Topic: id request for hand formed bowl

[Paul S.]

Probably a complete non-starter, but it's an intriguing piece, and unusual in some ways.

The wear suggests some reasonable age - might even be back in the 1930 - 40 period, with what appears to be a fire-polished pontil scar, certainly no sharpness to it.          Diameter is about 11.5" (285mm) - and not a very long ring when flicked.
But it's the extent of the tool marks around the bowl that are most noticeable - so am I correct in saying it was blown initially, then detached from the pipe and attached to the pontil rod  -  spun or tooled into shape whilst hot and still attached to the pontil rod?        Think the start and stop shears point can also be seen on the rim.    It's quite a heavy piece so not easy to work.             
No stones, but some small pieces of frit adhering to the inside, and it goes without saying there aren't any marks apart from that odd looking almost birth mark like spodge.
So, nothing to do with a mould - and seems very unusual with that fire-polished pontil scar left visible.

If anyone has any thoughts would be pleased to hear, and thanks for looking

[glassobsessed]

One of my vaes has a 'funny splodge' like that, on the inside. Yours is only the second splodge like that I have seen...

This vase: https://picasaweb.google.com/Johnmj100/EarlyIsleOfWightStudioGlass#5429991139411765954

John

[Paul S.]

thanks John  -  I bet it's nothing significant really, just a manufacturing fault probably.         I thought I'd seen it somewhere else, but not a clue where.

[KevinH]

And here's another "splodge" (two, actually) ... on a paperweight.

The weight was purchased from a source in Scotland but I am reasonably sure the maker was not as suggested by the seller. In fact, I think the weight is likely to be of early 20th century Czech origin (or perhaps a bit later by a Czech worker in a British glassworks). The flowers are certainly of a "19th European" look & feel but the plain leaves formed from a single working of a green layer is a bit unusual.

Anyway, the weight is 89 mm (3.5 inch) diameter and the position of the "splodges" are shown by the arrows in the first photo. The marks are 7 mm & 8 mm length, and are about 12 mm apart.

The second photo shows a composite of the two marks and they both feel as if they are impressed into the surface of the dome, with clear "ridges" felt by the finger. They look very much as though they were formed by a small "shell-shaped" tool of some kind.

It would wonderful if we could say that these "tooling marks" were made by a particular tool (or surface?) and that they were only produced under certain conditions by a particular worker in a particular factory. But what chance of that? Almost zero, I suspect.

[Paul S.]

thanks Kevin - very interesting and a nice p/w by the way.            Seems fairly safe to say that it's of rare occurrence - was going to suggest caused perhaps by a wet paper wad, but probably more likely to be a tool as you say.             But on a p/w wouldn't this be considered an unwanted defect - don't you guys scrutinize for such things.

[glassobsessed]

The splodge on my Isle of Wight Studio vase is on the inside.  The shape reminds me of dried out gullies - the sort of thing you might see on the slopes of a mountain or perhaps from space on Mars....ok, my imagination is running away with me now. What about the shapes left in the ground after a shallow meteor impact?

I had not considered a tooling mark, assuming it was the result of some other (unintended) process.

[KevinH]

... But on a p/w wouldn't this be considered an unwanted defect - don't you guys scrutinize for such things.

Yes, and yes most of us do! But in this case it was offered as by a certain maker I was looking into and as it seemed that it "might, possibly, maybe, just about" tie in with others, I bought it for reference.