Topic: Paul Ysart Fish Weight? ID = Confirmed Paul Ysart

[Wyman]

Authentic Paul Ysart fish weight without signature cane? c1980s?  Thanks much in advance!

eBay item number:141878969025

[Mod: long eBay link converted to clickable text]

[tropdevin]

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Hi.  Looks like a typical Harland fish paperweight, made at Paul's Harland studio in the early 1970s (but not necessarily by him: the brochure says he 'masterminded' the designs.  It could have been made by William Manson or David Hurry, for example).  The pieces Paul Ysart made at this time for Paul Jokelson and exported to the US were signed with a PY cane, and the agreement was that Paul Ysart would not use the PY cane in the UK.  The weights made for the UK market were either signed with an 'H' for Highland Paperweights, or unsigned.   As for why this one sold for about 3 times the typical price for one of these...who knows!

[Wyman]

Thanks much for that reply, Alan, and sorry about the late reply as my internet was down yesterday.

Mr. Manson Snr also confirmed your description about the weight.  In addition, he said that:
"Yes I can confirm that this weight is a Paul Ysart Harland weight, I can also confirm that the lampwork and the weight were both made by Paul Ysart.  David Hurry and myself both worked at Harland in the nineteen seventies but I can tell by the shape of the lampwork fish that it was made by Paul, he always made his sandfish as he called them shorter and fatter if that's a proper description."

He also noted the amusing price inflation, of course:
"Out of interest the 0riginal price of that particular weight was £12.00..."

Ha! Talking about irrational exuberance.

[tropdevin]

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Hi.  That's a useful pointer from Willie Manson, about the shape of the fish determining who made the piece.

Alan

[malcmat]

Just a couple of my images re the fish size which shows 2 different thicknesses on the body for reference.

Malcolm