Topic: Bowl

[chaz]

Need a new cam, these are the best I have at the moment. Think this is the oldest piece I have. Very crude, full of bubbles, and what look like small splash marks within the glass. Someone even left a couple of finger prints near the base. Any ideas?

[Lustrousstone]

Anyone that left fingerprints in the glass wouldn't have any fingers left to do it again! Glass is at least red hot when it's worked and often nearer white hot.

[chaz]

Indeed. Closer examination through a lens shows it to be a handprint about the size of a postage stamp, from that part of the hand below the little finger as if you were lifting it. Wish I had a better camera. I've never handled a piece of glass this crude which leads me to believe it has considerable antiquity.

[Lustrousstone]

It can't possibly be a handprint in the glass; it just looks like one

[Paul S.]

Hi - unsure what date period you have in mind to qualify for 'antiquity' - perhaps C18/early C19 -  but many people would consider that since much glass was hand made during that period then there was a general higher quality than would be found later in much of Victoria's reign when there was greater mechanization  -  pressed glass for example.
You may have struck lucky and found something genuinely old, but as most people here have learned through experience, crude doesn't always equate with very old - in fact not very often.
Is your piece lead glass?, and since your camera doesn't show much detail we need to know how the underside of the foot is finished

Unfortunately much recently dated glass from Spain, middle east, China etc. if made deliberately to appear old.

What do you consider to be antiquity in the sense of this piece?

[chaz]

I'm no expert, but I'm collecting glass for 40 years in one form or another, and am aware of the various scams and fakes. All I can say is I've never handled or seen a piece like this before. Its beyond my threshold. It needs expert appraisal. Perhaps someone could point me in the right direction? And as for the hand print....it's there...and won't come off. I can say no more than that. I'm in Waterford if anyone wants to look at it, feel free.

[Paul S.]

join the club -  we're mostly ignoramus's too               With the majority of Irish/Waterford material, we're accustomed to seeing the recognizable shapes etc., and in most of this there is cutting.
Simplistic shapes like this are out of our comfort zone too  -  although that's still not to say this isn't a more recent production - it might be confusing all of us.
Ordinarily I'd suggest you send some information to the V. & A.  -  they really are very helpful and will respond usually within a couple of weeks - the big cheese there used to Reino Liefkes, but not so sure he is still with the glass department.
You may have seen that I posted a reply from the V. & A. in recent days - if you look back a week or so - my note was in connection with mercury/silvered glass in relation to James Powell, and it's adequate to address your email to 'the glass department',
Unfortunately, since you are unable to include high quality images, you may have to wait until you acquire a new camera.
Alternatively, why not contact the Waterford museum - at least I assume there is one??

Thanks for the offer to 'drop in', although don't think there's anyone else near at hand  -  we did have a lady who posted occasionally from your area, but not heard from her in recent times.

Is this lead glass or soda glass do you know   -  and how is the underside of the foot finished?             The only shape that this might possibly be intend for, that I can remotely think of, could be a milk pail/bowl.   

P.S.    the email details for the V. & A. - should you want them - are  ............  ceramicsandglass - at - vam.ac.uk   

obviously replace the 'at' with the rat's tail, and of course close up.           

[chaz]

Thank you sir, you're a gentleman. The pontil looks snapped, taking a large fish scale out from one side. Very rough. It was found in a charity shop about a hundred yards from the museum, where it will be heading next. After I've been to the camera shop....