Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: Greg. on July 21, 2013, 03:37:07 PM
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Pleased to recently encounter this small studio glass bottle, which has strong influences of the work that came out of the Jam Factory during the 70s.
The bottle is unsigned, although has many characteristics of Herman's work during this period. I suppose my main question is, was this piece blown by Sam Herman or produced by someone under his direction/guidance during that period.
Interestingly,a short while back there were a handful of similar pieces that came up for sale on ebay Australia, which were discussed on the GMB at that time. Although, those images are no longer available, I did manage to find these related pieces for sale on an Australian website, which can be seen in the following link, picture 3
http://www.circa20.com.au/Australian-pottery/Australian-studio-glass-artists/Sam-Herman-Studio-Glass-1970s-Jam-Factory-Adelaide
All thoughts welcome.
Greg
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A recent find of more items from the Jam Factory Workshop in the mid-1970s helps to clarify the origins of Greg’s item. See my recent post to a parallel topic, where there are pictures and a discussion:
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,50529.msg317764.html#msg317764
I’m inclined to agree that Greg’s item is likely from the Jam Factory in the mid-1970s. While there is a chance that Herman himself was involved in the making of the item, for the reasons I discuss in the other topic it would be a stretch to count it as a Sam Herman art piece without additional evidence.
Another point is the size. The original post describes it as “small” without giving measurements, but I recall an ebay listing of the item gave the height as 13.5cm or thereabouts. That is small for a piece of Sam Herman art glass, even in the mid-1970s.
Trevor
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Hi Trevor,
Thank you for your confirmation that my piece does indeed originate from the Jam Factory. Really interesting to hear Peter Goss’s input on these pieces and to finally answer some of the questions surrounding them.
What initially, attracted me to my piece was some of the characteristic Herman traits, primarily the use of colours. However, as my example was unsigned and in comparison to other examples of Sam Herman’s work I wasn't 100% sure. Given this new information, this makes perfect sense.
Interestingly, whilst I expect slightly uncommon I do have a signed piece of a similar size, however i expect this piece was blown in London and possibly around the late 60s or early 70s. Handful of pictures attached for reference.
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LUST
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...an ebay listing of the item gave the height as 13.5cm or thereabouts. That is small for a piece of Sam Herman art glass, even in the mid-1970s.
It is the exception that proves the rule, they say. When I made the comparison in Reply #1, perhaps I should have said most Sam Herman works from the 1970s onward are larger than Greg's Jam Factory piece. The delightful little bottle in the photos below is a shade under 12cm high and 7cm in diameter. There is no doubting its parentage, with its inscription "Samuel J. Herman 1977 SA1366". It was originally purchased at a Jam Factory exhibition in early 1977, where many of the items were already sold before the exhibition opened, thus leaving the original purchaser little choice.
As I said earlier, Greg's piece was more likely made by one (or more) of the trainees as a Jam Factory production item. I have found some clues as to which of them made it, or at least who had the dominant role in making it. I can't reveal all just yet, because I have some more evidence to collect and I may need to obtain permissions for the use of photos to illustrate the connections.
In the meantime, enjoy this Sam Herman miniature.
Trevor
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wow. That is almost as wonderful as my National Treasure. ;) (first pic)
I have a small unsigned piece, suspected to be of Jam Factory origin, there's a short thread about it here somewhere. (second pic)
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Lovely example Trevor, thanks for adding the pictures.
Look forward to hearing any further insights that you are able to uncover on my Jam factory production piece above. Thanks for your time and efforts.
Sue. Always nice to see your National Treasure. :)
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It would go so well with the miniature Trevor just showed - but only on MY shelves. ;)
It was the unsigned bit, though, that is most relevant to this thread as a probable Jam Factory bit from the mid '70s.
