Topic: W or M in pontil mark ID please. ID = William Walker

[Sueearnshaw]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I can see the similarity to the William Walker signature but looking at the base of the vase signed by him it is flat and unpolished, whereas this vase is still sporting the pontil mark with a stamped letter in it so I don't think this is his. I've emailed Merlin Glass to see if they will tell me how their items are marked, I'll let you know if I get a reply. Meanwhile I suspect the search is still on. I really thought this would be a simple one to answer having such a distinctive mark and signed. It just goes to show how wrong you can be.

[flying free]

From the pieces I have found, William Walker's past pieces appear to have been finished in various ways on the base, not just one way of doing it.
This for example was id'd as a William Walker piece.
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,52873.msg301645.html#msg301645

and if you look at the end of his signature, the very far right last letters (date? 94? on the second word, it's finished in the same way as yours, as are others I've found imho (although what we see and what it really is could be two different things )
so, I'm going back to my original thought, which is that it is possibly William Walker.  So perhaps the M is actually a W and it is his impressed mark.

This is another one - a different finish to the base as far as I can make out
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,26616.msg146202.html#msg146202

m

[flying free]

This is another of his signatures/
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,60719.msg342419.html#msg342419
put next to yours on a word document it looks remarkably similar.  As does the style of vase,shape of vase and metal of the vase compared to other of his id'd vases.
Would be remarkable if it wasn't him I think?
But I often dig myself into holes 
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,47688.msg268367.html#msg268367

and I need to add a caveat that I've not found one with an impressed W yet.

m

[chopin-liszt]

I do think you're on the right track, m. Well done!
I must have missed a time you got yourself into a hole - I was probably stuck in the bottom of one of my own (multiple ) holes.
It really does look like his work.

[Sueearnshaw]

You're starting to convince me. I must admit the signature looks right so this could be your first with an impressed W. Merlin replied they want pictures so I sent them on. Is William Walker still producing? I found info on him at the Rushmore Estate but the website no longer exists.

[flying free]

William, I think, has posted on the board once or twice?
So you might be able to contact him that way perhaps.

Sue (Chopin Sue) aah ... I have dug myself many a hole  and I never learn.  But hey ... I get to see lots of lovely glass whilst trying to match something my instinct is wrongly telling me 

[chopin-liszt]

You do find interesting things in holes sometimes!


William Walker is currently rather involved with the new Isle of Wight Studio just now, I think.
You might reach him there.  I'm sure he'd be happy to confirm or deny his work

I did bump into him at a fair, a couple of years ago, along with Richard Harris, but didn't get to chat, he was so busy.
Origninally, he had worked at IoWSG, and takes credit, (along with Michael Harris), for the innovation of Azurene and the subsequent design award given to the studio for that.

Not that I found William Walker in a hole!
But I did help him resize his image.

[pamela]

Everybody knows that this is not my field, however, I wish to say that whenever I look at the signature again and again, I see a short name and 74 at the end     

[Sueearnshaw]

Thanks for that Sue (m) I'll give it a try.

Now that you've mentioned it Pamela I can see the 74 as well. I'll post back if I get confirmation, it will be another tiny piece in the jigsaw of mystery glass. Some years ago you kindly gave me a tour of your museum, I've never forgotten your marvellous collection.

[pamela]

Sue, I wasn't sure about your name, but glad to see you here again now! Shall have a look in my guest-book to confirm the date you visited.