Topic: Miniature Engraved Vase w/ English Silver Mounts, 1920 - ID: Eugène Michel

[Pinkspoons]

I don't often buy speculative items these days (only really having the spare pennies to buy what I know about), and I really don't usually buy engraved glass.... but I was very taken with this wee vase. I don't really know engraving, but the quality looks to be very good (to my eye), and very detailed. It's also very deeply cut into the vase, casting some lovely contour shadows.

It measures just 115mm tall (4.5" in old money), and has solid silver foot and collar, hallmarked for London 1920. Sadly the maker's mark is rubbed, and all I can make out is '...& Sons', preceded by two or three destroyed initials.

Any idea on the glass-maker? (or the silversmith, if you're really clever!  )

PS: I've kept the image very large (1500px tall) to show the detailing better, but it's web optimised so shouldn't be a chore for folk with slower connections.

[Pinkspoons]

Oh, and the clearest shot of the maker's mark... The first initial looks to have a straight left edge.... so a D or B, I think.

Well even if the maker can't be found, at least it's given a fairly precise date for the vase itself.

[Pinkspoons]

Not usually one for adding superfluous photos, but the engraving in my first post looks flat and lacklustre, so I reshot a close-up with better lighting.

The motif itself is just under 50mm (2").

[Lustrousstone]

It's beautiful Nic  :clap:

[Cathy B]

Gorgeous! Definitely worth the speculation. (I tend to buy some things out of sheer curiosity, but then I don't have to make a living out of it.)

[Pinkspoons]

Thanks for the comments.  The skill that went into the decoration amazes me. Some of the detailing strokes - on the feathers, for example - are less than 1mm in length.

Have been busy cleaning the silver parts of the vase. Not my favorite task!

[krsilber]

Very nice piece!   Well executed, detailed engraving.  Cupid as a gardener, I love it.  I, too, am very interested in knowing the maker.  I feel like I should have some WAG at least, since engraving is my thang, but I haven't a clue.  My knee-jerk guess is Thos. Webb, but that's from lack of other ideas for something like this in 20s England, so it doesn't really count.

[Pinkspoons]

My first guess would be a coin-toss between Thos. Webb and H.G. Richardson, but favouring the latter.

From what I've seen of Webb's glass of this era, it seems to be very traditional and busy with cut borders and such, whereas I've seen a few Richardson pieces from around the same time that utilise a more stylised 'Scandinavian' vernacular, which this vase has some of - especially in the flowers with their geometric art deco twist, and in the lack of any other decoration.

[krsilber]

My first guess would be a coin-toss between Thos. Webb and H.G. Richardson, but favouring the latter.

From what I've seen of Webb's glass of this era, it seems to be very traditional and busy with cut borders and such, whereas I've seen a few Richardson pieces from around the same time that utilise a more stylised 'Scandinavian' vernacular, which this vase has some of - especially in the flowers with their geometric art deco twist, and in the lack of any other decoration.

Ah, I knew you'd have a better idea than I of its origins.  Thanks for your impressions about the differences between Richardson and Webb during that time.

Thanks, too, for posting a large photo of it.  And your second photo is anything but superfluous!  With glass like this it's so nice to be able to see the details.

[Pinkspoons]

Ah, they were just blind guesses based on the small selection of glass I've seen whilst trying to hunt out a maker for myself. Another thought is that the glass was imported from one of the Scandinavian countries to be silver-mounted here. I've found some examples of Holmegaard glass bearing English silver mounts in the past, so I'm assuming it was also done with the output of other factories.