Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: Anne E.B. on March 11, 2020, 04:04:20 PM
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I've had this lamp for a while now and it looks quite stunning when lit. Absolutely no idea where it originated from and wondered if anyone could offer ideas.
Its hollow. I'm not even sure if it is old or new as I bought it from a charity shop. The wiring and fitting looks to be quite new, but could have replaced older wiring.
Any help much appreciated ;)
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Nice one Anne
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I imagine it does look good when the lamp is on. :) Ordinarily, I wouldn't dare comment on such pieces since I know less than nothing about glass decorated in what appears to be an Italian style, but since Anne has included a question mark re the description, and since I have a glass dictionary, thought I'd throw caution to the wind.
Harold Newman devotes some space to the differences in appearance of lattimo, latticino/latticinio, filigrana, reticello and retorti - and his dictionary is worth the few shillings it might cost - don't imagine its date of 1977 is in any way a problem.
The base word from which some of these descriptions are derived is the Italian 'latte', for milk - and have to say, though it seems obvious when you think about it, I didn't know that entirely white milk glass also apparently qualifies as lattimo - I use the word white, since contrarily milk glass also comes in colours - though collectors don't seem to go that route, and people prefer to say simply milk glass when the piece is fully opaque. The French prefer 'blanc de lait' for milk glass.
Anyway, I'd suggest that the correct description for Anne's glass is lattimo, based on the broadish marvered bands or festoons of opaque white glass - as distinguished from glass decorated with embedded threads of opaque white glass - i.e. filigrana, and latticino which is as its name suggests has a lace-like or lattice-work appearance.
Such decoration is mostly associated with the Gulf of Venice and the well known names we see here often.
However, regret Anne I've not a clue as to the origin or age of your lamp base, or even as to whether it may or may not be Italian in origin - sorry to be so negative as to provenance. :) Has China offered such decoration in recent decades does anyone know.
Ref. 'An Illustrated Dictionary Of Glass' - Harold Newman - Thames and Hudson - 1977.
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Thanks Christine and Paul :)
I questioned the term 'latticino' as the more I read about Venetian techniques the more I became confused and uncertain, but that's just me, and then there's the language aspect too with more than one way to describe a particular technique. It would be interesting to know if it could have been made in China, but then it could have been made anywhere ::)
This is my other "lattimo" lamp with much broader bands in pale pink and white. Fortunately this one has its original label still attached and is definitely Murano. I had been hoping to buy another one like this to use as bedside lamps, but I've been horrified by the prices being asked - three figure numbers for these lamps, and that is why I bought the other one. They don't match but then nothing that I have matches, but they look nice. This one is of much better quality and is quite heavy.