Topic: Bulbous vase with cobalt blue handles

[glassobsessed]

This one has me stumped, a bulbous vase with moulded base, fire polished rim and applied handles. It is pale blue cased quite thickly in clear, 19cm tall.

Any ideas?

John

[scavo]

I think this might be Snowflake glass? Mid century onwards from China.
I have a multi coloured piece and the base, shape and handles are very similar.
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,45881.msg256880.html#msg256880

[Lustrousstone]

It's not in known Snowflake colours, i.e, white and pastel yellow, green, pink or blue background with coloured splodges.

[scavo]

Ah, who is the other Chinese maker? I'm conflating Snowflake with another Chinese maker who does similar shaped vases but with ugly splodges on the front. There is a catalogue on here somewhere but I can't find it.

[Mosquito]

Hi Scavo, I think you're thinking of the 'Plum Blossom' vases, which were either made in or exported via Tianjin (Tientsin). The article's here:
http://www.theglassmuseum.com/Chinese.html

[beaubow]

I have an older Snowflake vase in a very strong red color -it's actually milk glass cased in red and then cased in crystal- that seems similar to this.  If I can find it tomorrow, I'll take some pics and post them.

[glassobsessed]

Thanks all.

Having handled a fair bit of the Chinese glass illustrated I can say with some confidence that it shares little with those examples. It may well of course be Chinese made but it appears to be of better quality than the usual stuff imported. It is more substantial than the 'Snowflake' items and it is not milk glass cased in a colour but pale blue cased in clear.

This one has the feel of a long term query....

John

[flying free]

possibly Empoli?
m

[glassobsessed]

Certainly a possibility m.

[scavo]

I looked at Lafiore too as there are some similarities but I couldn't find any blues like that.

Looks like I was way off with Plum Blossom but I still think there are some similarities between Snowflake in shape and handles - but I couldn't match.

Colourwise there are similarities with stuff on Wayne's site http://www.20thcenturyglass.com/glass_encyclopedia_home.htm
attributed to Scandinavian makers but the style is not typical. I don't see anything like it attributed to Empoli makers either.