Topic: Murano Purple Vase...

[shineyobjects]

Picked this up today for a small sum of £3, I loved the tones I'm sure its murano wondering if anyone has anymore information on it.
Ignore the marks I've just washed it with some water before taking the picture

[Ivo]

Italian sure but Murano no. This one is from Empoli....

[Anne]

I have same shape with added silver decoration (green one on the right)

and TC has some more here:
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/albums/userpics/10011/Picture%2048050.jpg

[shineyobjects]

Thanks, I thought I saw that same label before linked to Murano but thanks for correcting me

Anne, Lovely glass there the silver patterns looks venetian to me. Need to buy some reference books here need to learn so much more!

[paradisetrader]

The very basic balluster form of the amethyst and green vases here can be seen from many makers worldwide, over many decades.

Despite the subject matter, silver decoration and banding is more often associated with Bohemian-Czech makers. It's well known that not all glass sold in Venice originated on Murano or even Italy. The colours of the two silvered vases also strike me as more likely Czech than Italian and the Czechs are noted for decorating pieces "in the style of" specifically to suit those export markets. Examples of this have been known to date back well over 100 years and on more modern (70's) pieces, I had a piece of Sklo Union decorated in gold as a souvenir of Norway. I don't think there's any relationship to the Empoli piece.

[Anne]

One of mine carries a PAULY & ... label:
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,6455.0.html
which I understand to have been used on Italian glass?

PS Nice to see you back again Pete, it's been a while!

[paradisetrader]

Thanks Anne
Pauly are indeed often associated with high quality Murano glassware and Art Glass but this proves that they bought glass made elsewhere as well as these blanks are definitely not Murano. Unfortunately, as is so often the case, importer labels obscure more than they reveal.
It is possible that they were decorated in Venice. I have come across several examples of Venetian decoration on pieces made elsewhere in Italy (not just Empoli).
They may also have been bought in Venice or somewhere else in Italy even if made and decorated elsewhere.
The blue is a very distinctive shade (sometiimes described as petrol blue) which is not often seen but I cannot ever recall any in Italian production whereas I have seen it in Bohemian / Czech.
Is the silver more thickly applied on that piece ? Does it tarnish ? 

[Anne]

Yes there is a huge difference between them. I have a larger green one as well and both the green ones tarnish and clean easily. The bluey one was blue and black when I found it, and it took ages of cleaning to get the colour right again. It seem much thicker silvering - that's the one with the Pauly label.

[shineyobjects]

Ann I thought of you when I saw this.

After looking closely the vase is slightly different, Looks like I failed here hehe.

[Anne]

That looks like the same shape as TC's middle one in the image I posted a link to above.. repeated here:
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/albums/userpics/10011/Picture%2048050.jpg

I rather like these vases!