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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass Animals & Figurines => Topic started by: MagicCarpet on July 31, 2013, 01:52:12 PM

Title: Glass horses - unknown signature
Post by: MagicCarpet on July 31, 2013, 01:52:12 PM
Hi all,

These horses belonged to my late father and I'm struggling to identify the signature - Ive looked on all the online signature directories I can find

They are 30-40cm high

Does anyone recognise the makers signature? Even your interpretation of what it says would be helpful. Thanks in advance!

=135049006&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=0]http://s1325.photobucket.com/user/Natopmt/media/IMG_0064_zpsedebfcba.jpg.html?filters[user]=135049006&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=0 (http://s1325.photobucket.com/user/Natopmt/media/IMG_0064_zpsedebfcba.jpg.html?filters[user)

=135049006&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=2]http://s1325.photobucket.com/user/Natopmt/media/IMG_0036_zps9aa7fba0.jpg.html?filters[user]=135049006&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=2 (http://s1325.photobucket.com/user/Natopmt/media/IMG_0036_zps9aa7fba0.jpg.html?filters[user)

=135049006&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=1]http://s1325.photobucket.com/user/Natopmt/media/IMG_0064_zps4544311f.jpg.html?filters[user]=135049006&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=1 (http://s1325.photobucket.com/user/Natopmt/media/IMG_0064_zps4544311f.jpg.html?filters[user)
Title: Re: Glass horses - unknown signature
Post by: glassobsessed on July 31, 2013, 06:06:11 PM
Welcome to the board.

Not a signature I recognize (don't think it reads Zanetti) but the horses look like they are from Murano to me, quite a popular subject matter.  You can use the search facility here to look for say, 'Murano horses'. Try an image search on google, perhaps 'glass horse murano', you will probably find all sorts that way. With a bit of luck someone else might recognize the signature.

John
Title: Re: Glass horses - unknown signature
Post by: bfg on July 31, 2013, 06:37:10 PM
oh, they're lovely!

Is it alexandrite glass? do they change colour under different lighting conditions? this lilac colour in daylight but blue under a fluorescent strip light?

if so it might help to narrow down the search

Mel
Title: Re: Glass horses - unknown signature
Post by: bfg on July 31, 2013, 06:56:07 PM
have you checked images on the murano zoo?

this black boy is balanced on his tail too can you see any other similarities?


https://sites.google.com/site/muranozoo/mammals
Title: Re: Glass horses - unknown signature
Post by: MagicCarpet on July 31, 2013, 07:22:02 PM
Thank you so much! Ive been trying to get my baby to bed so I havent had a chance to properly look but ive found the http://www.murano-glass-sculptures.com website and am having a look through

I think they were given to my dad by an Italian client, and someone on another forum suggested that they were Neodymium glass and to rub talc into the signature. Unfortunately I cant do that or check if the glass changes colour as they have been taken from my dad's estate under regrettable circumstances and without permission from the executors or more importantly from my dad before he died. Thankfully I took the photos before they went missing.

Thanks for the welcome to the forum, dad had quite a bit of glass, most of it is easily identifiable such as the Lalique and Daum but this and a vase have us stumped. I will post the vase separately but it's beautiful.

Any more help on the horses would be great
Title: Re: Glass horses - unknown signature
Post by: MagicCarpet on July 31, 2013, 07:57:33 PM
Found a likely contender for the signature, Arnaldo Zanella

http://www.antiques-atlas.com/antique/glass_horses_pair_-_zanella_-_zanetti_-_murano/as319a345

Although the signature on the pic doesn't look identical to the one on dad's horses, but I have seen quite wide variations of signatures during browsing. Any thoughts would be gratefully received.
Title: Re: Glass horses - unknown signature
Post by: MagicCarpet on July 31, 2013, 08:04:56 PM
Just had an email off Zanetti website, literally 15 mins after i emailed them, amazingly fast

Thank you for your email.
These two horses were made by Arnaldo Zanella, probably when he worked at Andromeda.
It looks like they are made in a pale alexandrite colour, purple pink… is that correct? Difficult to tell from the picture.
Arnaldo has retired but he still works with us one morning a week.

Below are a couple of pictures of him at work.

I hope this information was useful.

Best regards

Damian

Thanks for steering me in the right direction....delighted with all the help!
Title: Re: Glass horses - unknown signature
Post by: glassobsessed on July 31, 2013, 08:40:11 PM
Excellent news, quick too.

Can you add your photo of the two horses to this topic? It would help to keep it useful for reference in the future, photobucket links tend to stop working over time.

John

Title: Re: Glass horses - unknown signature
Post by: MagicCarpet on July 31, 2013, 08:57:49 PM
No problem

The lovely man at Zanetti has said he will try and value them for me. Have rethought and they were actually about 50cm hight, maybe more.
Title: Re: Glass horses - unknown signature
Post by: bfg on July 31, 2013, 09:01:32 PM
great result, well done.

Hope you manage to track them down

Mel
Title: Re: Glass horses - unknown signature
Post by: MagicCarpet on July 31, 2013, 09:30:26 PM
I've received the following from the Zanetti contact


We currently make a 48 cm rearing horse that retails for 3500 to 4500 euro.
We also have a large horse that measures around 65 cm. This retails for 6000 to 7500 euro
There are galleries that choose to sell these horses for a lot more.

I hope this information was helpful

Best regards

Damian

I think from this that 1 horse only is worth those prices. I bothery well do hope I get them back. I am feeling a bit sick at that

EDIT: Damien has just confirmed the prices are for single horses. So they are worth a minimum of £6k.