Topic: ID for this Antique/Vintage glass vase please?

[johnfandmaryp]

Hi again guys,

Can anyone help with an ID for this (possibly) antique glass vase please? It's obviously hand made, stands about 20.5cm tall, has spiral ridges around it and a rough, unfinished pontil mark. Am trying to work out if it's worth listing on eBay!

As always, many thanks in anticipation.

John.

[TxSilver]

This is a challenging one. It is made in a Venetian style, but it is less refined than most Venetian glass. My thought on the vase is that it is likely a copy of a Venetian design. (However, I have found some of the early 1930s glass is rather unrefined, so there is a lot of uncertainty in my thought.)

[TxSilver]

I looked more closely. Do you think it has a scavo finish? What I am seeing as unrefined may simply be scavo.

[johnfandmaryp]

Hi Anita, and thanks for the reply.

The vase could certainly be described as unrefined! The colour on one of the handles is different from the rest and the handles and their 'horns' are all a bit irregular.

If I've understood correctly what scavo is (frosted/satinated), then yes, it does have a scavo finish. My first thought was Venetian but, as you say, it's a bit 'crude' ~ I haven't hendled any older Venetian glass before (that I know of!), so I wondered if the older stuff was more unrefined than more modern items.

Cheers, John.

[TxSilver]

John, I have handled a couple of BSF (Barovier-Seguso-Ferro) pieces from the mid-1930s that look pretty crude, which only adds to their charm. I've also seen some later pieces, e.g. a vase made by Alberto Toso and some of those terrible modern animals, that were crudely made. So I can't say something is not Murano just because it appears crude. To me, all scavo looks crude -- it is supposed to look like it has been buried for a long time. Scavo goes beyond being frosted. It will look erose and usually have white patches on the glass that look like mineral salts. Certain techniques, e.g. scavo, pulegoso, and corroso are actually trying to achieve a crude look, so looking that way is not so bad.

[Ivo]

Lafiore, Mallorca or Gordiola, Mallorca. Frosted, not Scavo - and yes, replicas of, or could-pass-as Roman glass. Lafiore have several outlets in Spain, most notably n Barajas Airport in Madrid, so their glass is widespread.

[johnfandmaryp]

Thank you again Anita ~ you're description of it is pretty good!

And thank you too Ivo ~ the information is very much appreciated, as always.

Chhers, John.