Topic: Faceted vase.

[Anne Tique]

I recently bought this vase on EBay US and it's funny how things always stay 'anonymous' on line. Today I sent a message to ask if I could use the images from the add, as mine don't resize enough and then you get a reply like this ... it gives it a whole new meaning, well, to me it does.

would you like to mention you purchased the item from Peter Fowler of J.L. Fowler & Son Antiques that would be WONDERFUL for my 23 year old son who stepped up to the plate when my husband, Peter's Father James L. Fowler died of esophageal cancer, who ran a furniture restoration company and bought and sold antiques, 11 years ago when Peter was 12, NO LIFE INS, NO MONEY and Peter learned, studied, went to a lot of auctions buying and selling and was instrumental to our financial survival because of his passion for antiques and knowledge. Peter is 23 and works very hard at this business.

I don't know how the Board feels about this and if a quote like this is frowned upon,  I have authority to use the images anyway, but please edit the quote if it isn't a  thing to do here. I just thought it was nice to mention a very brave person who tries to make something of himself and his business.

Back to the vase...I bought it as Val St Lambert but I can't confirm this due to lack of documentation. I'm awaiting more info but in the meantime I thought i'll ask here too.

The vase is 25 cm, just under 10" high and weighs 2,2 kg.

The decor is devided in four panels, two with horizontal and two with vertical lines, shape wise it makes me think of a stylised, lotus type, flower bud. The panels are surrounded with faceted borders/edges and it stands on an applied foot, faceted around the edge and following the curve, meaning that the vertical facets on the foot are longer in the middle and gradually shorter towards the ends.

I came across a VSL vase a couple of months ago, which has some similarities in shape and style, but it's asymmetrical. That vase was acid marked and carried its paper label, but isn't, to my knowledge, documented anywhere. The vase in question has so much wear underneath, that it is impossible to spot any mark. I'll show the other vase in a next post, with authority to use the images.

The vase is covered with tiny chips, plenty of work to bring it back to its proper condition, without altering the design of course, but the inside hasn't got any wear and the light reflects beautifully.

So finally my question, if it isn't what I'm hoping it will be, any keywords or ideas to push me in the right direction, to carry out a more general search instead of just VSL? Any ideas on style or period? How would you describe or call such a shape?

Thank you for your thoughts.

[Anne Tique]

The other vase, marked VSL in an oval, used around 1900 and 1925-1930.

[chopin-liszt]

I can't help with your identification, but I think that's a lovely story and I cannot think of any reason whatsoever for not including it along with the images they've so kindly allowed you/us to use. 
Imagine standing up to the rules laid out by a huge corporation for a similar request! You'd probably have to pay them as well as advertise them. 

What unusual things too. Beautiful.

[Paul S.]

hello Anne  -  sorry to say my thoughts aren't going to help, I don't think   .....   when you say you bought the 'four panelled' vase as a piece of VSL, are you saying it was advertised as such, or was that what you believed it to be??

On this side of the water we might describe the edge cutting as 'saw toothed' or maybe 'cog wheel' - are/were VSL known for producing that sort of edge finish?
Is the cutting sharp or has it been overly fire-polished to remove the sort of sharpness that might be found on cut glass pre 1930s? - whichever, it won't help with a factory, but might possibly help with approximate dating  ..........  can only say its appearance is very unusual - can't recall seeing such a design before.            My opinion is that the cut pattern has a 'modernist look  -  as a purely off-the-wall suggestion it makes me think date wise of somewhere between mid 1930s and 1960  -  the latter particularly if the cutting has been 'smoothed' too much.

Assume the seller was unable to offer any history.            I'd agree that the family story is poignant to say the least and touches the heart without a doubt.

[flying free]

Was Waterford Crystal always marked?

[Anne Tique]

Thank you Sue and hello Paul,

Living in a partly french speaking country, I'm not familiar, Paul, with the terms that you've mentioned. I tried to describe it as best as I could, as I'm sure you'll appreciate, hence the four panels I mentioned.

It was advertised as 'possible VSL', and comparing it with the other vase, I thought it might be a possibility, coming from the same series.

It's difficult to say if it was their style or technique they used before because it changed so often and they were constantly reinventing themselves. Especially in  the period 1920-1950, you see different styles, patterns and finishes that are each so different from the previous one, and for me, that makes it so interesting, but at the same time, it makes it sometimes difficult to identify a piece if you've never seen it before. The only thing in that period that was constant, was the quality of their pieces, which changed from the 60ies and onwards, unfortunately, but it's unusual and different enough to be VSL, I know as much as that.

Here the cutting and finishes are sharp and the glass is of a good quality with a high lead contents. Because of the style, comparing it to the other vase and its signature, I dated this piece, if VSL,  from the period 1925-1930.

Having said all of that, it doesn't have to be VSL, I'm happy to accept another attribution to another production, but imho it's a possibility.

[Anne Tique]

I had a look at Waterford too, but I don't know much about it and couldn't find anything similar ... 

Re a mark, it has so much wear that whatever it might have said before, it's not visible anymore.

[Paul S.]

Waterford were in exile from mid C19 to mid C20, and during this period nothing was made by that factory, so couldn't be theirs unless post 1950, but since they were/are known for exquisite cutting, then I see the reasoning behind the comment - and not impossible that this does in fact date to post 1950, despite the perhaps excessive wear.         
Sorry, wasn't being critical of your description Anne, this anonymous piece is most unusual, so might cause most of us a problem when trying to describe.

quote .........     ' fire-polished to remove the sort of sharpness   ...."      -   utter rubbish of course  -  as far as cutting was concerned, pieces were acid dipped to remove the grinding marks.

I would tend to disagree with your dating of the piece Anne, and despite the damage you mention, to my eyes the white brightness and clarity of the glass suggests post 1940.
I wouldn't rule out Scandi either.

[Anne Tique]

Perhaps you're right Paul, re the dating of this vase due to the whiteness of the glass, but again, the images aren't mine and they've been played with a bit on some kind of programme to enhance the quality of the image. The photos seem to have been taken in some sort of semi-pro setup studio. In normal daylight, you'll find it not as bright. My phone gives me images that are too large to resize but this one's taken with my tablet.

Also, and I don't know if it's of any importance, but the foot is basically a blob of glass that has been flattened at the bottom, polished and  a cut star added, the facets on the edge of the foot added but the top of the foot has basically been left untouched. If the vase would come of it's foot, you could it as as a paperweight, it's that round.

[flying free]

Anne I noticed that about the foot shape in the photos - very curious.  It doesn't seem to match the funky 50s cutting of the vase and shape.
I presume it's very heavy hence the wear to base?
I'm also musing about how efficient it would have been as a vase ?  Might it have been a serviette (? random thought) holder or something else?