After a LOT of googling and trawling websites, I found some pieces that had some of the characteristics of this piece, enough to be fairly sure I'd found the maker - a polite message brought back confirmation that this is by David Reade, now based in South Africa.
“When I was 16, I visited a glass studio on the Isle of Wight. I watched the master and it grabbed me completely,” he says. It took Reade three weeks to convince the studio to take on another apprentice, and a further seven years to learn the art.
40 years later, Reade, who moved to South Africa in 1984, is the country’s best-known glassblower. He creates both functional and sculptural works, as well as commissions for some of the country’s top alcohol, cosmetic and architectural brands.
Source David Reade Glass Art website.