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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: antonizz on April 14, 2019, 09:38:54 AM

Title: Milk Glass / Opalescent - 18th Century or even older?
Post by: antonizz on April 14, 2019, 09:38:54 AM
Hello everybody,

I would love to get some help to get these 2 items identified.
It's good to know:    I have bought them seperately.

Before buying I estimated them to be made arround 1770-1780.

But who knows.. they might even be older.
I have no idea how to find out.

I have been searching online, and found a lot of opaline and milk glass.
But most of them are thicker and whiter milk glass, dating from the 18th century.
(I believe it supposed to imitate porcelain)

It could match with my mini vase.

For the smaller item, my egg-cup, I'm not so sure.
That one has a more primitive look to it, due to it's handles.
And also it's opalescent effect is more intense.

Height of the mini Vase: 7 cm.
Height of the egg-cup:   4,5 cm.

I have no idea whether this should be called opaline,
opaque glass, milk glass, opal glass, opalescent glass or something else.


I hope somebody here knows more about it.


Kind regards,
R. Antonis
Title: Re: Milk Glass / Opalescent - 18th Century or even older?
Post by: antonizz on April 14, 2019, 09:40:20 AM
More pictures..
Title: Re: Milk Glass / Opalescent - 18th Century or even older?
Post by: antonizz on April 14, 2019, 09:41:42 AM
..
Title: Re: Milk Glass / Opalescent - 18th Century or even older?
Post by: antonizz on April 14, 2019, 09:43:53 AM
..
Unfortunately some of the pictures rotate automatically.
Excuse me!
Title: Re: Milk Glass / Opalescent - 18th Century or even older?
Post by: flying free on April 18, 2019, 08:52:10 PM
Possibly Bohemian - see link to photos from the Passau Museum
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-e3sOsg7RCfw/TXm1lqP2DsI/AAAAAAAAB-c/P9QFgsc9RY0/s1600/100_7430.jpg

I think this type of glass was also made at La Granja around a similar period (1780 ish?) but the decoration may be different.   They are opaline glass but opacified with something that makes them glow red in light.  I still don't know exactly what it is that was in the mix that made that effect.  I don't think it was just bone ash that made them glow red,  I think maybe also because they used Arsenic?? in the metal?

There is somewhere a link to the La Granja collection of museum glass but I don't remember where it is right now.

Having said that, the shape of the little piece with the handles looks similar to a piece I've seen listed as a Bombonera (i.e. Spanish).  How big is it?  you call it an egg cup which sounds very small.  Should it have had a lid perhaps?

m
Title: Re: Milk Glass / Opalescent - 18th Century or even older?
Post by: flying free on April 18, 2019, 09:15:50 PM
There are two little bowls like yours in this picture from the La Granja museum:

https://guiasyvisitas.com/_files/200000067-f2b64f3abd/25052461933_a9f6598fda_c.jpg

https://www.guiasyvisitas.com/en/la-granja-de-san-ildefonso/#&gid=1&pid=9
Title: Re: Milk Glass / Opalescent - 18th Century or even older?
Post by: antonizz on April 22, 2019, 12:33:04 PM
First off all...

What a great find!!  Did you know about the milkglass in this museum?
Or how else did you find it.

Honestly, I called it an egg-cup, because I bought it as being an egg-cup.
But I tried an egg, and the cup is a little bigger.

So I guess it's just a cup then ;)
I don't think it should have a lid.
Because the upper side of the rim used to have gold on it as well.


And the glass in the museum...
Is this the La Granja glass?   Or is it just Bohemian glass in the Spanish museum.
I assume it's spanish, but I could be wrong of course.

Anyway, the cup is found.

I will e-mail the museum later on, but I don't expect any response.


The small vase has some deeper colors.

That one could still be Bohemian, I think.
Title: Re: Milk Glass / Opalescent - 18th Century or even older?
Post by: antonizz on April 22, 2019, 12:35:27 PM
And I forgot to ask you..

Is there perhaps a "restorer" part on this forum?


I have a broken vase, which I would like to restore.
It involves either glassblowing, or making a bronze part.

I would like to gain some other opinions about it.
Title: Re: Milk Glass / Opalescent - 18th Century or even older?
Post by: flying free on April 22, 2019, 01:02:40 PM
Well, referring to our other conversation on the bottle thread, I have (sometimes) a good memory for what I have found or seen online in museums and I do lots of research by reading and translating my books, or online on museum websites when I'm in 'glass mode' and have the time.  Yes I knew there was opaline glass in that collection.  There is somewhere an online website with all their pieces but I can't find it at the moment (I'm on a different computer and don't have it saved on this one).
There is also a very long thread on here somewhere about opaline glass from the 1820s onwards.
Try using the search facility on here and see what comes up.

Also, I save references to museum collections and pieces of glass on my computer in document form so I can find the links again usually.

I don't know if that glass is all from La Granja.  I recall there were some queries a few years back.  But I think at least some of the opaline glass is from La Granja San Ildefonso glassworks. So that is not helpful to you.  But the shape and the type of glass made me think of looking elsewhere other than Bohemian.  I cannot explain that feeling though ;D
Title: Re: Milk Glass / Opalescent - 18th Century or even older?
Post by: antonizz on April 22, 2019, 08:46:53 PM
Let's just call that: experience ;)
Title: Re: Milk Glass / Opalescent - 18th Century or even older?
Post by: flying free on April 24, 2022, 10:25:25 AM
good image of the bowls in the museum here:

http://ceres.mcu.es/pages/Viewer?accion=41&Museo=&AMuseo=MNAD&Ninv=CE18743&txt_id_imagen=1&txt_rotar=0&txt_contraste=0&txt_zoom=10&cabecera=N&viewName=visorZoom

Area of production according to the museum website is Granja de San Ildefonso.  Date given is 1701-1900. 

m