Topic: Mdina/IOW globe vase

[glassobsessed]

There is a globe vase advertised for sale on ebay (sells today I think) item no 320357828259. It has an IOW sticker on it but I believe it was made by Mdina (I have two one is signed Mdina). The base and the rim look more like Mdina production to me than IOW.
Mark Hill mentions these yellow ochre globe vases with air bubbles on page 43 of his Mdina and IOW book.
The starting price to me seems to be a 'retail' kind of value but if anyone out there wants one of these globe vases to add to their collection it is an opportunity. (I am not the seller!).

John.

[Lustrousstone]

Looks like an IOW Aurene globe IMHO

[glassobsessed]

The now unsold vase on ebay had a ground and polished base, I have not seen any early IOW item apart from a large platter with such a base (most have pontil marks of some sort). In contrast every early piece of Mdina (1972 and before) I have handled has a ground and polished base apart from the textured vases (polished pontil). I appreciate this is far from definitive.

The bubbles in early Mdina globe vases tend to vary dramatically in size with a host of very small bubbles which can sometimes be remarkably evenly distributed. Early IOW globe vases have their bubbles too but not nearly as many and often with a little less variation in size.

Two other differences tend to be that IOW glass is finer or thinner walled than Mdina and that the shape of the necks differ. Mdina globe vase rims are stubbier and tend to have very small necks, IOW rims are thinner often more flared and the necks are generally wider.

Bearing this in mind the vase on ebay struck me as being more like Mdina than IOW, not sure if this is relevant but I think that type/shape of sticker was used from the 1980s onwards.

I will try and post some photos of globe vases tomorrow or Sunday to illustrate my ramblings.

John.

[glassobsessed]

Here are a few photos of Mdina globe vases and IOW vases and their bases:

[glassobsessed]

Some more showing internal bubbles in the Mdina globes:

[glassobsessed]

and the IOW bubbles:

[glassobsessed]

and yet more photos this time of necks:

[glassobsessed]

and finally (thank god I hear you all mutter) are two Mdina signatures. The later signature is applied with a dremmel (marks are made with a rotating abrasive bit). The early signature is applied with a diamond point engraver and is much finer, the script is very fine and looks to be by Michael Harris (I have a signed fish vase to compare it with).

I realise that there are nearly always exceptions to these types of generalities and I would love to see any that anyone fancies posting.

John

[Lustrousstone]

Without handling`it we can't really tell, particularly as IOW from 1980 had ground and polished bases, that label was introduced in 1978 and Aurene was produced until 1982.

[soledivo]

There are some Mdina and IOW pieces that I find confusing,
they all fall into the late Mdina category.

If I was looking to buy this piece, without doubt my 1st thought would be Mdina.
BUT, I read some time ago a short article about cross over pieces, sorry it may have been Mark's but I as usual didn't save it.
Maybe this is one of those !
Regardless I love it, but not at that price,
regards to all

martin