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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: Sueearnshaw on March 29, 2016, 02:47:46 PM

Title: W or M in pontil mark ID please. ID = William Walker
Post by: Sueearnshaw on March 29, 2016, 02:47:46 PM
I won a cased blown studio glass vase at an auction and would like to know who the maker is. It has either a W or an M stamped in the pontil and is signed with an engraving tool around the edge of the base, although I can't make out the signature. Any help greatly appreciated
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: chopin-liszt on March 29, 2016, 03:06:16 PM
Hi and welcome. :)
An image of the piece and of the marks would help a great deal.
I am wondering if you might be lucky enought to have won a piece by Allistair Malcolm. He uses a pontil mark stamp with a stylised AM in it, and signs pieces around the edges.

I'm afraid the information you have given us is not very much to be going on.  ;D

There's a whole load of techie info about how to post imagesto the board, here.

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,34093.0.html


Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: Sueearnshaw on March 29, 2016, 04:32:27 PM
I'm afraid I'm not very tech minded, I've used an image resizer I use for emailing so I hope that works. The mark is only an M or W, depends which way up you hold it, not AM so I suspect it's not Allistair Malcolm
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: chopin-liszt on March 29, 2016, 05:19:39 PM
Oh dear, that is not easy to read or to photograph, is it?
Normally, rubbing a little talc over the mark can bring it up, but not against a white background. ::)
Do you have any coloured chalk that could be used?
Or perhaps rub a soft pencil lead over it, sideways, like a brass-rubbing, to help?
Also, an image of the whole piece would help. Some of us might recognise the work.

Your image is grand, thak-you!
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: Sueearnshaw on March 29, 2016, 06:26:46 PM
Sorry I put 3 images on I guess only one showed up. Here is the pontil mark. I'll post a 2nd reply with the main picture. Meanwhile I'll see what I have to enhance the signature
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: Sueearnshaw on March 29, 2016, 06:27:22 PM
Now the whole thing
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: Sueearnshaw on March 29, 2016, 06:41:02 PM
Ok finally here's the signature
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: chopin-liszt on March 30, 2016, 11:05:24 AM
 ???
My brain has got itself stuck in a loop trying to read the last bit as Hough. There is a reknowned artist, Catherine Hough, but I can't think why she would be working in a studio that uses a W or M prunt mark.

Thank-you for all your work on the photos and for bringing the signature up so well. It really does help a lot!

I just hope somebody else does recognise whose work this is and knows the mark and signature. Have a little patience, they'll find it. We don't give up here. :)
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: flying free on March 30, 2016, 01:18:01 PM
I hesitate to even say it after the comments I received on one thread where I suggested it, but William Walker might be the signature.
The trails and the same colour splotches can be seen on other of his vases.
And the style looks like it could be his as does the shape.
However, I am totally unsure where the impressed letter on the pontil mark comes in as I think it is an M not a W.
So it could be a red herring.

m
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: flying free on March 30, 2016, 01:25:42 PM
ok, I've just thought of someone else ... I think it also could be a Liam Carey piece from Merlin Glass Liskeard as a possible?

I've no idea why but Liskeard Glass as was, used an impressed pontil mark and so I thought of them when I saw this.
So perhaps it is an M for Merlin Glass Liskeard?

I don't know how they are signed though (and whether the sig is illegible)

Looking at their pieces there is a vase on there in the current range that is a similar shape.
http://www.merlinglass.co.uk/merlin-glass-product-view.php?product=67
m
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: Sueearnshaw on March 30, 2016, 02:07:30 PM
Thanks for all the suggestions. I can see the similarity to the William Walker signature but looking at the base of the vase signed by him it is flat and unpolished, whereas this vase is still sporting the pontil mark with a stamped letter in it so I don't think this is his. I've emailed Merlin Glass to see if they will tell me how their items are marked, I'll let you know if I get a reply. Meanwhile I suspect the search is still on. I really thought this would be a simple one to answer having such a distinctive mark and signed. It just goes to show how wrong you can be.
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: flying free on March 30, 2016, 02:53:25 PM
From the pieces I have found, William Walker's past pieces appear to have been finished in various ways on the base, not just one way of doing it.
This for example was id'd as a William Walker piece.
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,52873.msg301645.html#msg301645

and if you look at the end of his signature, the very far right last letters (date? 94? on the second word, it's finished in the same way as yours, as are others I've found imho (although what we see and what it really is could be two different things :) )
so, I'm going back to my original thought, which is that it is possibly William Walker.  So perhaps the M is actually a W and it is his impressed mark.

