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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: flying free on July 07, 2012, 01:29:42 PM

Title: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: flying free on July 07, 2012, 01:29:42 PM
Looks like it could be Mdina but I'm not really sure.
It has a slight yellow tint to the clear glass and the blue internal bit is mottled differently to how I would think Mdina would be.  The tool marks on the flipper and beak are a visible 'pull' rather than them being hot shaped and smooth if you know what I mean? (i.e. they have a ridge in them).  Could it be Phoenician Glass maybe?
It's 4 1/4" tall.
m
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: rosieposie on July 07, 2012, 11:16:31 PM
Hello m, I would say Mdina... but there are others here more knowlegeable than I when it comes to Maltese glass... hopefully they will pop their heads in.
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: flying free on July 07, 2012, 11:49:53 PM
I'm not sure Rosie.  The blue bits in it don't look like my Mdina pieces, but perhaps it's a later piece.  I also did find a labelled Phoenician penguin that seems to be similar (but thinner) with the pulled wings and beak and tail done in the same way,but he is a different shape having looked at him again, and a differnt decor.
m
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: flying free on July 08, 2012, 12:47:25 AM
I have now found one that looks the same... is it a Boffo penguin then  ???
m
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: chriscooper on July 08, 2012, 08:31:17 AM
My thoughts too m but usually get shot down in flames at the very mention of his name  ;D Patrick and Wolfie have a few animals from his time at Mdina and MDG will grab their attention and point them here.
Chris
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: chopin-liszt on July 08, 2012, 10:38:40 AM
The teal colour is speckled on the insidey bit m - not Mdina, I reckon Phoenician, I reckon most of them are Phoenician. They seem to be very common.
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: flying free on July 08, 2012, 12:27:11 PM
I can't find any other than two to compare to though Sue, so they can't be that common?  It's  very similar design to one I found attributed as a Boffo penguin.  It is quite a bit different to the labelled one I found from Phoenician, in terms of shape and also the way the wings are done.  However I should imagine there are variations anyway, and I had queries about the speckly blue on the internal colouring wondering if it might have been a later Mdina piece or something initially.  Mdina didn't create their blues like that did they?  It's quite difficult to see the colour on the only one I can compare to, and how it is laid in or created.
m
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: chopin-liszt on July 08, 2012, 12:41:49 PM
Typical, no Phoenician ones on my ebay search right now!
However, there are Alum bay ones. There's this very ropey looking thing too....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290740003326?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Which one is the labelled Boffo one, m?
Personally, I'm not convinced by any of the so-called chicks. They're not good enough to be Boffo.
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: flying free on July 08, 2012, 01:14:33 PM
Sorry I'd amended my post above Sue, my fault  and I  didn't change the 'labelled' Boffo to 'attributed'. I'll try and find a link in a sec and add it.
Yes it is typical...I've searched and searched and there just aren't that many that come up.
There is the one Phoenician, I'll find a link to that in a sec.
link here

http://www.dbramallantiques.com/maltese-art-glass-penguin-figure-by-phoenician-glass---labelled-247-p.asp

 Did Mr Boffo make the Whitefriars penguins?  I wondered and that was why I was commenting on the beak being shaped with tool marks as it looks quite different to a Whitefriars beak as far as I can see.
I have to say mine is nicely made, proportionately good and I think is a good penguin.  But those blue speckles are just not what I've seen of older Mdina glass even though I've comparatively seen very little.
m
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: chriscooper on July 08, 2012, 02:10:39 PM
Boffo and Ray Annenberg both made penguins at Whitefriars depending on which style.
This previous thread may be of use? a similar one to yours in Pat's reply.
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php?topic=40609.10
Chris
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: flying free on July 08, 2012, 02:20:18 PM
Thank you Chris.  I'll have another good look round (in between watching the tennis!)
m
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: chriscooper on July 08, 2012, 02:32:46 PM
Boffo penguin with an exceptionally long beak...

http://www.whitefriars.com/bb_orig/viewtopic.php?t=4618&highlight=boffo+penguin

Ray Annenberg one in this eBay link m

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&item=370540249062&nma=true&rt=nc&si=mxvA89WX9EUzFBe27iWECAR8tDY%253D&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

