Topic: Info on Cenedese + Licata

[Kari]

I often see these fish paperweights, Licata Cenedese.  Could someone please enlighten me as to what makes them special and what they generally sell for?  Thanks!

[KevinH]

Kari, which type of "fish paperweight" are you referring to? A link or photo would be useful.

A Google search shows various possible items, most being the larger "aquarium blocks" which are not really paperweights. Some people seem to say things along the lines of "Licata for Cenedese or A.V.E.M." and perhaps that indicates a general uncertainty about attributions.

I suppose that an Aquarium Block, or a Fish embedded in Bowl or Plate, that might have been designed for a glassworks by the artist Riccardo Licato would be of good quality. That could be a good reason for a higher price when compared to a similar item but not designed by Licatao.

An interesting link is this one in the Antique Helper site showing an "abstract decorated aquarium block" with realised sale price of $17,000. I guess that none of the more usual "aquarium block" pieces, even with neat filigrana-type fish and fine multi-coloured strands of seaweed, would reach anything like that sort of price.

By the way, beyond my Googling, I know nothing at all about Licata and his connection with any glassworks and it is just supposition on my part that the Riccardo Licata linked with Cenedese (or any other glassworks) is the same as the artist Licata!

[Kari]

Thanks Kev, I didn't post a link because of being on the laptop - and because I was just referring to the standard fish in orb paperweight size that come up on Ebay from time to time. 

[Sach]

You can learn an awful lot just by doing a google image search for Licata Cenedese.

http://images.google.com/images?q=Licata%20Cenedese&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi

[Kari]

Thanks for that link, very helpful.  Well I went ahead and tried it on my own, as I wanted more info as to prices and actual histor.  Lo and Behold, the first google entry was my own question on this forum, and I stilll couldn't find anything more specific!  I'll keep trying.  So often I go right online for all kinds of info, but when it comes to paperweights, these forums are always my first choice.

[Lustrousstone]

I found this, although no source is quoted. He also seems to have designed bowls for Venini, so aquarium blocks could be likely. His art seems to be expensive and he seems to have dabbled in other areas of design, so why not.

[Kari]

Terrific, Christine ~ that gives a bit more info on ID and prices.  Thanks a bunch!

[Lustrousstone]

Lesley Jackson says in 20th Century Factory Glass talking about Cenedese "After Barbini left in 1949...Cenedese exhibited his Aquarium sculptures, blocks of clear glass containing suspended fish, seaweed and swimmers, created using the massello technique. Variants of these sculptures remained in production throughout the 1950s and were further developed by Riccardo Licata, who used them to depict Picassoesque human heads and some purely abstract designs, both in 1959." He gets another mention in connection with vases for Venini. Sounds like Licata has no connection with the fish 

[KevinH]

I was just referring to the standard fish in orb paperweight size ...

Thanks for the clarification, Kari. I have seen a few examples of standard orb paperweights with fish. Some have been very large with the fish swimming as in a fish bowl (I once saw eight of these displayed together in an ornamental fireplace!), and others have been medium sized with the a single fish seemingly lying on its side at the top of the orb.

From the info I have now seen and heard I am not at all convinced that the regular orb paperweight examples would have been designed by Licata, or even made at the Cenedese works. They may have been, but is there any actual evidence to prove it? I have also heard of these being attributed to Fratelli Toso or Venini.

[Kari]

Sorry it's taken so long to post an item #.  It's Ebay 130270494150.  Ending soon, but I'm still curious as to it's origins.  Any ideas?