I seem to remember AdamA gave me a 98% chance it is by Sam himself. But I can't find the thread. I'll search a bit more. :)
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Here is the original thread Sue, I remember Adam commenting on the vase but it must have been in another thread: http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,40449.0.html
John
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So Sue's unsigned maybe-Sam-Herman in Reply #5 is the same beast as John's bought-in-USA item he shows in the thread linked from Reply #8? That will explain why I kept finding John's thread whenever I searched for Sue's mention of an earlier outing for hers. I thought they looked eerily similar, but I confess I never looked hard enough until now. I was going to ask Sue for more views, but now it seems John's photos will suffice.
For what it is worth (and that may not be much) the item looks more Sam Herman to me than the usual run of Jam Factory production in the 1970s. But anything may have been possible in the early days of JF production (1975 or so). Then, of course, there is the USA source of John's find. Studio glass activity in the USA in the 1970s was perhaps twenty times that of Australia, so there are many other possibilities as well.
Trevor
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Found it! Here's Sue's show of her Sam Herman(s), including the reported opinion of Adam Aaronson on the unsigned piece:
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,50103.msg283113.html#msg283113
Trevor
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That's the thread I keep coming up with, Trevor.
But I am sure there is a very short thread in which Adam actually tells me about it, one where he used the 98-99% figure, not one where I just quote/report it. I seem to remember Sam was not at Zest at that time to ask personally, so it was Adam's opinion along with somebody else he'd asked.
(My memory is not always accurate.)
Apologies for the confusion about it being first John's and then mine.
I really like the piece, whoever made it, and John very kindly let me have it. It feels right for Sam, but I'm aware of the caveats.
I've found this thread, it has good pics, but it's not really helping with the original question carrying on about my bit, is it? :-[
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,40449.0.html
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Here's my conclusion on Greg's bottle that started this thread. There is little doubt it is a mid-1970s Jam Factory piece, made by one or more of the trainees (Peter Goss, Rob Knottenbelt, John Walsh and Tom Persson) and/or Stan Melis who was overseeing production from 1976.
Several characteristics point to Rob Knottenbelt as the maker, or at least the dominant member of a team. Knottenbelt was the first of the trainees to start at the Jam Factory and so was more advanced than the others in those early years. His works of the period show a closer following of the design ideas of Sam Herman than the others, so the obvious SH attributes in Greg's piece also point to RK in particular.
The random swirling trails marvered in, and the squared lower form with its deeply indented base, both appear more characteristic of RK than the others at the Jam Factory. The 23cm tall green vessel in the photos below shows both of these traits. It is inscribed "R J Knottenbelt 1977 R2? SJH Studio" and dates from the year when the trainees worked toward a graduating class exhibition. I will also show a bowl with silvery brown trails and a vaseline lip, which has these same features.
Even more strongly identifying is the internal effect that at a distance looks like coloured flocking, but close up shows the colour collecting around tiny random bubbles. That is an obvious feature of the green vessel in the photos, and shows even more boldly in the bowl with brown trails. The same feature is found in RK's production work for years after he left the Jam Factory, although it does not occur (as far as I am aware) in the works of any of the others. I can see this same feature in Greg's bottle, perhaps not so well developed as in the two examples I show, but that would be explained by it being an earlier piece.
I tried to contact RK to confirm my conclusions, but I received no reply - unlike a few years ago when he was very helpful with my questions. I've heard that he has closed his glass studio and concentrates on other activities.
I also asked Peter Goss for an opinion on Greg's bottle and my suggestion of its maker. He agrees with the place and time, and while he was unable to say for sure, he suggested it could well be RK's work.
Trevor
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Here is the second piece referred to above, 11.5cm high and signed "R J Knottenbelt K?? 1977 SJH Studio". Thanks to Dr George Tsambourakis for permission to use his photographs.
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My grateful thanks Trevor for looking into my Jam Factory production piece with such detail and also running it past Peter Goss.
It’s nice to be able to put a potential name behind the piece and to also view it with fresh eyes, now that you have highlighted the characteristic Rob Knottenbelt traits.
Shame to hear that Rob Knottenbelt had to close his studio, it would seem quite a few early students have sadly moved onto new pastures.
Many thanks
Greg
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My grateful and sincere thanks too. Fascinating stuff, Trevor. ;D