Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Malta Glass => Topic started by: Owen_W on September 15, 2018, 07:45:07 PM
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Hello everyone,
I was hoping someone could help me, I am after some information on a vase I bought on a whim. I have been collecting Scandinavian glass for about a year. My housemate asked I give her a vase (no chance) so two months ago, whilst out in a charity shop buying something unrelated, the lady behind the counter put this vase out to be priced and put on display, I liked the look of it and thought I will get that for my housemate. Turning it over I could see it was Mdina, I knew nothing of Mdina except that the fish vases are expensive and collectible, I have seen Mdina in charity shops before and never considered buying it. I asked how much she wanted, £7.50 she said, I said that was too much as I didn't know what I was buying, I bought something for £3 and had £7 change in my hand so said oh sod it, I'll give you £7, it will save you pricing it up. I took it back and said to my housemate, here you go have this, however, if I find out it is a good one, I will keep it for myself.
After searching the internet I have got as far as the term 'tricorn' from this website, typing in 'tricorn vase' brings up a couple of images which look exactly like this one. Anyone know much more than what I have found out so far: probably made by Michael Harris and that is about it. The last picture should show a haul of four other Mdina pieces I have just found so this is my whole Mdina collection so far. I like them. The housemate is still waiting for her vase...
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Welcome to the message board Owen_W.
That is definitely a Tricorn vase and it will have been made at Mdina sometime between 1969 and 72. They were made later too but the particular signature on yours gives us that date, it looks slightly smaller than many which is a nice variation, the colour along with the signature all make for a good example. Your other pieces are probably all ten years or more younger than the Tricorn vase.
John
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John,
Thank you so much for the information. It is very good to know that I have an early piece. I didn't know they came in different sizes, this one is approx. 15cm tall by 21cm wide. After reading about Mdina glass on this forum, there is a lot to take in and remember. Good that there are experts on here who know their stuff.
I like the other four items and they just all turned up in a local charity shop one day. I didn't buy them at first but then did go back and buy the two larger ones and then went back again to get the other two as it seemed a shame to spilt them up.
The two larger ones have signatures, see below, the other two do not. The one on the right is a bit strange and I am assuming it was a 'second', it has been ground on the top, very poorly it seems as there all chips on that part and it isn't even level, it is about 10 degrees off the horizontal. If it had been broken and then cut and repaired, it would have been done properly, not like this one. However, I like it like that, who needs perfection?
Thanks again for the information, you have made my day.
Owen
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Isn't it a tricorn bowl rather than vase? ;)
After seeing vase, I was expecting a bottle. ;D
I can't add anything more. 8)
It's a wonderful find.
The cut down piece is definitely cut down, I've seen a lot of cut down bits - often just roughly ground. But I don't know if they were cut down at the factory or later. The most common items to see cut down are very large Earthtones bottles, with big square shaped bottoms and attenuated necks with flanges. The tops and flanges are frequently missing.
There has been a cut down Tricorn bottle doing the rounds in books and in guides, wrongly described as an obelisk.
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Hello Sue,
I have read a lot of your posts, so I have reached 'royalty' on Mdina when speaking with you and John. I had to google a lot and used the term bowl and vase and really didn't find much. I did see this
https://www.millersantiquesguide.com/items/102072/mdina-glass-tricorn-vase/
so I have used the term vase as I didn't have anything else to reference. Now rereading the above website, that vase is larger than mine. I don't know if any of you have access to Mark Hill's book and if there is any reference of Tricorn vases/bowls.
With regard to the cut down piece, I couldn't leave it in the shop sitting there. My hope is that someone had bought the other items from the Malta shop and that they were given the cut down piece as a free extra - you never know. I am now going to be looking out for other Mdina pieces but I fear that my first purchase of the Tricorn was beginners luck.
Thank you for your information. I find the Mdina pieces make my Scandinavian glass look 'too clinical' if you understand me.
Kind regards
Owen
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Mark calls them tricorn bowls, there is one shown in his book.
Too many folk just think about Fish or Crizzle Stones. There are treasures like this folk don't really know too much about yet that can still be found.
And as to beginner's luck ;D- I bet there have been some disasters too. Swings and roundabouts.
You deserve a bit of good fortune, now and then. :)
Mdina is a bit of a contrast to most of the clear, pure Scandi glass. ;D
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There are three Tricorn shapes, the bottles are obviously bottles, the dishes or bowls are self explanatory as well (page 47 of Mark Hill's book on Mdina). The shape in question is simply not 'open' enough to be a bowl as far as I am concerned, Mark Hill describes one very similar to Owen's as a vase on page 27.
