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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Malta Glass => Topic started by: davidfish1212 on July 20, 2011, 08:53:27 PM
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Hi all,
Today I managed to aquire a couple of bits of Mdina. This vase, I was told, was from the early 70's and does have a label I haven't seen before on a bit of Mdina. It is 5 1/2" tall and has a blue/yellow stripe pattern and, where not striped, it is clear glass. It has the standard Mdina mark on the base. Does the label make it easier to date? and does this type of vase have a name? have I found a nice early vase?
Thanks in advance
Cheers, David :sc:
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David, the sticker is a late 60s-1970s Mdina glass shape or order number label. Looking at the shape, particularly the rim, I would think your vase would date from around the late 70s. I maybe wrong but I don't think this specific design was an early one. Hope this helps, sure someone will confirm for sure.
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I can't say I have seen this label on anything made much before 1973, I susupect it dates from the early 70s and was used through the decade. There is a different Made in Malta label that is found on earlier bits: http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-11791
John
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Thanks John for the info, and link, Its really clear without much patterning compared to any of my other bits of Mdina glass. Is there a name used to describe this shape of vase?
Cheers, David :sc:
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No name for the shape that I know of, I remember Sue naming the pattern but I forget... They still use a variation of this pattern at Mdina today.
John
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Cheers John for all the help :thup:
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Here's another example , same height 5 1/2 inches , but with a different sig. (thinner script). Just thought I would add it here :) ...My guess, mid 1970's perhaps ?
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This design was later named "Crystal Blue Stripe" by Mdina, although it's an original Harris design, I believe it has been made continuously, right from the start almost.
The shape is reasonably early, '70s. The labels aren't too much use for dating, as we're in the '70s anyway. The script on Baked-beanses one is earlier than yours David.
I have a couple of these, I rather like them, and one of my exceptional Earthtones vases is this shape, and I've got a nice one where the design has accidentally gone into a sideways swirl.
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Love your Earthtones example Sue :) . Thanks for the pics. & info. !
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Thanks! :)
I only have 2 earthtones pieces that gorgeous, the other is a cylinder vase. They have to be by somebody with a great deal of experience in working glass - I would personally suspect a Boffo.
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It really is in a class of it's own ! It's the precursor to all those wonderful Malta Decorative Glass designs . :) It's what glass collecting is all about , to get endless pleasure from just looking at a piece everyday .
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:)
I think there has to be somebody else's hand in it too - if it was entirely Boffo made, I'm sure it would have had a finer and thinner rim flange.
But I so agree - if it ever comes to ads on the tv, I just switch my gaze to my shelves. If a bit of sunlight suddenly manages to sneak in and lights my display up - I immediately forget whatever programme I'm watching, and just gaze at my glass in awe!
It never, ever fails to give me pleasure. ;D
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LOL ! I also turn down the volume to zero !!
The rim flange on mine is hardly circular :o ( whoever made mine might have been drinking beer to keep cool I suspect ::) !)
Perhaps it was part of the overall design to have a thick rim flange , the shape and proportions look really good . Mine is in the bathroom :D !
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You have a very good point there - a very fine flange would not be balanced with the body, doh! :-[
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Oh great , your Earthtones example surely must be a Boffo(s) piece then ! (Given all the evidence from MDG ) ;)
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I'm possibly stretching the imagination a bit here, attributing it to Boffo! It's not been done in the "grid" format I normally associate with Vicente (the father), and it does have an "early" Mdina script mark on the base, the same as my other one - but I don't have a pic to hand and it's simply not in the same league as this one. I doubt I'll ever know for sure. ;D
The only time I am sure is when it's the grid/net/mesh design, which is found in MDG.
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It would be interesting to find out who it was who perfected this marbling effect at Mdina. You can't help but think it was Vicente and I hope with his son Ettore. Perhaps when Vicente started at MDG he thought he would continue it but altering the design to more of a grid pattern so as not to be seen to be copying previous Mdina designs. It's only a theory (as you have implied) but I would image it would take a great deal of initial experimenting to achieve the results shown in your superb vase above. If it was Vicente & Ettore who perfected it then Vicente would feel entirely justified in using the same techniques at MDG.
It's a shame that more information isn't available on the Boffos work at Mdina.
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I am positive (Papa) Boffo used the grid design at Mdina.
While I don't have any marked pieces I can curently lay my mitts on, I have a Fish vase (and have seen several others) and a "facetted cube" case - and a chalice without a knop, but with the "bell-shaped" cup part.
I don't believe these were shapes produced at MDG. But I also have no evidence to back that up.
The shape which I call a "Chimney vase" (it has a big wide funnel on top of a flattened base part) was produced in both places. I've got a green MDG one.
The fabulous Earthtones design on the bottle I posted is very reminiscent of the swirly colours used for making glass for stained glass windows - a technique he could have learned at wfs.
It's the expert use of the colours this way that makes me think it must be a Boffo piece.
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I have seen most of your pieces that you mention on other threads :). That's my 'grid theory' blown out of the window ::) I forgot about those !
Have you thought of sending pics. to Mdina to find out any further info. on the vase/bottle ? It would be fascinating to see if they could shed any further light on it . It's such a great piece !
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I have an unsigned Mdina vase in this shape. I think it may be unsigned as there is a burst bubble on the side but I do not know this factory very well.... John "Glassobsessed" kindly helped me identify this one, as a variant on Tortoiseshell probably 1970-1980 ish .... It is great that Mdina messed (and messes) around with colours in the same pattern so much, it creates totally different products, with just minor changes.
Robert
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Lack of a mark on Mdina may only mean it never got engraved and the label's been removed. The naked bit and the burst bubble on yours may mean it came from the factory shop though.
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Thanks Christine, that is interesting.
Robert
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Actually, I think your piece is even more interesting BoBA.
It's not Earthtones, but Tortoiseshell, (Earthtones has frothy yellow bits). It's "nakedness" (lots of clear areas) is unusual.
I have two cylinder vases like this, one Mdina, the other a much shorter cylinder from Isle of Wight Studio Glass - it has the flame pontil mark, but I still think it's an experimental piece.
I've found a pic of them - but I'm afraid I don't know how to alter the colour to get rid of the allover yellow tinge, which is disguising the yellow effects in the Mdina piece, not present in the IoWSG bit.
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Thanks for the information Sue, mine has a flat polished base so must be Mdina issue, but still unusual and a nicely made thing (burst bubble aside!)
Robert (bOBA)