Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Belgium and the Netherlands Glass => Topic started by: David E on January 26, 2016, 11:25:07 AM
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An example of a Graniver flowerpot in blue, height 98mm, diameter 104mm. The undertray is actually a facsimile being made in plastic. Designed between 1928 and 1929.
All Graniver is susceptible to chips, and this pot does have a small chunk missing from one foot, but being so scarce I thought it was worth a punt!
Source: Complete Copier, pp.344-345
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love these
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Considering the age when they were made, and the rather 'flakey' nature of the items - Leerdam never really got to terms with the 'Graniver' process and they do chip rather easily - they have aged remarkably well, in a design sense as well. Would be nice to own all five in this set, and the square ones, but they are very expensive :D
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are the yellow version, what I saw in the Rijksmuseum display do you know?
I was looking for something specific and was in a rush, so just bobbed in and out of the third floor to see if what I wanted was there. Happened to notice a large display of yellow glass.
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Ooh, now you have me as I don't recall seeing this glass. Such a large museum and it was very crowded when I went - did you even get close to Rembrandt's The Night Watch?! However, I have searched the Rijksmuseum website and came across this (https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/zoeken?s=achronologic&f=1&p=1&ps=12&f.materials.sort=glas%20(materiaal)&f.dating.period=20&place=Leerdam&ii=0). If this is all the glass they have listed, then no Graniver is shown.
No Graniver listed there, which it appears to be for horticultural use. But the known colours to me are yellow, orange, red, green, blue. Also malachite and black in some of the shapes, but these are not Graniver.
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yes! we were lucky :)
but we also went a few years ago when most of it was shut so we were practically wandering around on our own - twas lovely.
Now it's all open it's vast, but I was really disappointed with the amount of glass on display. Apparently one of the other museums fairly nearby has a big collection/display of more contemporary glass, but OH was ill and I didn't feel it was fair to rush off there as well.
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Leerdam itself is the place to go, of course, but it is a bit of a trek. Do also visit the Antiekcentrum Amsterdam (previously called 'De Looier') as this does have lots of lurvely glass, even if it's at the upper-end pricewise. You'll almost certainly see examples of Graniver and related products there.
If you ever make it to Haarlem, PC's historical home city, then the Teyler museum is a great place to visit - full of all sorts of oddities as collected by the eponymous gentleman. Not much glass though!
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Graniver is made by mixing raw sand into the batch. The result is a porous paste which can be pressed but not blown. You find Graniver pieces on every antique market in Holland, at prices that bring tears to your eyes.
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hmm, machine made pate de verre 'ish'?
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Thanks for that Ivo. Yes, prices can start at €100 for the small, common yellow pieces, rising up to ~€500 for the rarest colour, which I think is red?
Anyway, here's a close-up shot of the surface - used a tripod and it still got blurred, and the base shot showing the L(eerdam) and C(opier) mark. The chipped foot is top-right but, hey, great for displaying!
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Great pics - they are iconic designs aren't they? Absolute classics that go with anything, look fantastic and were 'new' developments in their time.
I love the 'common' yellow best but they are all great.
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Great designs and I really find the square ones particularly attractive: very much a modernist style.
Personally, I like them in any colour ;D
One other point regarding value of these, which I have just mentioned in the Walu thread, is that the undertrays are particularly hard to find and sometimes fetch a premium on their own. I think all the ones for Graniver are in black, so even that facsimile I bought was expensive.
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And there are some extra special rarities. e.g. rare as hen's teeth is the white version...the two I've seen both had tiny flecks of other colours (like Tutti Frutti ice cream). There is certainly black graniver, as well as versions of the same designs made with black glass and black frosted (satine) glass.
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I've not forgotten the yellow I saw in the Rijks museum - I think it must have been this:
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/199210
Went a few weeks ago but did the Banksy and Warhol exhibution at Moco and then went to De Looier instead (only had very limited hours to spend).
Small punt for Moco and Banksy cos it was great :0 https://www.mocomuseum.com/
I think the Warhol's finished but they are showing Dali - and I saw a great Dali exhibition in Barcelona, so very worth it.
Saw some glass I'd never seen in real life before and it is always such an eye-opener to actually see the pieces.
No purchases - all way out of my pocket.
The Light Festival was wonderful - I love Amsterdam :)
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De Looier does need quite a bit of time to look around. Lots of very interesting glass, but at a price, of course.
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at a price I can't afford lol - nothing was affordable and normally I do try to bring something home.
But it was fab to see loads of stuff I've never seen before outside of photos :)
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Its primarily set up to catch the rich tourist, I reckon. Rules us out then! ;)