Topic: Irridescent vase and lamp shade - ID: Okra, "Pink Charlock"

[glassobsessed]

Hi all,
I bought this vase recently because it was so similar in finish to a couple of lamp shades my father bought, he thinks in the seventies (from a shop in Bristol - Christopher Wray which still exists).
I was wondering who might have designed and/or made them, many thanks to anyone who can shed some light on them (no pun intended!).
Glassobsessed.

[krsilber]

Oooh, those are nice!  I'd be curious who made them, too.  And how they were made.  Could you please post a close-up showing some of the blue surface treatment? 

Did you buy the lamp with the shade it's on?

[glassobsessed]

The shades and the vase were made I think by rolling the clear hot glass in coloured enamels before blowing. The shades were bought new about thirty years ago from a lighting shop (Bristol, England), the wall mounted fittings they now live on are cheap, mass produced fittings. Once I have taken a close up of the blue on the shade and worked out how to add two more photos I will add them to the post.
I had wondered if they were made by Isle of Wight Studio Glass but I have found few clues in Mark Hill's book, the vase has a polished out pontil mark on the base and is 21 cm tall.

John

[glassobsessed]

Hopefully this will add two photos...

[krsilber]

Thanks for the additional photos, John.  The surface treatment looks a bit different from what I thought I was seeing in the first photos.  Could be variation in different parts of the glass, too, I suppose.  I agree the pieces were rolled in enamels (though it looks to me like they were at least partially blown then).  It reminded me of some things a couple of the glassblowing members were saying about silver-containing glass and the way it behaves when melted.  It looks sort of like there's yellow around the blobs of blue enamel on the shade, and I wondered if that might be another indicator that there's silver in it.  Just my old curiosity about glassmaking rearing its head!

Sorry I don't know anything about the attribution of your pieces.  I'm surprised no one has made any guesses at least.

[Pinkspoons]

Not really my field, but I know John Ditchfield / Glassform make glass for Christopher Wray.

[Frank]

Probably worth asking Christopher Wray they have been having glass made for their stores for a very longggg time. They would have used numerous companies and studios. As well as standard contemporary production they also had copies and replacements made either for stock or too order. Probably best to contact their head office rather than a branch.

[scimiman]

Its Okra.
Will post full details in the morning
Mike www.abfabglass.co.uk

[scimiman]

Hi,
Haven't replied before as only got back from my hols at midnight last night with a 5  hour delay.

What you have are two pieces of Okra and the design is Pink Charlock.
1. I cant date them exactly as the design was one that Richard made off & on for quite a few years. The earliest date that I can pitch is the early 90's but thats not to say they ar'nt from an earlier period as Richard experimented with various colors of Charlock, Green, Purple etc for quite some time. The vase certainly looks to be mid to late 90's from the way the piece has been executed. The piece being unsigned leads me to believe it was poss 98/99 as quite a few pieces were stolen during this time and often show up at auctions and fairs with either nothing at all on the base or someone having scratched Loetz, Tiffany or Kralik. The vase is also not a shape that appears in any catalogue for that range which leads me to believe it could have just been a Trial or One off piece.
The lamp shade again is difficult to date but from the execution it looks to comes from an earlier period than the vase but not as long ago as 30 years.
Richard again has made lamp shades off and on since he started in 1979 in various designs.
What I will do when I see Richard in the next couple of weeks is show him the pics and get the info straight from the horses mouth.
Value. Vase Rare pattern poss trial or one off piece £200/225
Lamp shade. Again rare pattern £125/150
What I can also do for you is if you can get the pieces to me I can get them signed for you.
Cant say much more than that. I'm off to sleep off my Jet Lag.
Regards Mike www.abfabglass.co.uk  :sleep:

[glassobsessed]

Wow,
a big thank you to every one who has left a post, all the information is fantastic. I will quiz my father again as to when he bought the two shades, I found the vase at an antiques fair recently in Carmarthen (very little glass on show there, not a big event). Any further info would also be very welcome, I am not sure I like the idea of being in possession of a vase that may have originally been stolen. I suppose most objects of interest have some sort of history, good or bad.
In awe, John.