Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: Nemmie on April 15, 2012, 01:25:48 PM
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In my continuing quest to find an early piece of Isle of Wight I purchased this lovely vase. To my mind it has all the qualities that Mark Hill mentions in his book. The glass is thicker, it does involve a striped pattern and although I am prepared to be told that I am wrong again that looks like a coachbolt pontil mark to me. It also is reminiscent of Mdina so would make sense as an evolution piece.
Now over to you for the umpteen reasons why it isn't. ;D
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:o :o :o
You know what? I think you've done it!
I've never seen anything like this before - not blue and amber swirls, and it's wonky (unusual for IoWSG) and it's not even any sort of standard shape gone wonky.
But everything about it just screams that it's an early experimental bit of IoWSG.
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;D
It is a bit wonky and the shape reminds me of something an amateur potter might create but it looks and feels lovely.
Very happy to have finally got there! :)
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Don't go assuming I'm right - it's just my opinion!
I haven't had a good feel or anything...
I need to hear what John thinks... just for a start......
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That is tricky.....
My initial reaction was no chance, mostly as a result of the colour and shape. However, the only early experimental examples I can compare it to are the few in Mark Hill's book, mostly photographed on pages 72 and 73. Which is not much to go on. I would not like to say either way, how about a 'close up' photo showing the detail of the coloured swirls and some dimensions? Any big air bubbles?
That swirl of iridescence from the silver chloride leaking has me wondering. Maybe.
I wonder if anyone at the Studio could help?
John
The more I look at your photos the less I am inclined to say not.
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I will provide more pictures later. Vase stands 5.5 inches in height. There are not bubbles in the stripes as found on pieces such as blue and white swirls or tortoiseshell.
I am now lucky enough to own a nice selection of early Mdina and earlyish Isle of Wight and to me this piece does stand up well in comparison.
This morning I noticed that the sides of this vase are similar to a bowl that was produced. There is one currently listed on Ebay.
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That is an interesting observation, not noticed that.
Very nice too that particular 'Elephants Foot' bowl on ebay.....
John
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:D
My initial reaction was "no chance" too, BUT:-
There's the streak of iridesence - absolutely correct
The coach-bolt pontil mark
The swirl pattern was used both at Mdina and in the very early experimental days of IoWSG.
The colours are correct. This blue is the shade used in the strapped aurene pieces - it may look a little dull - but it's mixed a bit with the ambers and ochres.
The WAY the colours work together to create the design, as a whole, is absolutely spot-on perfect.
(try examining these pink and blue swirls in close-up!)
But it is a very funny shape.
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Finally managed to take some more pictures. I don't think the shape is that funny if you take the elephant bowl into consideration.
Anyway I hope these are close enough up for you to see the swirl formation.
http://s729.photobucket.com/albums/ww293/GrooveVandal/Glass/Cabinets/
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It looks exactly right - all the thread-thin streaks and tiny elongated (vertical direction) spots.
The only things going against it are the non-standard shape, the non-standard colour combination and the non-standard wonkiness.
All of which could be accounted for if it really IS a true, experimental early piece, which the coach-bolt pontil mark strongly suggests.
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I am tending to agree with Sue on this one, despite all the non-standard things about the vase. But that is what experimenting is all about and I am sure a lot of unrecorded stuff was produced in 1973. We really need IOW Studio Glass to comment, but maybe only Elizabeth Harris can remember what happened that long ago. Timothy Harris would be a teenager in 1973 and it may be asking too much for him to comment.
Anton
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Well that all sounds very positive, thank you for taking a look for me.
Not sure how I would contact the studio, I have been to their forum before and any threads about older pieces seem to be only answered by people who reside here as well.
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Another avenue may be to contact Ron Wheeler at Artius Glass, contact details here: http://www.artiusglass.co.uk/id2.html
Sometimes there is no substitute for actually handling an item when attempting to make an assessment, photos can fail to catch so many subtle clues. What I am really saying is bring it to the National on the 6th of May so we can prod and poke it. ;D
John
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Sadly I won't be at the National glass fair, a little too far for me to justify travelling to. Maybe sometime in the future if there is a fair nearer to my location. :)
Thank you for the contact details I may well try that but as you say hard to determine exactly without handling the item. I may take it to Detling later in the year as I know Ron Wheeler has a stall there (I had the pleasure of a chat with him earlier on in the year).
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I'm happy enough that it's right without handling it. I really am.
That doesn't mean I wouldn't like to handle it. ;)