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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: Lustrousstone on March 08, 2014, 08:23:24 PM

Title: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: Lustrousstone on March 08, 2014, 08:23:24 PM
I know; it has a label. The shell is nicely made, though the browny orange makes the white look dull. Three layers, clear over white over orange. The spikes are all clear though the twist has all three colours. The base is ground and polished though slightly amateurishly.
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: flying free on March 08, 2014, 11:03:32 PM
I have seen something it reminds me of, one with a blue interior and multicoloured exterior.  I was always tempted as I thought it might be Kralik but just couldn't see the photos clearly enough to tell.
Is it older than 50 years?  ;D

ooh I can't believe it is, but the colours remind me of Barbini
m
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: Lustrousstone on March 09, 2014, 10:22:03 AM
No and No. And younger than 50 years
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: chopin-liszt on March 09, 2014, 12:04:40 PM
The protrusions look almost contemporary, but the three very thin layers of glass suggests otherwise.
I'm clueless. Utterly clueless.
Karlin Rushbrooke? He does fingery protrusions. ;)

Or Mike Hunter? There's not much he can't do. ;D
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: Greg. on March 09, 2014, 12:08:23 PM
Tricky one indeed. My first two thoughts were either a Murano maker or as Sue suggests possibly a contemporary Studio maker....?
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: Lustrousstone on March 09, 2014, 12:26:47 PM
No to everybody. This manufacturer was very shortlived and there is a clue in the description of the pontil mark
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: chopin-liszt on March 09, 2014, 12:38:30 PM
Manufacturer, (as in factory) or maker (as in studio, an individual)?

Fritz Akerboom?

It's NOT Malta Decorative Glass. I wouldn't consider that for one moment.
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: Lustrousstone on March 09, 2014, 12:53:12 PM
Best eat your hat then, tassels and all. I have no reason doubt the authenticity of the label - it's been there many years - and the grinding on the pontil mark is just like that on MDG pieces. I would even venture to say Boffo - it may not be desperately attractive but it was made by a skilled craftsman
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: chopin-liszt on March 09, 2014, 01:10:44 PM
Good. Grief.
Blow me down with a conch shell.
Thank goodness I never threatened to eat any hats.  :P
I didn't know they had white enamel.

It would have to be Vicente Boffo. As you say, immensely skilled.
Fascinating. ;D
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: flying free on March 09, 2014, 10:44:11 PM
 :o  I would never have guessed.
Very unusual, thanks for the quiz :)
m
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: Mosquito on March 10, 2014, 01:49:04 AM
I was surprised at the MDG label as this piece looks distinctly oriental to me: more specifically, the colours (white enamel with orange) and technique (lumpy/ blobby) remind of a lot of Chinese glass c.late 1970s-early 80s. I've seen rather similar looking wares (though admittedly not an exact match) on the various 'antique' stalls round the Shanghai area.

Is there any chance this could be Chinese production sold through the MDG shop?
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: Lustrousstone on March 10, 2014, 07:30:02 AM
I don't think so, as the base grinding shows the same technique (finely ground but lots of little "grinds" to give almost a faint battuto effect) as on definite MDG pieces.
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: flying free on March 10, 2014, 07:59:02 AM
Is it possible that they might have 'bought in' and 'finished off' at MDG?
I have to admit, the one I thought long shot might be Kralik, I couldnt' see clearly enough on the photos and ended up thinking it was Chinese.
It was multicoloured with a blue interior and the same clear knobbles on it on the exterior.
m
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: chopin-liszt on March 10, 2014, 12:16:56 PM
The workmanship is, I would have thought, far too good to have been a bought in run-of-the-mill thing from the far east.

But have some odd "upright" fish shaped vases, (perhaps dolphin-shaped, in which case not a fish) in two colours, normally thought to be Japanese, not been found with MDG labels on?
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: Baked_Beans on March 10, 2014, 08:07:16 PM
Well, I found one fish (they really are everywhere) ! It was bought from a charity shop along with a MDG penguin and swan all with labels. The other labels had 'hand made' plus a pattern number but the fish had a pattern number only. see photos. This conch shell looks lovely and is clearly 'hand made' but no pattern number  ??? .   


   
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: chopin-liszt on March 10, 2014, 08:17:08 PM
 ;D Whew!
Thank-you for commenting and providing pictures too, Mike.
Seeing these were a great relief after what I'd said!

But the shell looks to be of a different quality entirely. Even Flying-Free mentioned Kralik.... :o
and she is a lady who does not miss quality!
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: Lustrousstone on March 10, 2014, 08:28:34 PM
My brown paperweight has a label with a code and handmade http://lustrousstone.co.uk/cpg/displayimage.php?pid=1179
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: flying free on March 10, 2014, 10:06:30 PM
Is it well made Christine?
Whilst much of the Chinese glass I see around now seems to be well made, some of the earlier pieces were quite hit and miss.  This by contrast does seem to be quite well controlled to my eye - it has three nice layers, the bobbles are well spaced and nicely done and the shape is also easy on the eye.  It's not ott, not too many clashing colours and not too many 'designs' all in one piece. 
And whilst the one I saw was a coloured spatter outer and a mid blue inner, the colours weren't clashing and were nicely done, and I was also drawn to it.  I had initially thought it 'might' be Kralik, but couldn't get a good enough look at the photos and decided it wasn't 'refined' enough in many ways to be Kralik.  But I still liked it, it had something and I think this does also.
m
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: Lustrousstone on March 10, 2014, 10:20:00 PM
It is well made; apart from the cigarette rests, the shape is quite realistic and the colour swirls right into the point
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: chopin-liszt on March 14, 2014, 05:37:35 PM
I'm a bit slow here. Not only does the label on the shell not have "hand made" on it... it's a round label.
Labels are normally rectangular.
Title: Re: Quiz: Guess who made this conch shell ashtray
Post by: Lustrousstone on March 15, 2014, 03:17:58 PM
I know