Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: Baked_Beans on July 21, 2017, 06:40:02 PM
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I think this probably dates from the 1930's unless it was produced over a long period of time . It's 10 inches in diameter at it's widest point and has a pitted outer surface . I assume it's Monart , not the most interesting of pieces but I was very happy to find it . Shape X .
http://www.scotlandsglass.co.uk/cms/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=2696&category_id=260&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=6
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That surface decoration is often referred to as Granite, but I'm more used to Granite being from Strathearn, who also made this shape.
I think you might need somebody who knows much more about this than I do.
I can ask my wee brother, when I speak to him on Sunday, if Monart did Granite. ;D
On the other hand this seems to be rather thin glass, quite finely blown and has a white liner - that's a Monart sort of thing.
Obviously, I can't heft or feel it. :)
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Could this possibily be a Monart pumice piece?
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Thanks Sue & Greg , I didn't know Strathearn did this shape ! I assumed too much ! One clue is that the button type of pontil mark isn't highly polished ...it's slightly dulled and you can see parallel lines of polishing marks . It has lots of age related scratching to the base though .
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DoH! :-[ Well spotted Greg.
The only Pumice I've ever seen was green.
The white liner said no to Strathearn, and it's actually a finer texture than Granite, isn't it.
My excuse is that there is not much Pumice around, we just don't see it.
Strathearn "buttons" are large, flat and clear and tend to have a leaping salmon on them. I didn't see the button. My brother would have put me right, but you got there first, Greg, Thanks! :-*
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Nae bother Sue :)
Here's a couple of other examples for comparison...
https://picclick.co.uk/Rare-1930s-Monart-Ysart-Pumice-Surface-Decorated-Vase-shape-232325414563.html
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/monart-ware-pumice-bowl-museum-133403971
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None of them look much like the big round green one, which I have seen and handled. ;D
That involved a bit of shennanigans, I was with my brother and the vase was in one of those silly Oxford Street shops in London, where you have to ring a doorbell to get in, then get allocated a personal member of staff to follow you around - either to relieve you of as much cash as they can, or to prevent you stealing or breaking stuff. We just wanted to get a good look at it and cop a feel. It was a very long time ago and it's the only bit I have personally encountered. No piccies, I'm afraid.
But the slightly pitted, slightly dull, surface finish is spot on. :)
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Thanks again for that you two ...glad you like it !! It really looks the same as the first vase in the link above. So it would date from the 1930's , I guess, and must be quite rare then :o This is the first Monart I have found and for it to be an early one is superb news ! Plus it's the largest size of bowl in that shape . I'm shocked by the valuations !
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As I was saying, the only bit I've ever seen was in one of those incredibly exclusive antique glass shops in Oxford Street. Along with a plethora of absolutely top end, cased, cut and coloured VSL, a load of Dresser Clutha, Galle, d'Argy Rousseau and... that sort of thing.
We went on a trip right across London just to see it. (and everything else there too, it was too tempting not to!)
But we were trying to pretend we didn't know anything and were just tourists gawking.
I slightly exaggerated the rolling of my rs to emphasise that point. ;)
I think it is quite safe to use the "R" word. ;D
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What a lovely story Sue ! I don't collect Monart so Scotland would be the most suitable home for it ;)
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Unfortunately, my brother isn't collecting any more. He's got a house to build and that is kind of taking priority.
I think there might be collectors of Monart in other countries though. It is a rather famous sort of glass, very cutting edge for its time.
Nigel gave a great lecture at the Edinburgh Conference on whether Ysart glass could be considered to be the earliest ever Studio Glass, or even a precursor to it.
The conclusion was both yes and no.
Technically speaking, Studio Slass was "born" at the Toledo lectures, 23rd March, 1963.
So no.
But by all other critera; hand made by individual artists, in a small setting with not a lot of hot glass available, each piece absolutely unique, and pushing the metal to see what they could get it to do for them, yes. ;D
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Well I wish your brother all the very best with that task ! It's a very difficult business ...once the roof is on ....that's the time to celebrate as it's all down hill from then on :D (not that I've built my own house :o !) . I think it's called a topping-out party !
I certainly can see why this bowl could be seen as a precursor to Studio Glass ...it does look 1930's in shape (to my eyes.. that was my very fist thought whan I saw it in the shop ) but it could have been made much later if it wasn't for this prior knowledge :)
Can't understand why pumice is rare ....perhaps it wasn't that popular at the time ?
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I have some comments and opinions from my brother.
:)
"Surface decorated bits all tend to be early (not sure if this is documented anywhere) - they were probably the 'Monart Ware' period but without a label you can't prove it. Monart Ware stopped around 1929 so only lasted a few years. Pieces were only made by the Ysarts - and it wasn't their day job! I guess the surface decorated pieces were expensive and didn't sell so well as the colourful cased pieces with the aventurine and whorls. As ever things that didn't sell so well at the time become rare and desirable to collectors! I suspect they were experimenting with everything at the beginning. Some pumice pieces I find a bit dull - though they still sell well."
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Thanks so much Sue for asking your brother and please pass on my thanks to him too ;)
I do agree that pumice does look rather dull in comparison to other Monart but the fact that it's early , rare and has a textured surface more than makes up for it ;D
I will have to find out more about Monart so will be looking for a book ! ;)
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;D
You will be running into trouble then. There is only one, by Ian Turner and Frank Andrews. It's out of print and sells for a fortune if found.
Is this story starting to sound familiar?
But there is a ton of info. on Scotland's Glass and it does feature in many good general books.
It's what Judith Miller collects, herself. :)
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I will look out for it ! They should publish these rare books on-line so that we can all see it at a reduced fee ...there must be money to be made by doing this ;)
I do have The Parkington Collection parts I & II , Christie's Auction cats.. 1997/ 1998...which is a good start !
There is one pumice vase in his colletion (as far as I can see) and one 'stoneware '... like pumice but a pitted surface with much larger indented circles not a small pitted surface texture. That went for just under 1000 quid . The pumice vase didn't sell but was valued at 300-400 as was the stoneware vase.