A few photos follow, I don't have any photos of a Tricorn bowl having never owned one, a very hard shape to find.
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Sue, John
Thank you for looking. I think between you and John we nearly have it. So lets call it a small/medium Tricorn Bowl/Vase that was probably made between 1969-72. Sounds good enough to me. I am surprised there is so little info on it which makes it more precious to me. I look forward to seeing photos.
With collecting glass I have made some mistakes, but fortunately not too many. I took the view of sticking to specialising in one designer and have picked up some more glass which I have bought because I liked them, and usually only if that was a well known and collectable designer as well. See below for one I did buy just because I liked it, it is for me, no one else. It is by Jan-Erik Ritzman and is the size of a paperweight. I think people who like Mdina would approve of this one.
Thanks so much for taking the time to look in Mark Hill's book.
Mystery almost solved...
Owen
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John,
We were posting at the same time so now I have seen the photos. My vase is somewhere between the two vases shown. Not as angular as the top one, but not as rounded as the bottom one. Could there be three sizes? Or is it just usual that there are quite significant differences in the same line?
Great to find those photos. It shows there are differences in the colours as well.
Thanks again for all your efforts.
Owen
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I think there are just variations in the tricorn vases, as with much Mdina. Here's mine http://lustrousstone.co.uk/cpg/displayimage.php?pid=1321 http://lustrousstone.co.uk/cpg/displayimage.php?pid=1322
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Lustrousstone,
Yes I see. Yours looks larger and flatter. Very similar in colour. Well I am glad I am not alone having one of these. I suppose vases are not one of those items you could stick in your luggage so they were not a great seller back in the day.
Yours is one of the few images I could ever find before I started asking on this website, where now John has shown me two more.
Thanks for the information.
Kind regards
Owen
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There were later triangular very chunky tricorn perfume bottles, with an Earthtones core.
These large deep flat pieces, are too closed over to be a bowl, for me.
A bowl is wide open and welcoming - this hides things.
But I couldn't call it a vase either.
You did have mine for a bit John, I take it it was that one?
I have seen one that was almost a ball, quite narrow but tall.
Different sizes and variations are to be expected. Nothing was made in particular sizes to start off with. They were not even trying to replicate pieces - a selling point was that each is absolutely unique.
It couldn't be anything else when they were using silver salts to create the colours in each, I really suspect they just didn't bother about sizes being accurate.
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Nothing more to add other than there was some time ago a trial Tricorn bottle with a flanged top and broken pontil in browny colours which also included subtle pieces of amethyst, blues and yellows, also much smaller and reserved than those grand bottles shown. This is another shape on top of the 3 already suggested that are Tricorn in shape, Harris era and worth a mention. I sadly lack the knowledge to be able to link that thread to this one!
Fortunately, I now own this piece however ;D
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There is an ashtray with 3 pulled out corners, cased in cobalt. That was Mark Hill's (A few years ago, he may have sold it since.) and I have one with 3 amethyst corners added.
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Hello to all,
Thanks for putting me on to those pieces, I have now seen pictures of the earthtones perfume bottle. I have seen a picture of the ashtray as well - they look nice. I think I will keep an eye out for a tricorn bottle to go with the vase but it looks like the prices are out of my league, but you never know, I might get lucky again.
Thank you so much for everyone who has replied. Firstly I have never been on a forum before, you all seem very informed and polite people. I have looked round the forum and there is so much information to take in! I will keep my eye out for British art glass and lets see if I can find anything good.
Kind regards
Owen
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I hope we've helped to get you hooked. ;D
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Yes, and you are all very naughty...
Fancy putting up pictures like that!
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Just out of interest there is an Mdina Tricorn plate/bowl on the bay at the moment that has gathered some attention. They are calling it a plate but I am wondering if this is one of the Mdina bowls. It does seem very expensive... You lot must have deep pockets ;)
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It's (sort of) a charger. My one isn't tricorn, it's round with a suggestion of a single rounded sort of corner. It's "wonky round" more than tricorn. ;D
But I think charger is the correct word for it.
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Thanks for clearing that up as well. It did look like a nice charger, it has sold now. Well if I find some more Mdina then I will be back if I can't find any good info on it. Back to collecting a couple of Swedish glass pieces this week which should add to my collection, so that's my budget gone for the month! Hope there is more cheaper stuff in the charity shops but very little Swedish glass (if any) in my local ones.
Thanks again.
Owen