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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: gaspy1 on September 04, 2011, 12:05:21 AM

Title: Graff Studio Glass - information sought - early US studio glass?
Post by: gaspy1 on September 04, 2011, 12:05:21 AM

I have recently purchased on New Zealand auction website TradeMe a piece of glass signed graff 73.  It is 14 cms high.

I am pretty confident this is not a piece of New Zealand glass, but most likely a work by one of the early studio glass artists in the United States.

The Live Auctioneers website http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/772794 shows a piece of Graff Studio art glass sold at auction by Richard Hatch Auctions of Flat Rock, North Carolina on 18 February 2005.

Maybe Mr (or Ms) Graff made only a few pieces of glass, since he (or she) doesn't seem to have left much of a trace in the glass art world.  But if you know anything about Graff Studio Glass, or have any examples, I would be very interested to hear from you. 

Title: Re: Graff Studio Glass - information sought - early US studio glass?
Post by: Ohio on September 05, 2011, 05:12:17 AM

This may be a waste of time, but there is a Morgan Graff (lady) who owns a glass studio in Austin, Texas & although she is too young to have made your vase its possible she was inspired to go into glass blowing by a relative who worked glass in the 70's. Unfortunately although there were hundreds of studio operiations in the U.S. from the late 60's through the late 80's most were a "here today, gone tomorrow" in operation & practically no records exist for 95% of these operations.

Title: Re: Graff Studio Glass - information sought - early US studio glass?
Post by: gaspy1 on September 05, 2011, 07:28:13 AM

I have already had a really helpful reply to my enquiry from Morgan Graff, who confirmed she is too young to have made it, and had no glassmaking ancestors.  She commented that Graff was a pretty common name, especially around the Great Lakes region. So I guess with a common name and hundreds of studios, it will be a very long shot to make an ID.  Thanks for your response, though.

Title: Re: Graff Studio Glass - information sought - early US studio glass?
Post by: chopin-liszt on September 05, 2011, 10:47:40 AM

There is no Graff mentioned in the index of "American Studio Glass 1960-1990" by Martha Drexler Lynne.

(but one day,  :24:  :thud:  I'm going to read it cover to cover and write a decent supplement of artist names to add to the index. Sorry, MDL, gorgeous book, but the index is lousy!)

Title: Re: Graff Studio Glass - information sought - early US studio glass?
Post by: gaspy1 on September 05, 2011, 05:29:09 PM

Thanks for looking - and I'll look forward to seeing your index eventually!  :)