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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: Penelope12 on October 11, 2018, 08:45:31 AM

Title: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: Penelope12 on October 11, 2018, 08:45:31 AM
Now I know that there is a lot of Chinese glass out there masquerading as something a bit more up market, but since studying the massive amount of info on this amazing site, I am now starting to doubt some of my own items which I thought were the real deal. I have always thought that this vase was Murano, although I have struggled to find anything similar. It stands at 10” inches tall and is incredibly heavy at just under 5KG. It is of very good quality with a highly polished flat base, although it is showing signs of wear, so I am fairly certain that it is a 1950’s-1960’s piece. It is one of my favourite vases, so I am really hoping that it is the real thing...any thoughts? ???

Thanks Penny
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: Helen W. on October 11, 2018, 10:06:32 AM
I'm struggling with the same issue. I keep seeing interesting glass (currently an unusual and well-made bowl that might turn out to belong to the ubiquitous Snowflake range), but nowadays a little warning bell rings if the object in question lacks an attribution I can check. 

Your vase is lovely, and the colours are a fit for 1950s European. The design seems (to me) to be a combination of influences, but as for who made it, I can't really offer firm advice.
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: Ekimp on October 11, 2018, 10:42:19 AM
Hi, may not help too much but there’s another similar one here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fabulous-Vintage-Colourful-Murano-Sommerso-Swirl-Vase-Heavy-Weighs-4kg-/372426025442?rmvSB=true&nma=true&si=X%252FVY0plHlmJVOV%252BwJ5OIY2autZs%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Seem to be a lot of bubbles in the Ebay one and the colour twists look a bit random?
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: Penelope12 on October 11, 2018, 12:27:01 PM
Ahhh...the Snowflake range (yet to come across a bowl though) obligatory in every charity shop, I’m sure they must buy them in bulk!

Well spotted Ekimp, looks like it fetched a reasonable price anyway. I did have a vaguely similar one with a multi coloured corkscrew type swirl running up through the middle, I managed to find another which was attributed to Murano by someone asking a great deal of money for it...but then they would do wouldn't they!  ;D
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: chopin-liszt on October 11, 2018, 03:21:51 PM
 :) How long have you had it?
It is only fairly recently that the Chinese glass is well finished on the base.
If you've had it some time, it might be inconsistent with the kind of glass coming from China at that time.
My guts have an uncontrollable habit of announcing "Beranek" when they see things with spiral twists in deep bases.
I'd be thinking Czech long before Murano, from the overall style and colours.

NB. I have spent my glass life ignoring Murano as much as I possibly could get away with. It's too big a field, there's too much to learn and far too much competition for the good stuff. It's difficult. It's much easier to pretend it's not really there. :-[
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: Helen W. on October 11, 2018, 04:04:48 PM
Re Murano, thought it was just me who took this view.  ;D

The vase could well be Beranek. I have a Palecek vase with an elaborate inclusion in the deep base (no photo atm), with a firm attribution of 1969 from the Skrdlovice pattern books. I've come across similar designs of his, but all dating late 1960s onwards.   
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: Helen W. on October 11, 2018, 04:08:31 PM
Meant to add, I think of green-brown combos as being mainly a fifties thing, but I might be wrong about that.
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: chopin-liszt on October 11, 2018, 04:23:33 PM
Green brown combos here are well into the '60s. I was there, just about.
mother made me wear a green and brown tweed dress when I was 8. '65.
She was decidedly the '50s, stepford style but thought she was ultra-modern. She was, right up to the '50s, where she stuck. Vogue and Simplicity dress patterns, perm and sets. Didn't approve of women wearing trousers.

Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: Helen W. on October 11, 2018, 04:27:31 PM
Sue, I think your mother was my mother's twin!  :( I'm trying to suppress the flashbacks...
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: Helen W. on October 11, 2018, 04:36:03 PM
I'm having to eat my words about dating colours. The 'Magnified Mica' designs by Palecek were only made in green-topas, and they date from 1967. I think Sue is right, and Skrdlovice/Beranek is a definite contender for your vase.
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: chopin-liszt on October 11, 2018, 04:45:00 PM
Oh dear, I had really hoped there was only the one. :'(
I've been out to collect my prescription today. ::)
How are you coping, these days?

I do really like the green-topaz combination. I'm the very proud owner of a Ladislaw Oliva one.
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: chopin-liszt on October 11, 2018, 05:22:19 PM
 ;D I had a toy rabbit. He was everything to me.
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: Helen W. on October 11, 2018, 05:45:12 PM
 Cats for me. ;D And glass, and other forms of art.
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: chopin-liszt on October 11, 2018, 06:30:11 PM
Cats arrived eventually. As soon as I was able to operate the machinations required to achieve it. ;D
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: Penelope12 on October 12, 2018, 08:23:12 AM
Thank you ladies...that did make me giggle. ;D ;D ;D Thankfully I just missed out on the green & brown tweed, sadly not the crimplene & nylon psychedelic numbers though.

I think you may be right about Beranek, there are definitely similarities, especially with the thick rounded rims and narrow openings. Couldn’t resist posting this one I sold on in the green & brown combo Sue...not too upsetting I hope.
Then there’s the mystery one with the corkscrew twist, another one I wish that I hadn’t sold on...Yes I do manage to part with the odd one occasionally and then regret it! :-\
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: chopin-liszt on October 12, 2018, 10:31:53 AM
I've got a propellor vase which would go very nicely with your first, vase Penny, and I'm absolutely clueless about your multicoloured spirally sort of twisty thing - the pattern looks like the inside of a massive multicoloured old marble.

Bri-nylon floaty flammable stuff over sticky flammable brushed nylon nighties... Penny, you've brought back something I'd hoped I'd forgotten. ;D
And that foam backed stiff crimplene stuff...


Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: KevinH on October 14, 2018, 11:09:32 PM
Ladies ... please be careful of the Board's "wibble-ometer". And please take care to not turn the thrread into a multi-ID extravaganza.  ;D
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: flying free on October 15, 2018, 11:48:30 AM
Sue - fabulous Ladislaw Oliva vase!
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: chopin-liszt on October 15, 2018, 12:42:56 PM
Thanks, m.  :) It is a bit of a beauty. It has pride of place on the mantlepiece.
We have realised and stopped, Kev. Sorry for the clutter. :-[
Penny, would you like to post your spiral beast in another thread so we can see if we can find out what it is? Or would that just make you more miserable about having parted with it? ;D
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: Penelope12 on October 15, 2018, 01:35:39 PM
Good idea Sue...I'm sat in the naughty corner at the moment!  :-X
Title: Re: Murano Or Early Chinese?
Post by: chopin-liszt on October 15, 2018, 02:09:44 PM
You're still fairly new and you are excused. :-*