Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: chriscooper on August 17, 2013, 11:39:08 AM
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Any thought appreciated stands 6" weighs almost 1kg Scandinavian, or maybe even Dutch?
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The shape looks like one from Swaziland - Ngwenya glass recycled.........but haven't seen one which has a satin finish.......but yours is very similar.
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Hard to photograph and I am no David Bailey but if you think it looks like it's made from re-cycled coke bottles Emmi I had better take some more :)
Chris
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Just commented that the shape is similar - look on ebay for glass owls - you'll find a couple!!! I am sure yours is a quality one from say Scandinavia!!! :o
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Yes, Ngwenya Glass, very little frosted is made but more now and even multicoloured. I have seen this one before though.... on another forum, they thought it was a Mats Jonasson piece.
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Rosie, before I have to make a grovelling apology to Emmi you had better show me a link to just one of the "very little frosted " pieces made :)
Chris
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http://www.ngwenyaglass.co.sz/african-animals.html
admittedly no owls but lots of baboons there.
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http://www.pureswazi.com/product_info.php?cPath=32_51&products_id=426
Getting warmer? :-[
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This is the nearest I can find to the one I had seen earlier Chris... not such a good picture I'm afraid, but I am sure yours is Ngwenya.
http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/109736260/SMALL_NGWENYA_GLASS_OWL.html
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Ngwenya glass is made from recycled glass to give work to the local people and teach them a skill. and at the same time, the people are encouraged to collect the used glass bottles and are paid when they take them to the factory and redeem them. Consequently there is less broken glass litter, so consequently less injuries. In addition, less bushfires started as a result of glass focussing the sunlight onto the dried scrubland.
The art glass generate a lot of revenue from the tourists, yet cost very little in resources, and I believe that glass artists from Scandinavia went out there to help show how to hot work molten glass and give lessons in glass blowing.
So all in all a win win situation. It always sells well, and the animal characters are very well observed...I think. :)
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Rosie, that photo is worse than mine :) now you both know me well enough to know I am not one to go into denial about a positive ID that's not what I wanted to hear. You also know I will have paid very little for it so again that's not the issue. Just comparing the 2 pieces all I see is they both have a general owl shape 2 ears and 2 eyes. I am not that great at describing techniques but here goes. The base is 'open' which forms a huge internal bubble of what looks quality clear crystal with an applied bubble in each highly polished facet to form an eyeball. Again, without criticising the quality of their workmanship not knowledgeable enough to know if this sort of quality can be achieved with re-cycled glass?
Will see if I can take some better photos to show you what I mean.
Emmi I am never comfortable when you start 'rolling' your eyes :)
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Emmi I am never comfortable when you start 'rolling' your eyes :)
LOL! ::) ::)
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Hopefully these are better :)
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....if this sort of quality can be achieved with re-cycled glass?
Is it?
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Ngwenya apparently also make crystal pieces so I am still in their house at the moment, but also still on the case Chris.
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Thanks Rosie, will look and see if it's possible to email them.
Ivo, not sure I quite understand your reply?
Are you questioning it's not reasonable quality or it's not re-cycled glass ?
Chris
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I was able to seen and handle the full range last November in South Africa and the pieces were definitely very good quality glass and crystal. There was nothing to suggest recycled coke bottles - nothing remotely like Mexican or Spanish recycled.
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Got the re-cycled glass information here...
http://www.ngwenyaglass.co.sz/history.html
" The reason why Ngwenya Glass is so special is that only re-cycled glass is used - mainly old cool drink bottles, and that each and every piece is totally handmade and mouth blown. People from all over Swaziland collect bottles and are paid per kilo for clean glass. Ngwenya must be the cleanest area because any bottle that catches the children ' s attention finds its way into the factory! "
"The products, which include a range of tableware, drinking glasses, vases, jugs and ornamental African animals, are all handmade from 100 % recycled glass"
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It could be that they separate out domestic broken glass(crystal) and use that for their Crystal products, but they do crystal paperweights and trophies as well as the slightly greenish tinged recycled glass for the animals.
I'm gratified to see that my memory was better than I thought in remembering the history of the company and a Scandi company going there to show then the techniques of glass blowing. It may be that influence that puts you in mind of the Mats Jonasson glass??
I have seen some frosted items, but not many and I don't know how they achieve the frosted appearance.
I do hope you get a good response if you do contact them Chris.