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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: stubbsywubsy on April 28, 2016, 03:41:14 PM

Title: Mdina / Isle of Wight Possible Michael Harris. ID = IoWSG
Post by: stubbsywubsy on April 28, 2016, 03:41:14 PM

Hello i have this large globular vase which i am hoping is a Michael Harris piece.

although it looks like Mdina i think it may be an IOW piece as there is a strange pontil mark which is similar to the Flame pontil, just missing the flame part. sadly there is no signature.

i have read before that some of the Mdina glass colours were taken over the IOW in the early days, so could this be one of them? it is a large piece and weighs over 2kg.

any help or advice would be great
kind regards Steven

Title: Re: Mdina / Isle of Wight Possible Michael Harris piece ID help Please
Post by: chopin-liszt on April 28, 2016, 05:08:14 PM

That's the coach-bolt pontil scar prunt mark. It predates the Flame pontil scar prunt mark, and you are correct, the Harris family did take the enamels they owned from Mdina to IoWSG and some early pieces do feature these, this is one of them.
However, while it is an early IoWSG piece, I cannot be positive it is by Michael Harris.

Title: Re: Mdina / Isle of Wight Possible Michael Harris. ID = IoWSG
Post by: chilternhills on April 29, 2016, 01:48:21 PM

The coachbolt prunt dates your vase to mid- to late-1973. The colours here are similar to that used on Mdina Rosenthal pieces. There are a couple of IoWSG items in Isle Of Wight Glass Museum with Mdina carryover colours dating from the 1970s. There is another example, similar to your piece, here: http://iowstudioglass.wikidot.com/exp (http://iowstudioglass.wikidot.com/exp). The studio was experimenting quite a bit at the time and several colourways never made it into general production.

Title: Re: Mdina / Isle of Wight Possible Michael Harris. ID = IoWSG
Post by: stubbsywubsy on April 30, 2016, 04:52:47 PM

Thank you both for your very specific Knowledge, it always amazes me coming on to this forum.

It is a shame it does not bear the Harris Signature, but i love the Idea its an early Piece, also its the Largest of this Globular type i have had or seen so maybe it was just an experimental piece.

thank you both again.
kind regards Steven

Title: Re: Mdina / Isle of Wight Possible Michael Harris. ID = IoWSG
Post by: chopin-liszt on April 30, 2016, 05:13:41 PM

He didn't sign much. He felt the glass should speak for itself.
I rather tend to agree, but that's because I get upset when a lovely bit of glass I want is suddenly unaffordable and 5 times the price, because of some scratches on the bottom that have absolutely no bearing on how it looks.  :)