Glass Message Board

Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: petet63 on March 04, 2012, 10:18:22 AM

Title: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: petet63 on March 04, 2012, 10:18:22 AM
Hiya all, this item I got in a charity shop bric a brac for 50p.  Just wondering if anyone recognises the mark if it is a mark. It is 18.5 x 10.5 cm. Its a fun piece that made me smile and the price was right  ;D Someone saw it  and said it was an Irish butter Stamp. Not a very Irish looking cow but wouldn't know one cow from another unless its on my plate.
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: glassobsessed on March 04, 2012, 10:39:21 AM
It is a 'butter platter' from Hergiswil of Switzerland. I have seen these in two sizes, one like yours - with one cow and a larger one with two cows.

A few bits of info if you search the board for Hergiswil.

John
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: Wuff on March 04, 2012, 11:45:25 AM
Well - it looks remarkably close to the OLMA Butter Dish (http://webshop.glasi.ch/default.aspx?id=3E5F47A9DD2FEBEA70D24F0F756CF8F37A04028CFD73D4349A6C919FCE3623C2C04371E7E9BE3A93) made by Glasi Hergiswil (http://www.glasi.ch/index.php?id=2&L=1) - but is not quite the same. I'll try to find out whether it is an earlier version - or a copy.
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: chopin-liszt on March 04, 2012, 11:49:02 AM
 :pb:
I can see now that the cow has its back leg sticking out from behind.
The first image had me very confused indeed - but not as confused as the cow would have been!  :-[
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: petet63 on March 04, 2012, 02:39:01 PM
Still amazed at the level of knowledge some people have on here. It was a piece of glass with a cow on it !!! How do you do it ??

 ;D I didnt notice that leg, thought it was a part of the udder ;D I can see this one on the Hergiswil site, they dont have the stamp on them and like this one. Could it be a stamp of a maker in the factory ??  I was thinking of using it as a trivet for the hot pans !  Thanks for the help so far chopin-liszt and glassobsessed.
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: chopin-liszt on March 04, 2012, 02:51:20 PM
 :thud: :thud: :thud:

Please - do not put hot things on it - it will crack!
It's for keeping your butter cool.
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: petet63 on March 04, 2012, 03:27:41 PM
Lol   That was before I knew what it was. I dont think it will work as well as the iron one I have now ;D The glass was just the right size for my coffee pot to sit on but never got to that point luckily.
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: rosieposie on March 04, 2012, 04:07:32 PM
Hi petet63,

Here is a link to a nice interesting link that Wolf started and I added at the end that I had just bought one of these OLMA butter dishes made in Switzerland by Glasi Hergiswil.

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,37431.30.html

It is well worth reading through as there are other pieces mentioned there as well....including the Lula Angel,  which I am STILL looking for.

PS, mine is the same as yours, with the centre flower 'up', not 'down'.
PPS, is your first picture the smooth or the indented side?  Mine hasn't got another flower pressed on the reverse???
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: rosieposie on March 04, 2012, 04:24:02 PM
Me again,  here is the link to Olma on Glasi site.....

http://webshop.glasi.ch/default.aspx?id=25DB7294F739CDE67BBD299D37FDC6A9FF6FCB62757880AAD30F7617D0F5E2F8

On there you can see all the Olma items, including the one with two cows on that John mentioned earlier.

This is lovely glass and whenever I visit the site I want it all!! :cry:
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: petet63 on March 04, 2012, 08:04:30 PM
Im noy at home right now but im pretty sure its the indented side. There are some slight differences one being the extra stamped mark and the middle flower on the cow is higher on mine and seems to have 3 petals. I went through the hergiswil site and found no pieces that had it on. I saw a lot that looked really nice and the angels which though simple in style were impressive. (I will be selling this on ebay soon) Thanks. Pete
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: rosieposie on March 04, 2012, 08:31:36 PM
When you list it,  remember I know you only paid 50p for it!!  I might bid!  ;)
I have a feeling it might be an earlier piece.....as the newer ones are simpler.  I could be wrong,  but that is  my gut feeling.
If anyone might know how to find out,  it will be Wolf!!
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: petet63 on March 04, 2012, 08:47:36 PM
I was a bit cheeky and emailed Wulf earlier today :-[ after reading his thread I figured he would be the one with an answer. I spent a fortune in that shop...£2.00 for 4 pieces. Olma, a very scratched Libbey tankard(project with dremel and glass polish), a hand made jug(very nice) and an Iris posy vase.  ;D ;D
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: Wuff on March 06, 2012, 06:38:35 PM
In the meantime I have received a response from Glasi management, and have done a bit of additional research myself.

