Eric Dobson's design input, this notion being supported by the fact that Said didn't "rise to prominence" until '75.

I have one cube with the fish-net internal design I believe to be Boffo, and that would possibly put the date of this one to the very short time Boffo was still there after Michael Harris left.
But we still know nothing about these dates.

I'm sure it was Wolfie promised me ages ago he'd ask Mick Rayner, who was a friend of Vicente Boffo if he knew anything, but I've never heard anything back.

I also have a cube with Eric Dobson's "Tiger" pattern inside.

Every piece of Mdina needs to be taken on it's own merits - they're all individual - so whether or not it is good is in the eyes of your potential buyer. I like the internal stuff in this one, but (personally) find the neck to be a bit short and inelegant.
Title: Re: Mdina Sculptural bottle early one?
Post by: jakgene on February 12, 2011, 01:47:31 PM
Not sure if it helps, but here are photos of mine, which is clearly dated 1974 on the base. Perhaps as so many of these are dated if we all post photos someone with a good eye can work out if there is a pattern to the colourways?

Also interested to read about the fish net design being possibly Boffo - is that what mine is? looks a bit like a fishing net to me  :X:


JAK


Title: Re: Mdina Sculptural bottle early one?
Post by: chopin-liszt on February 12, 2011, 03:40:30 PM
My "fish-net" is in the Eathtones colourway - frothy yellow background with brown/red streaky mesh pattern on it.

This pattern you show, with "wormy" tricoloured internal decoration is the one based on MH's original Cut-ice Lollipop - this is the most "common" pattern.

My suspect Boffo one and the Tiger one are the anomalies.

I do have at least 10 of these cubes, but have seen a lot more. I honestly do not think it might be possible to work out anything from their colourways. I seem to have had an "eye" for Mdina  since I encountered my first piece, I really cannot see that there would be any way at all to work anything out in any sort of time-line - or work out whose hand is in what.

I do think, however, that Boffo was long gone from Mdina by '74 - BUT we still need to find that out for sure.