Topic: Please help with Large millefiori paperweight id thanks. ID = Strathearn

[chriss]

Hi
I'm hoping that someone recognises this paperweight please? It stands just over  3.7" tall and has a  laticino looking scrambled lace type decoration which is layered and millefiori to the bottom layer plus bubbles. I looks quite technical to me, but has no makers marks and I can't quite make out the centres of some of the canes so I'm not 100% sure if there may be any signature or date canes? I don't know if it's a Scottish maker like deacons or strathearn or Murano as a 2nd guess maybe? Any info great fully received please? Thanks 

[SophieB]

Hi Chriss,

It looks Strathearn to me; the cane in the last picture is certainly Strathearn (IMHO). Spaced canes on latticino was a common design for Strathearn.

However, this egg shaped layered design is unusual - a trial piece? Interesting anyway.

Also on the base of the weight there seems to be a signature cane (the red cane in the middle - if there is an s in the middle of the cane, then it is Strathearn).

For more info in Strathearn have a look at Richard's More website at:

https://strathearn.smugmug.com

SophieB

[chriss]

Hi sophieB thanks for your reply i thought it may be strathearn, I found a similar(ish) weight on ebay, but not layered, not egg and with mostly different canes
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-60s-STRATHEARN-CRIEFF-MILLEFIORI-ART-GLASS-PAPERWEIGHT-/191850619301?hash=item2cab3021a5
Unfortunately, I can't make out the centre cane clearly as the glass in front of it is opaque or distorts it and the cane isn't that clear to me so I'm not sure if there is an S sorry :/

[tropdevin]

***

Hi.  I agree it looks like a Strathearn piece - I wonder of it is one of Herbert Dreier's designs?

Alan

[KevinH]

Yes, it may have been one of the "experimental" items from 1979/80.

As for a signature, the cane in the base has no "S".

[chriss]

Hi all and thanks for the replies 😀 The 1st photo in these 4 is the cane that is central to the base which has something, but not sure what? It does look a bit like S but there again, I'm probably just looking for that now 😀 I've also taken some more group pics  to show a selection of some of the other canes, there appears to be things in the middle of some, but not a clue what? Hoping this helps and if any close ups of individual canes are wanted, please let me know 😀 Thanks again Chriss

[KevinH]

Thanks for the extra photos, Chris. Certainly makes it clearer that the canes are all of a type consistent with Strathearn.

I am still sure that the base cane does not include an "S" (and I have checked at 500% enlargement). For folk interested in such detail, this page in Richard More's site and the ten other pages linked from that one, cover signature canes. A main feature is that the "S" is always within an immediately contrasting colour so that it is clearly visible.

[chriss]

Hi KevinH thanks for confirming about the canes, I wasnt sure about the "S" as it appeared to be possibly an out of focus one, but seeing the contrast of colours and clarity of the "S" in those canes (Though I should have looked through those images more thoroughly before I responded to the next reply when the website was given before 😕) it's definitely not like that 👍 Having seen the additional canes, which are consistent with strathearn types, is it still possible that this may be an experimental piece from 1979/80 as you initially thought please or possibly a Herbert Dreier design as troopdevin queeried please? Thanks Chriss 😀

[KevinH]

The "experimental" weights from the last two years of Strathearn are thought to have been made by Herbert Dreier.

Some years ago, I spoke with Mr Dreier, on behalf of Richard More, and showed him various photos of probable "experimental" Strathearns that Richard had sent to me. Mr Dreier was pleased to see them but he did not actually say, "Yes, I made them all". However ...

... Richard, in his web pages states, for example, under the section for "Experimental Millefiori Weights":

These stunning Strathearn paperweights #1, #2, #3, #4 and #6 were all made by Herbert Dreier and I have written confirmation from him that he made them in the 1979 to 1980 period before Strathearn ceased all paperweight production with the exception of the tall three-tiered millefiori one which I believe was also made by him.