Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass Paperweights => Topic started by: WhatHo! on September 10, 2016, 11:10:19 AM
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Hi Guys, I was wondering if anybody here knew anything about Murano paperweights? I think unless signed they all tend to get thrown under the 'Murano' umbrella which I think is a bit of a shame, presently there are about 50 companies there. With most weights you can accurately identify the company (and often the date) by the canes used but I have a feeling this is not the case with Murano? or maybe it is :)
Anyway I have this one which I think is a bit better than the average, its 3" x 2 1/2" and has 7 identical large millefiori multi-canes. The canes are sat on a bed of gold adventurine. The base is flat polished with a small polished pontil.
Any skilled Murano pw fans out there, date, maker :)
Thanks for you time, Wolfie
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The weight is by Fratelli Toso. The cane types and the use of an aventurine filled ground is quite typical of that company. Date is probably early 20th century.
For some good galleries of Murano weights (albeit without dating details) see:
http://www.pwts.co.uk/pages/Murano%20FT.htm
With most weights you can accurately identify the company (and often the date) by the canes used but I have a feeling this is not the case with Murano?
For ID and dating by canes, I would say "with some / many weights" rather than "with most weights". There were many canes made by Morettti, now Effetre, that have been sold world wide and are still available today - see the Effetre web pages.
But yes, within Murano it is not always an easy task to ID and date weights. Various Murano companies have used canes from other Murano makers. For example, looking closely at some 3-Fiori weights (company now closed) canes identical, or very similar, to Fratelli Toso canes (assuming they were indeed made by Fratelli Toso) can be found.
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Hi Kevin, thanks for your quick reply and thanks for put me right on the "with some / many weights" rather than "with most weights" bit :)
cheers Wolfie
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Hi. As Kevin notes, canes from some of the Murano factories have been sold worldwide - but also to other Murano factories, so it is difficult to tie paperweights to specific Muranp makers. Dating is perhaps less difficult, but still imprecise. And there are lots of them: after Chinese products, Murano is probably the most prolific source of paperweights in the world, with many million pieces in circulation. Trying to decide which factory made which piece is a real challenge!
Regarding your paperweight, the use of a few complex bundled canes in a 1 +6 pattern seemed to be common in the 1960s - 1980s. So that may be the era.
Alan
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Thanks so much for your help guys :)