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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass Paperweights => Topic started by: casalibre on February 04, 2014, 12:55:41 AM

Title: Islington, Murano or Clichy ??????
Post by: casalibre on February 04, 2014, 12:55:41 AM
On ebay we have had:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Antique-Glass-Paperweight-Millefiori-Possibly-Islington-Glass-Work-Old-English-/310853705637?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEDWX%3AIT&nma=true&si=HQsrSxZd1TraooIut%252BnrFaS%252BNkY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc
Any opinions?
Title: Re: Islington, Murano or Clichy ??????
Post by: Tony G on February 04, 2014, 08:01:23 AM
Hi,
            personally I don't like it. The structure is very untidy. Definitely not Islington. To me it is not Clichy either. Can't suggest who made it though.
Title: Re: Islington, Murano or Clichy ??????
Post by: donaldf on February 04, 2014, 08:08:05 AM
Hi, sqeakyjoe posted an id help about these paperweights a while back, tropdevin has a theory that these could be made in England and have a link through common cane moulds to Islington. Tropdevin will undoubtably chip in on this. Don
Title: Re: Islington, Murano or Clichy ??????
Post by: Tony G on February 04, 2014, 08:17:26 AM
Hi,
 I would always bow to Alan's research.

It will be interesting to see where it leads. It would certainly open up a whole new area if it can be attributed to Islington as opposed to having some similarities.
Title: Re: Islington, Murano or Clichy ??????
Post by: tropdevin on February 04, 2014, 09:34:35 AM
Hi.  There is strong circumstantial evidence to link these basket paperweights and Islington paperweights - but that does not mean they are definitely from the same source - there could be other explanations.

  • both groups have flat polished bases - unusual in antique paperweights
  • both groups have similar glass density
  • both groups use a limited range of canes, and in a couple of cases Islington canes appear in basket weights
  • of the 12 basket weights I have heard about, 10 turned up in the UK, suggesting a UK origin
  • canes from both groups occur in the 'seashells' picture that I have written about in the PCC Newsletter and forthcoming PCA Bulletin 2014[/li
    • What I really want to find is someone who can give me free access to a portable X-ray fluorescence machine for a day or two - it is possible that paperweights have a unique fingerprint of trace elements from the various components of the glass batch, although this would change if a supplier went to a new source. However, it is a route well worth exploring.  Anyone out there work in a university department with such kit? It might make a nice student project.

    Alan