Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass Paperweights => Topic started by: Regan on November 04, 2016, 02:45:45 PM
-
Hi. I'm new to the forum and thought i'd share this paperweight with you.
My great grandfather, William Aslett, was a director of the Moncrieff Glassworks during the time of the Ysart brothers. He asked Salvador to make him a paperweight based on his own design. To my knowledge this is the only one made and sat on my grandfather's desk at the factory for many years.
-
Welcome to the board :) and thank-you for joining to show us such an unsual and truly rare weight.
There will be a lot of people very interested indeed - all of them glowing green with envy. ;D
-
I'm just pleased to find some fellow enthusiasts. I have a few pieces that I've inherited and some that I have bought. I have some pre-war globe lamps that seem to be rarer than I thought. Will get some photos of those too.
-
Hi Regan, welcome to the Board.
Could you please let us know the size of the weight - diameter and height. I think it is about 3 5/8 inch diameter but it would be good to confirm.
This is an interesting item and as a collector of Ysart weights, I am intrigued.
I will do some checking but for now I can say that I have seen at least one other Ysart Thistle pattern weight with the thistle formed from powdered glass. I was thinking it could have been made by Salvador, but at the time there was no proof of that.
There are several examples of Thistle pattern weights made by Salvador's son, Paul but all the ones I have seen have the thistle made of individual millefiori canes rather than powdered glass. See the example Ref PY1012 at: http://www.ysartglass.com/PaulYsart/PYP1001.htm
Your weight, with the Monart label, is the first I am aware of where the label has been used on a weight made by Salvador. However, there could be a number of reasons for that.
If you could obtain some more information about the dates when your great-grandfather was at Moncrieff's that would be very useful. As yet, the only date I am aware of is 1947 - as stated in the web page: http://www.ysartglass.com/Ysart/YGpeople.htm - and if he was only there during 1947 then that raises a question or two about the link to Salvador Ysart - the Ysart men, except for Paul, moved from Moncreiff's (but still in Perth) to start their own company, Ysart Brothers Glass (Vasart) in 1946. There are a number of plausible theories that could answer the question(s) and the simplest one I can think of is that William Aslett was at Moncrieff's before 1947.
-
I'll double check with my Nanna to confirm but she is 100 now and gets forgetful. The family moved to Perth in 1919 and as far as I know he worked there from then until he retired in the late 50s/early 60s. I will measure it for you when I'm home but it fits quite snugly in the palm of my hand.
-
:)
Glad you've found us. Get yourself comfy and settle in.
I'm not really an Ysart collector myself, but I have family who are and I take a lot of interest in it.
Anything colourful and individually artist made, gets me going.
Have you been to Perth Museum to see the collection there since it got done up and some more treasures finally came out from the underground stores? :)
-
Some of the glass in Perth museum was donated by my family. I'm originally from Perth but moved to Dundee this year.
-
How exciting - which bits? I have some photos of the shelves there.
My favourite is the massive cylinder vase with loads of bubbles and uranium in it.
They won't let me bring it home with me, they're mean.
I'm in Dundee too! :)
-
I couldn't name all of the pieces I don't think. My mum took me and pointed some out when I was a child. The only one that really sticks in my memory was a large bowl/plate. Probably shape DF. I don't think the vase was one though.
-
I spoke to my grandmother again Kevin. She confirmed that her father came to Scotland in 1919 specifically to take the job with Moncrieff. He worked there until the late 50s.
-
Thanks for the additional information Regan.
Could you please confirm the diameter of the weight.
-
It's sitting at my grandmother's house at the moment. Will get that next time I'm down. It's approx 3-4 inches I think as it sits nicely on the palm of my hand.
-
welcome and what a great weight with great family history , nothing beats a piece with 100 percent provenance ,
-
Also Regan did you show this weight about 12/14 years ago give or take a year or two on the older message board as this weight and story rings a bell with me ?
-
I haven't been on any other forums. I did email the man who maintains ysartglass.com a few weeks back about it but got no response. Other than that I haven't mentioned it anywhere.
-
mmmm oh well im sure infact im mega sure ive deen one similar or the same with similar story though it may have been the posters uncle who acquired it , though I kind of remember the person might have stayed south of the border but the weight was here in Scotland or something like that, maybe some of your other relatives could have posted it or it was a different weight altogether but it was a thistle
-
Highly unlikely to be connected with my family. The paperweight has never left my grandmother's house, it has been with her since her father died. Her brother died in the 50s, his children aren't really online and their children don't tend to visit her.
-
well must have been another , infact the more I think back I have a feeling the one im thinking about may have had a bit of damage but I cannot be sure , it was a long time ago now lol
-
Hi Regan,
Many thanks for taking the time to post pictures of this interesting and rare thistle weight.
Considering your family history, I thought you may be interested in this Paul Ysart thistle, too.
SophieB
-
Thanks Sophie. This one is made from millifiore canes but is clearly the same design. I've always loved it, it's quirky.
-
Yes, Ysart weights with a thistle millefiori design are definitely interesting and I suspect a challenge to make (but not as rare your thistle in powdered glass ;D).
By the way nobody seems to have mentioned it here but Paul Ysart is known to have made thistle weights using the frit method during the Harland period. Colin Mahoney mentions them in his book 'Masterworks: the paperweights of Paul Ysart' at p. 116 and shows a picture of one with an H cane.
I do not know how rare these are but in nearly 10 years of collecting I have never seen one in the flesh.
SophieB
-
The weight is approx 3.5 inches in diameter. Turns out my grandmother doesn't have scales so no idea to weight but it is a nice solid piece of glass. Condition is excellent with some wear to base but no damage. Really is a lovely thing.
-
I think i've found my pic of the big white bowl you mentioned. :)
-
Yes, Ysart weights with a thistle millefiori design are definitely interesting and I suspect a challenge to make (but not as rare your thistle in powdered glass ;D).
By the way nobody seems to have mentioned it here but Paul Ysart is known to have made thistle weights using the frit method during the Harland period. Colin Mahoney mentions them in his book 'Masterworks: the paperweights of Paul Ysart' at p. 116 and shows a picture of one with an H cane.
I do not know how rare these are but in nearly 10 years of collecting I have never seen one in the flesh.
SophieB
...found another one here:
http://www.ysartglass.com/PaulYsart/PYP2021.htm
Nr 2028, script signed by Paul! cheers e.m.
-
Hah! I had forgotten about that one in the Ysartglass pages. !!