Chris

Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: flying free on July 08, 2012, 02:47:21 PM
Thankyou Chris.  I remain unconvinced that mine is Mdina unless they started doing speckled blues in later years.  Whilst it is beautifully made, the design is nowhere near as stylised as the large Whitefriars one for example.  The smaller blue controlled bubble one is very different though.
I will keep looking but I'm in abeyance on mine for the mo.
Thanks so much for everyones help  :)
m
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: chopin-liszt on July 08, 2012, 02:53:25 PM

this one's had some sort of.... mishap?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/whitefriars-glass-PENGUIN-/110910142325?_trksid=p4340.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222001%26algo%3DSIC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D11%26meid%3D464166242689254105%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D1005%26rk%3D1%26

and there's this Phoenician one

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251086734479?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
and this one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&hash=item1e6f32dfd0&item=130714623952&nma=true&pt=UK_Art_Glass&rt=nc&si=Rj%252F6FjOQnb5yAQCii0wF7IeW23Q%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: flying free on July 08, 2012, 03:01:06 PM
Thanks both for the links.
Sue, I can't see any similarities in shape with the Phoenician ones, they seem thinner more elongated and the wings are quite a bit lower- I think mine is a much nicer shape :)  But I definitely can't see any similarities in shape with any of the Whitefriars ones and the wings are tooled rather than shaped on the body, and the tail is different (more similar to the Phoenician one).
 :-\  not conclusive either way, still feel the jury's out on this one.
m
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: chopin-liszt on July 08, 2012, 03:03:17 PM
I've seen shorter Phoenician ones too - just can't find any pics right now.  :-[

I did find this! Multicoloured one.

http://aphoenicianconnection.com/html/fireworks_.html
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: chriscooper on July 08, 2012, 03:07:16 PM
Possibly an MDG one?

https://picasaweb.google.com/107067405711297858658/Penguin#5607319831950298242

What about the one of Pat's in the GMB link I gave you earlier, a group of 3 one looks very similar?


Chris
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: flying free on July 08, 2012, 03:20:12 PM
 ??? I missed that link completely Chris  :-[ 
No I can't see the similarity with the MDG ones as the wings are different.  But the one on the left in the group of three looks to be the same maker as mine although mine is larger at 110mm rather than 95mm.
It isn't identified though, or I couldn't see it was?  And the only caveat would be that I can't see the make up of the colour very well on that one.  At a distance it does look like Mdina colours with the silver Chloride streaks the same as mine does at a distance.  But when I look at mine close up the teal blue is made up of little speckles of blue in the clear mix rather than it being blue glass if you see what I mean?  I can't tell on Patrick's pic if his is made up in the same way  :-\
Sorry I missed that....   :-[
m
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: WhatHo! on July 08, 2012, 04:01:05 PM
What Ho! Its not MDG, it might well be made at Mdina but I dont think it is Boffo, could be someone from Mdina copying Boffos style, cheers Wolfie
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: flying free on July 08, 2012, 04:12:17 PM
thanks Wolfie
I can't think it's Mdina  until I find something with the blue glass made with these little mottled bits.  At which point we come all the way back round to my first post where I commented that it may be Mdina but a later piece  ;D
m
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: chopin-liszt on July 08, 2012, 05:09:41 PM
 Doh!  I should have said earlier m .....I've got 2 bits of Phoenician glass with clear splodgy blue bits in them.... and Phoenician glass did do this blue with silver chloride streaks and blobs design which originated at Mdina.
I've got a lot of stuff I need to photograph!
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: chopin-liszt on July 11, 2012, 01:07:19 PM
Splodgy Phoenician. Two shades of blue, two sizes of splodge.
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: flying free on July 11, 2012, 03:29:29 PM
Thanks Sue.  That is confirmation that Phoenician did this blue with chloride streaks although the splotches are much bigger than the penguin which I would described as 'speckles' rather than splotches.  I've attached two more pics for future reference, one a close up of the speckles and the other a close up of the base which shows the decor in a kind of 'core'
m
Title: Re: who made the penguin? Mdina or not?
Post by: chopin-liszt on July 11, 2012, 04:06:51 PM
I think the cylinder is an unusual, possibly early beast - I've not seen another the same. The smudgey yellow streaks are rather odd.
But there are tiny spatters on the blue stripes on the pin dish.
I've got a short egg-shaped vase with the much more basic Mdina-style blue with the yellow vertical streak and blobs, which I believe to be Phoenician too. Mdina did taller, almost-full-egg ones, Phoenician did eggs-with-their-tops-lopped-off shaped ones. It's not splodged, though. I don't have a pic to hand... will get one!