Topic: Complex Opalescent Cased Vase w/ Hollow Base.

[Pinkspoons]

A recent mystery purchase of, IMO, exceptional quality - but sadly no name to put to it. My initial thoughts were Czech, but I'm not so sure now.

It has a very thin layer of yellow that fades into dark red, and on top of this is a green opalescent treatment. This is cased in a chunky and brilliantly clear glass.

The base is hollow - a curved barrel-shaped cavity with a pushed-in 'nipple' that gives the illusion of a suspended water ripple when viewed from the side. The vase has a slightly tapered form, and it curves towards the base, which is highly polished.

It's just 10.5cm / 4" tall and 6.5cm / 2.5" wide.

Any suggestions gratefully recevied.

(Apologies for the very grassy outdoor pic - it's the only way I could get the opalescence to show without fiddling about with complex lighting set-ups!)

[langhaugh]

Nic,

It is a very nice looking piece. My first thought, which I have trouble believing myself, is Murano. There were some very chunky pieces with a degree of opalescence produced in the 1960's - 70's by companies like Seguso Vetri d'Arte and Cenedese.  I'm prepared to be told I'm out to lunch, as long as the person telling me is paying.

David

[Pinkspoons]

Murano wouldn't shock me too much as I bought it from an Italian glass dealer... although they thought it might be Scandinavian.

[ahremck]

My immediate impression was Polish because of the way the base uses the pushed in nipple effect.  Krosno is selling lots of coloured glass in Australia these days.  They like heavy thick glass in many cases.  Only reservation is the shiny lip that shows up in the third photo.

Ross

PS.   I was facetiously going to suggest Chinese based on the "face" in the red portion of the first photo - complete with appropriately slanting eyes!!!!

[Pinkspoons]

Ha. I never noticed the face in the photo. It's kind of creepy.

The quality far surpasses anything from Krosno, &c., so I think it's probably safe to discount Poland.

[chopin-liszt]

The face is more like a bunny rabbit to me, Nic, not creepy at all.
I think this is a gorgeous piece, and I'm fascinated by the iridescent feature - is it on the inside or outside of the glass?
It reminds me just a little bit of a stunning piece I have by Ian MacDonald (currently working in the studios at Broadfield House), which has a reduction (can't remember what chemicals might be involved, sorry) iridescence covering the inside - it's like a warm-bronze mirror, the glass itself looks black, when the piece is displayed, I think something to do with this mirrory effect, but you can see right through it when you hold it to the light. I'm struggling with colours on my monitor, but the iridesence on yours looks to me as if silver might be involved - yellowy/greeny/bluey/silvery?

As to origin, nobody has suggested Norway yet.......

[langhaugh]

Nic: 

I hadn't thought of this piece of mine before but there are some similarities, except on mine it's as if the colour in the body are reversed from yours. It's a piece that has always puzzled me as it's well made and very subtle. There are similarities in the base, too. I've plonked for Murano for mine.  The only opalescent pieces I know from Scandinavia are some of Palmqvist's Selina and Bengt Orup's Thunder line. It's closest to Thunder but I've got a few Thunder pieces and neither yours nor mine fits there.

Sue: did you have a particular Norwegian company or designer in mind?

David

[chopin-liszt]

 
I know very little indeed about Norwegian glass, I'm afraid.
I fell hook, line and sinker for some bits of Benny Motzfeldt and a Gro Bergslein, but it was a case of buying what I like, find out about it later. "Later" hasn't arrived yet.
Hadeland did come to mind, based only on the quality and chunkiness. The inside of your piece looks as if it might be similar to my Ian MacDonald bit. I'll get pics later.

[Pinkspoons]

Sorry - the replies to this thread somehow passed me by.

I think this is a gorgeous piece, and I'm fascinated by the iridescent feature - is it on the inside or outside of the glass?
[...]
I'm struggling with colours on my monitor, but the iridesence on yours looks to me as if silver might be involved - yellowy/greeny/bluey/silvery?
[...]
As to origin, nobody has suggested Norway yet.......

It's more opalescent than iridescent - it looks very much like greeny uranium vaseline glass I've had in the past (actually, I should probably test it under UV!). It's on the inside of the vase.

I've asked a few Scandinavian glass collectors - they've more or less discounted Norway (and Sweden).

I've had a few suggstions of Finnish - Iittala in particular - but I've not been able to find it in the Iittala 125 book. There are similar TW designs, but nothing similar enough. Interestingly, I have had another independent suggestion of SVd'A.

[Pinkspoons]

Nope, no UV reaction beyond the clear glass turning blue.