Topic: Not a Paul Ysart weight

[KevinH]

I have sent the following to the seller of this eBay item:

I am sorry to tell you that this paperweight was not made by Paul Ysart. The millefiori canes are from Strathearn Glass, but it is known that a range of weights were made with Strathearn canes but by an unknown maker. I suspect this is one of the unknown maker items as it has the same appearance as many others.

Examples of genuine Paul Ysart canes can be seen in my articles at http://www.btinternet.com/~kevh.glass/

I don't often contact sellers these days, but this type of weight was often offered in the past as being by one Ysart or another. As the weights come to light again in the secondary market, it is perhaps not surprising that they still carry an "Ysart" attribution.

So far as I know, there has still been no confirmation that any of these closepacks were actually made at Strathearn Glass, and that's why I continue to suggest "Unknown maker".

[mjr]

these are examples of the canes foung in the Starthearn SP100/101/102 amd their variants made in 1979 and 1980. Richard More has photos of numerous  examples of these weights where these canes can be spotted.  He also shows a couple of examples of the closepack weight which is being discussed.  See http://strathearn.smugmug.com/   The following text has been taken from the description Richard gives these weights which corroborates what Kevin says above and goes into it in more detail. 

"A terrific Strathearn  late period Experimental Closepack from 1979 to 1980 and currently attributed to Master Craftsman Herbert Dreier showing many of the later created complex millefiori Strathearn canes and set on a deep blue translucent ground, 2.93 x 2.05; and 17 ozs. Concave fire-polished base with a raised pontil mark. No label. Circa 1979 to 1980. Caveat: While there is no doubting that these are late period Strathearn canes and most likely made by Dave Moir and Herbert Dreier for the most part, there seems to be some ongoing degree of controversy as to whether or not this and other similiar cane weights were actually made at Strathearn or someplace else by someone else at a later date. The primary point of contention is the apparent glass batch mix, as under UV analysis it does not appear to match the generally accepted Strathearn Glass Batch mix analysis of other older and late period Strathearn weights under the same UV testing. It might also simply be that as during this late 1979 to 1980 period as Strathearn was preparing to shut down all paperweight making generally used batch mixing supplies; were running low and other glass batch mixes were used. Perhaps this mystery will be resolved one day but for the time being I will place these canes in my "Strathearn Canes" albums in either the 1979 or 1980 albums since I am able to identify some of these canes used in other known and dated Strathearn weights and from other late period Strathearn weights and I will post additional information on others of these canes as I discover it"

[mjr]

well, it went for £298, with a couple of keen bidders.   Regardless of who made it, it is pretty rare and so the specialist collectors would be keen. The standard strathearn weights from 1979/80 that use these canes tend to go for well over £100 so this proce doesnt surprise me.