Willy Steinlin (the designer of the OLMA series) ran a design studio in St.Gallen from 1971 to 2003. There are actually two slightly different versions. What you see on the Glasi web site (http://www.glasi.ch/index.php?id=2&L=1) today is the version of 1992, the result of a collaboration between Willy Steinlin and Glasi, and produced exclusively by Glasi.

The moulds of an earlier version were likely kept by Willy Steinlin himself, and he had the items produced by both, Glasi Hergiswil, and Sarner Kristall-Glashütte (closed many years ago). These moulds seem to have been lost when Willy Steinlin Design closed in 2003.

Conclusion: Pete's item will most likely be the earlier version of Willy Steinlin's design - and could have been made in either Hergiswil or Sarnen.
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: rosieposie on March 06, 2012, 08:30:22 PM
What a lot of interesting info you have provided Wolf...as always.

So the newer version on sale in the shop is a proper Hergiswills authentic vesion, and Pete's is either a proper Hergiswill piece or a Sarnen product. 
Mine is slightly different, in that is doesn't have the embossed  mark on the reverse and the central flowers on the cow ase positioned slightly differently....so, who made mine then?
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: petet63 on March 06, 2012, 09:00:41 PM
Wuff, that is as clear an answer as it could be.  Thanks for going to all the trouble you went to. I will enjoy finding out about Willy Steinlin and seeing what he has done. Thanks Very much Wuff and GMB  :thup: :thup:
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: Wuff on March 06, 2012, 10:02:50 PM
... and Pete's is either a proper Hergiswil piece or a Sarnen product.
I would say "or a proper Sarnen product" ;D.

Mine is slightly different, in that is doesn't have the embossed mark on the reverse and the central flowers on the cow are positioned slightly differently....so, who made mine then?
No embossed mark might indicate the "modern" version - if you see differences, it could be either small differences between moulds (I would assume there was not only a single one), or may depend on viewing angle(?).
We would need to see images of yours for a deeper discussion.
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: Wuff on March 06, 2012, 10:05:45 PM
I will enjoy finding out about Willy Steinlin and seeing what he has done.
There is close to nothing on him online - I just found date of foundation and date of closure of his studio in a company register. I don't think glass was his main business, more ceramics.
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: rosieposie on March 06, 2012, 10:53:03 PM
Wuff said: 'We would need to see images of yours for a deeper discussion.'

You are in luck Wolf...I bought a new camera today and will be using it over the weekend, so I will take a picture, then we can compare all three,  Pete's mine and the present shop version. Hang on in there!
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: Wuff on March 07, 2012, 12:17:51 PM
I just received another mail from Robert Niederer (Hergiswil) with a copy of an old image of the first version (attached).

I also spoke to my wife - she remembers the old Steinlin shop in St.Gallen with household design (in the widest sense). She also was sure that there still is a Steinlin shop in Zürich - and found it online:
http://www.steinlin-zuerich.ch/
concentrating on Jewellery (possibly run by Willy's daughter): on the web page you'll see the Steinlin logo ... this is what you also find between the cow's legs, I would say.
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: rosieposie on March 07, 2012, 08:36:49 PM
Here is a couple of pictures of mine.  I have used a darker background so the differences show as clearly as possible.
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: petet63 on March 07, 2012, 09:05:30 PM
That is the mark on mine. Its identical right down to the 3 petals on the middle flower.
    I couldnt find much online either, mostly ceramics as you said and closure of the factory which, from what I saw, was a big deal at the time. I live in Middlesbrough, an old steel and chemical town, and know all about closures. Luckily we can now breath the air so swings and roundabouts  ;D :cry: ;D
    Its been really good reading the info on this piece. I appreciate the work and comments from both of you Wuff and Rosie :thup: Thanks.

Pete
Title: Re: A 50p bit of fun
Post by: rosieposie on April 20, 2012, 01:52:32 PM
Continuing on this theme,  I thought this might just amuse,  if you have that much to spend on a misdescribed piece of glass.  If it were more realistically priced,  I would snap it up!!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Kosta-Boda-Scandanavian-Art-Glass-Hanging-Cow-Sunlight-Reflector-1970s-/160786493197