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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: Pip on January 25, 2007, 04:28:08 PM

Title: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: Pip on January 25, 2007, 04:28:08 PM
I think this is a really lovely piece of glass - it's only a small bottle, rectangular in shape and lovely white, greys and cream swirls.  It's signed to the base (sorry couldn't photograph the signature) with what looks like J Wall 86 (it could be Walk).  Does anyone know who this might be?  I've not had any luck googling - tia as ever..

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/pips-trip/IMG_6520.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/pips-trip/IMG_6523.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/pips-trip/IMG_6529.jpg
Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: David E on January 25, 2007, 04:32:07 PM
I have a really cool David Wall 'jug' Pip - see my other site http://www.glassyeye.com and click 'British' then 'Others'. I have written up a little about him - a founder of Tamar Glass.

Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: Pip on January 25, 2007, 04:58:45 PM
Ta for that David but we've double checked the signature and it's almost certainly a 'J' Wall or Walls - definitely not a 'D' - I wonder if David Wall had a relative also making glass  ???
Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: Cathy B on January 26, 2007, 07:12:35 AM
I've got three pieces by a J.S. Wall, sometimes J Wall, signed mid 80s, and I've been unable to find out anything about this person. The colours are similar. I just assumed since there were so many here that it may have been a local blower. Will have to post some photos for comparison.
Cheers!
Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: Pip on January 26, 2007, 12:23:40 PM
Yes please do Cathy - I'd be interested to find out if they're by the same person.
Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: Cathy B on January 26, 2007, 01:22:28 PM
It's amazing what you can find lying around when you collect everything and never sell or throw out anything...  ;D

I have three of these. Two are a pair, and the other (which I can't find today) is a similar block design with the grid pattern, but in a darker blue. This one is ooh, roughly 12 cms tall.
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-4710
and the signature, J Wall, 87. Or is it J Wald?
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-4709

The fourth might not be related, but looks a bit like yours. It's signed JSW (you can see the shadow of the signature better than the sig itself). It's about 5 cm tall.
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-4713
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-4712
Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: Pip on January 26, 2007, 02:33:06 PM
Thanks for that Cathy - I'd say they were definitely by the same person - the first piece in particular looks very similar and the signature on it is identical to mine (except yours if 81 and mine is 86), even the pontil feature is the same (have a look at the last picture I've posted).  Right, so now we know they're on both sides of the world - was mine brought over here or vice-versa - that's the question.
Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: Cathy B on March 15, 2007, 05:39:36 AM
I wonder, could it be Jessica Wall, who with a Steve Jackson runs Ursa Major Glass Studio in France?  ???
Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: Pip on March 15, 2007, 09:40:03 AM
hmmm I'll try and do some research on that name - thanks Cathy.  It's a coincidence but we bought another J Wall vase just the other day - similar in effect to the other one but a taller cylindrical shape.
Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: Cathy B on August 08, 2010, 09:23:14 AM
Oh flip, this is embarrassing. On my little vase or bowl, the signature JSW is actually JFW, and stands for Jam Factory Workshop. So, it's a nice and desirable piece... but I should have recognised it earlier.  :thud:
Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: ahremck on August 11, 2010, 08:55:21 AM
What we have here are many small bottles, etc. made by "John Walsh" an Australian Glass artist who seems to have been very prolific with these small pieces in the early 80s.  I have 5 pieces - including a paperweight. 

I have attached 4 pictures.  The first pair show a typical bottle with a signature that looks like "J Walk".  The second pair shows a much cleare picture of the "J Walsh"

Ross
Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: ahremck on August 11, 2010, 09:06:51 AM
Just thought I should mention Cathy yours are typical - note colour similarity to my two examples.

Funny you should mention JFW  - I had never seen it until a week or so ago when friend had a vase with AM JFW 81 on the base.  AM = Alex Mitrovic who was at the Jam Factory about that time and so JFW = Jam Factory Workshop (I assumed) because I could not find anyone's name that fitted the initials.

The only other workshop mark that I know is common in Australia is GS = Gordon Studios  - production glass at Eileen Gordon & Grant Donaldson's studio in Rosebud/Red Hill Victoria.

Ross

Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: Cathy B on August 11, 2010, 10:46:27 AM
 :hiclp: Thank you! That's brilliant - yes, you see them crop up on eBay.au relatively often so it doesn't surprise me that he was Australian. Is Pip's by John Walsh as well?

I have a fully signed Alex Mitrovic vase somewhere. It's nothing like his JFW signed vase that was recently on eBay.au, which was quite lovely I thought. Mine is pretty awful - a misbegotten lump of opaque orange and sickly yellow sort of vaguely paddled into a very rough vessel. Guess it must be early, and/or he was under the weather... I also have a Gordon Studio bird, signed GS, which fooled me for years (http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,9060.msg139477.html#msg139477).

Also, for quite a long time there was a very odd lump of blue, green, yellow and blue glass on the oddities shelf at the Geelong St Antiques Centre, labelled as Gordon Studio. We laughed at it for ages, and it was only after it had vanished that I clicked that the form and colours were taken from a crimson rosella. Wonder who scored it?
Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: Cathy B on August 11, 2010, 10:52:17 AM
Do you think my third piece is John Walsh as well? The signature is quite different, and very clearly JFW. I may be able to get a better shot of the base.
Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: ahremck on August 11, 2010, 11:55:00 AM
(a).    Yes I am sure Pip's is by John Walsh as well

(b).    I do think your third one is by him as well - compare the colours to my first bottle.

(c).    Some tricks to show up a signature I use - and posted re a pwt recently:-

Four little tricks that may help - I have had to use all four from time to time:

1.   Rub a pencil lightly across the signature area.  The rough surface willl be darkened and the signature will stand out being lighter (works if the base is not smooth) - see photo #1

2.   Gently rub talc across the signature so the grooves fill with it then carefully clean off the talc from the flat surface - hopefully you have a white signature on a dark
      background.

3.   Try taking a picture of the signature so that light is reflected off the flat base.  Keep the angle shallow < 30 degrees.  The signature will then appear darker as it absorbs the light.  Do not shoot straight on because the internal reflections and colours camouflage the signature.  See Photo #2 which would never have worked with the dichroic in the perfume bottle.

4.   If the piece is light in colour try putting it on a dark background and photograph directly (making sure you avoid flash reflections)which will hopefully show the signature lighter than the glass itself.  See Photo #3

Hope that one of these methodsis of use in getting a good photo.

Ross
Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: Cathy B on August 11, 2010, 12:08:27 PM
Thanks, Ross. Aus Art Glass is not my bag, usually, although I have a few bits and bobs, incl. a gorgeous Julio Santos bowl and some Peter Crisp oddments.

Would you be interested in seeing the Alex Mitrovic piece? It's a hoot - but again, I'd have to find it. :)
Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: ahremck on August 11, 2010, 12:25:16 PM
Cathy I sent you an email direct so I could include two largish tables of data.  Do not worry about the Mitrovic piece.

Instead have a look at this puzzle.  Who is A M Goss?

My answer:-   AM = Alec Mitrovic & Goss = Peter Goss - I reckon they collaborated making this and both signed it.

Ross
Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: Cathy B on August 11, 2010, 02:36:59 PM
I wonder whether either glassmaker is still around and could tell you more about it? Does that second signature look very much like Peter Goss' - I have no experience of his work.
Title: Re: Small swirly rectangular bottle signed J Wall or Walk 86
Post by: ahremck on August 11, 2010, 02:54:46 PM
I think Peter Goss is stiil alive some of his pieces come up on Ebay but are usually expensive.

Ross