Topic: Help needed with ID of antique miniature.

[Nicholas.]

Kevin,

Yes I'd noticed the weights in illustrations 138 & 139 on Pages 90/91 and there is another, "140:Above" on Pages 92/93, which shows the spiral filigree ground quite clearly, this time in yellow.

The outer, complex, canes in this latter weight have a star cane as one of their components which is very similar to those used in the centre motif of my weight. "138:Below", on the previous page, has what is also possibly the same type of star cane in the complex canes which alternate in it's outer row.

The star canes in my weight are with a minute, green, circular centre which is surrounded by the five points of the yellow star, the indentations between these points being filled in with a contrasting colour, in this case blue over white, whilst leaving the yellow tips of the stars' points just visible as lines down the sides of the stretched canes. In addition it appears that these yellow stars had the finest, almost imperceptible, coating of transparent red before the white/blue layer was added.

Also these star canes in my weight are formed using the same strident combination of yellow and blue which can be found in the centre cane of "140:Above".

I'll take a couple more photos of the weight tomorrow, showing the base and the profile, which is quite interesting. However I have had a slight problem with the size of my photographs being incompatible with the site's system. I had to reduce the one posted, hence it's lack of detail. If you have any suggestions.....

Nicholas.

[KevinH]

For info on posting photos, please see the TECHIE TIPS: Posting Pictures - Guidelines and how to under the Board Information, Help and Announcements forum.

The usual problem people have with "size" of image is that the photos are larger in KB size than permitted, rather than "too wide" or "too tall". Photos added directly to a message are automatically handled for display even if they are, say, 800 pixels wide. But if they are over 125Kb, they will not be loaded.

So, keep a reasonable width and height to show detail but just optimise the Kb to 125 or lower. Also, consider taking close-ups of points of detail rather than showing the biggest possible image of the whole thing.

[Lustrousstone]

The answer is not to take your photo at a low resolution (that just means we get a large fuzzy picture) but to use the resize option in whatever your view or edit your pictures in. That way we get a nice clear picture

[Nicholas.]

Here are a few more photos of this paperweight, I hope that they give a better idea of it’s construction.


Photo No. 1 ; Taken from the side and showing the rims of the two latticinio “discs”, one above and one below.

Here one can see that the spiral latticinio ground which, at a cursory glance, appears to be formed out of two separate “discs”, one seated on top of the other, is in fact formed in one single unit of which both of these “discs” form a part. The very same latticinio threads which form the topmost, smaller “disc” extending downwards to form the larger “disc” beneath it.


 Photo No. 2 ; Taken from the side, this also demonstrates the continuity of the latticinio threads.


Photo No. 3 ; Closeup of base of weight.


Photo No. 4 ; Top view, showing construction of central blue/yellow motif, white rod’s “mini-disc” and “star circle”. 

The blue/yellow motif, which consists of only one “disc”, is of similar construction to each of the two latticinio “discs” below. The white rod, which forms this motif's central element, flares out to form it’s own tiny “mini-disc”, which can be seen, encapsulated, within the rods of the blue/yellow motif.
 
What appears to be a circle of minute yellow star canes, surrounding this central white rod, can be seen to be the cross-sections/ends of the blue/yellow rods used to form the central motif, which have been manipulated to create this effect.