This is another one - a different finish to the base as far as I can make out
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,26616.msg146202.html#msg146202

m
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: flying free on March 30, 2016, 03:05:47 PM
This is another of his signatures/
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,60719.msg342419.html#msg342419
put next to yours on a word document it looks remarkably similar.  As does the style of vase,shape of vase and metal of the vase compared to other of his id'd vases.
Would be remarkable if it wasn't him I think?
But I often dig myself into holes  ;D
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,47688.msg268367.html#msg268367

and I need to add a caveat that I've not found one with an impressed W yet.

m
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: chopin-liszt on March 30, 2016, 03:59:40 PM
I do think you're on the right track, m. Well done!
I must have missed a time you got yourself into a hole - I was probably stuck in the bottom of one of my own (multiple :-[ ) holes. ;D
It really does look like his work.
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: Sueearnshaw on March 30, 2016, 04:10:17 PM
You're starting to convince me. I must admit the signature looks right so this could be your first with an impressed W. Merlin replied they want pictures so I sent them on. Is William Walker still producing? I found info on him at the Rushmore Estate but the website no longer exists.
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: flying free on March 30, 2016, 04:23:48 PM
William, I think, has posted on the board once or twice?
So you might be able to contact him that way perhaps.

Sue (Chopin Sue) aah ... I have dug myself many a hole  ::) and I never learn.  But hey ... I get to see lots of lovely glass whilst trying to match something my instinct is wrongly telling me  ;D
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: chopin-liszt on March 30, 2016, 05:14:27 PM
You do find interesting things in holes sometimes!


William Walker is currently rather involved with the new Isle of Wight Studio just now, I think.
You might reach him there.  :) I'm sure he'd be happy to confirm or deny his work

I did bump into him at a fair, a couple of years ago, along with Richard Harris, but didn't get to chat, he was so busy.
Origninally, he had worked at IoWSG, and takes credit, (along with Michael Harris), for the innovation of Azurene and the subsequent design award given to the studio for that.

Not that I found William Walker in a hole! ;D
But I did help him resize his image. ;)
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: pamela on March 30, 2016, 07:06:54 PM
Everybody knows that this is not my field, however, I wish to say that whenever I look at the signature again and again, I see a short name and 74 at the end  ???   :-\
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: Sueearnshaw on March 30, 2016, 07:22:07 PM
Thanks for that Sue (m) I'll give it a try.

Now that you've mentioned it Pamela I can see the 74 as well. I'll post back if I get confirmation, it will be another tiny piece in the jigsaw of mystery glass. Some years ago you kindly gave me a tour of your museum, I've never forgotten your marvellous collection.
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: pamela on March 30, 2016, 07:33:16 PM
Sue, I wasn't sure about your name, but glad to see you here again now! Shall have a look in my guest-book to confirm the date you visited.  :-*
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: Sueearnshaw on March 31, 2016, 09:27:47 PM
Just to report on the final outcome. Richard Harris at IOW replied to say William Walker is not directly involved with IOW but he would pass my message on. Tonight I got a reply from William Walker to confirm the vase is one of his. He made it in 1984 when he was in Wimbourne, Dorset. It is from the "Chinese" range which he produced in 4 colourways up until 2006. So a little more knowledge to add to the list next time someone finds a pontil with a W in it.
Thanks all I'm sure I'll get the hang of this site in time now I've dared to join! 
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: flying free on March 31, 2016, 09:49:38 PM
aah, good -
Glad to see I'm not in a hole.

Have fun posting your other items.  We love to see new glass :)

m
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please
Post by: chopin-liszt on April 01, 2016, 12:06:04 PM
Wonderful. :)
I'm very glad you've decided to join in. 8)
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please. ID = William Walker
Post by: Anne E.B. on April 02, 2016, 02:23:02 PM
Here's my William Walker vase which was ID'd by members some years ago.  Signed but not dated.

Now glad to know its from his "Chinese" range  :D
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please. ID = William Walker
Post by: Jocto on February 13, 2022, 04:18:30 PM
We just purchased a piece of glad work the same signature,  this has helped us out immensely.  Thank you
Title: Re: W or M in pontil mark ID please. ID = William Walker
Post by: mhgcgolfclub on February 19, 2022, 07:19:43 PM
My daughter recently bought me home a William Walker Azurene apple minus it stalk from Exeter signed what looks like    William Walker 83   For Mum Aug 1983