Topic: Perfume Bottle - Not quite random strapping...

[Pinkspoons]

I've had this (probably experimental) Holmegaard / Per Lütken perfume bottle for a couple of years, and have only just been able to take half-decent photographs of it - clear glass photography has never been one of my strengths.

Just wondering if there's a name for the decoration technique... it looks quite like random strapping, but instead of applied glass, it seems that strands have been teased out of the surface whilst still molten and randomly wrapped around the form. They look to emerge from perfectly smooth areas of the glass, rather than having any tell-tale signs of application. Is this even possible, or am I reading into it incorrectly?

Many thanks in advance.

[Cathy B]

Not that I know, but it wouldn't just be normal strapping but fire-polished really well, would it?

[Pinkspoons]

It's okay, I know just as little on the subject! 

Although it would have to have been a very localised application of heat, I would have thought, and the bottle - including stopper - is only 65mm tall and 75mm across.

[krsilber]

Looks to me like you're right, there were bits pinched out and pulled into threads.  Then they were marvered in slightly, I reckon, or pushed in if it was blown in a mold.  Using a torch the area heated could be localized enough if that was necessary.  Sorry, I don't know the name for the technique.

Very nice photos! 

[Frank]

No reason not to add the trails and reheating the whole would fuse them completely, a lack of bubbles being down to care and skill.

[aa]

It is very difficult to tell from these images, so if better ones were available it might help. However, I think the hypothesis put forward by Nick and developed by Kristi is on the wrong track.

As Cathy and Frank say, these appear to be trails that have been melted in a bit longer than usual and that is why they have a softer appearance and their start point appears to have been melted into the surface.

[krsilber]

Sorry, I'm confused.  What part is on the wrong track?  That the trails have been pinched from the piece itself, or that they've been marvered in a bit, or both?  I agree that it looks like it has been reheated, some areas more than others.  In the most narrow section of the piece the trails still look quite distinct.  For that reason, would it be correct in thinking the reheating was done with a torch, or can you localize the heat enough at the glory hole?

Hypothetically speaking, is it possible to pinch bits from the surface of a (different) piece and make threads if the glass is thick enough?

[Frank]

If it was lampwork you could localise the heat but there would be no need to localise it. Making pulls from the piece would be difficult and probably look very different.

Look at the article in the Zoo on making a glass horse, note how pieces were added and finally heated to remove all trace of joins. As long as you are using the same metal the fusing will be virtually perfect.

Non Zoo/Study members can see good examples of same metal trailing in John Airlie's work here again there is no evidence of a join in these pieces.

[aa]

My comments in blue.

Sorry, I'm confused.  What part is on the wrong track?  see below That the trails have been pinched from the piece itself, or that they've been marvered in a bit, or both?  I agree that it looks like it has been reheated, Practically every piece of hand blown glass gets reheated more than once  some areas more than others.  In the most narrow section of the piece the trails still look quite distinct. it's a bit like making a piece of toast - no two pieces are exactly the same and if you leave the bread in the toaster for a slightly longer or shorter time, you either get pale bread or burnt toast, If your bread slices are marginally thicker or thinner these variables will have a bearing on the result.  For that reason, would it be correct in thinking the reheating was done with a torch, unlikely but not impossible or can you localize the heat enough at the glory hole? Glory holes give even heat and localised heat is difficult to achieve. That's where the skill and experience come in 

Hypothetically speaking, is it possible to pinch bits from the surface of a (different) piece and make threads if the glass is thick enough?
Yes. But hypothetically speaking lots of things are possible. Hypothetically, it is possible to swim across the Atlantic. 

Looks to me like you're right, wrong
there were bits pinched out and pulled into threads. very unlikely Then they were marvered in slightly, possibly  I reckon, or pushed in if it was blown in a mold.  Not mould blown in my view   Using a torch the area heated could be localized enough if that was necessary.  More likely melted in by reheating in a glory hole Sorry, I don't know the name for the technique. Flight of fancy technique?
Very nice photos!  No comment,  : (with apologies to Nick!

This happens to be a very nice scent bottle, freeblown, with melted in clear trails. If there is anything particularly out of the ordinary about it, it would be the fact that it could be regarded as an early example of a contemporary use of an ancient technique. Here is another example of a contemporary use of this technique. http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,24342.0.html Everybody was doing it, with minor variations. I prefer Nick's bottle, as I think it has a nicer aesthetic, but that is just a personal opinion.

The texture of the trails and how raised they are on the surface just depends on the relative temperature between the vessel and the trail at the point of application and the degree to which they have been melted in.

http://www.aaronsonnoon.com/work.php?navID=7&subID=5 This link shows my Aspen handles where the trails are quite raised. If we reheated these enough they would just blend into the surface.



The reason I have spent so much time addressing this it that these topics come up on internet searches for years to come and I feel it is important to debunk wild theories before they end up in someone's book as definitive!!

[Pinkspoons]

Thanks for all the comments. as I said in my original post, I have no idea if the technique I put forth was even possible.

One of the main reasons I thought the strands were teased from the surface is that where they seem to 'emerge' from the clear glass there appears to be a little splaying, as though stretched. A little hard to explain. I'll try to take some more illustrative photographs of the decoration - although because it's clear and very small, this might be a bit of a challenge.

But if localised fire-polishing on applied trails is most probable, then that's very likely what it actually is.