Topic: Tall Cranberry Cut to Clear Glass Vase - VSL / Bohemian or Other...

[Greg.]

4 close ups photos of the cutting....

[Greg.]

Apologies, the last few images seem to have uploaded the wrong way round. Just getting to grips with new software!

[catshome]

They turn themselves around when you tap on them......very clever!

[Anne Tique]

Difficult …

Colour wise I'd say it is close to the cardinal purple used by VSL but it is not exactly it, but God knows what they did at the time. I'm just reading up on some info and it is mentioned that because of the choice available ( for instance 9 different sizes in 5 different colours = 45 variations), a lot was not even catalogued. At this time and just for figures, around 1900 they produced 160.000 pieces per day and as many were distributed every day so it's possible that a vase like yours is not listed. I just bought myself a vase from 1923 that I haven't even got an image of, just to say.

Having said that, especially the first one of your second lot of images, right here at the top of this page, can be found in other designs and some of the other ones as well. I have a bit of documentation but not everything I'm sure you can imagine.
Of course i haven't got Dorflinger catalogues but reading it now, it is mentioned (Corning) that certain designs are exactly the same or inspired by one or the other. Who copied who? I can't say unfortunately.

Quality wise of the cutting, of course at VSL nothing was perfect either and some pieces I have seen were not completely symmetric but less than the design on your vase.

I can't say definately one or the other for now, but i'll continue looking and comparing.

 

[Anne Tique]

Just another question … is your vase heavy?

[Greg.]

Thanks for your efforts Anne, it sounds like quite a conundrum this one!

I must say, 160,000 pieces per day is some output, how things have changed.

Regarding the colour, I had a look online as you suggested and my initial thought was the same as yours, the colour looks close to cardinal purple but not quite an exact match. Its a tricky one to compare due to the differing thicknesses of vases online.

The vase is heavy at 1.8kg.

I did send an email to a Dorflinger expert in the States the other day, if I here back I will certainly update this thread.

[Anne Tique]

Just in the meantime, the image I mentioned on top of this page …  I haven't found a catalogue image that shows it well enough. I remember seeing it on an small ice bucket from this period and low and behold, I found one for sale and it is in the same colour as your vase.

The second image you have posted is at VSL called 'cathedral cut', the third 'taille grains-de-sable' or sand cut, i remember Paul mentioning that this is called strawberry cut in English. The last two can be found at different manufacturers though and wouldn't be that specific.

The second and third image in the link show it, the first image on top of this page, well enough I guess.




https://www.ebay.fr/itm/352699239403


Again, the shape can be found at VSL with the rim 'festonné' but again, this is not exclusive to VSL. I'm still a bit puzzled about the finish and quality for this period, I would have expected something a little bit more refined, but I guess we have all moments when certain standards slip. The 'palmettes' or fans also for example,  at the top and bottom of your vase, finish at different angles and lengths (in relation to the rim at the top and the base), especially at the base. Don't get me wrong, i'm not saying it is a very bad example, it's just these small details that I find important and that can make all the difference. It could be an apprentice piece that was not supposed to be put up for sale and leave the factory but as you can imagine, with 4000-5000 employees at the time, things tended to disappear every now and then.


Just for arguments sake, I have added an image of this shape with a different pattern, available in different sizes.

Edit : I did find a catalogue image of your first detailed picture on this page. Even though it is more square and not as elongated on the ice bucket, there's less space to work at of course, than on your vase.

[Greg.]

Thanks Anne. – The small VSL ice bucket is a great spot. The colour and also the cut you reference in pictures 2 and 3 of the ebay item look spot on in comparison.

There seems to be quite a lot that’s indicative of VSL production.

I do note your comments regarding the precision of some of the cutting on my example, with nearly all of the VSL that I have owned the cutting has been of a very high quality in terms of its precision/symmetry etc. My example is a little bit of an oddity in that respect, I wonder if it was a piece that slipped through the net or just happened to go ‘astray’.

Thanks for adding the two catalogue images showing the shape and related cuts, its nice to have them in this thread for reference.

[Anne Tique]

I don't know what the policy at the time was Greg, I can remember reading that at some point,  articles that were not up to standard, were destroyed or recycled somehow. This is pre 30's but I couldn't give you an exact date. In the 30ies only items that met standards were marked with the round acid mark, anything not good enough wasn't signed. Later on they were altered and sold as 'unique pieces' because the final result was different from the registered pattern. If I'm not mistaken it was the 80's that B productions were marked 'Val Diffusion' and today they're marked with a small S which stands for Sale.

The quality we've discussed here was simply to help attributing it, it is a nice size vase and looks in good condition. If you're happy with your purchase then nothing else matters, I guess.

[Greg.]

Thanks Anne for all your help and info, its much appreciated.