Posted 7 years ago
artfoot
(367 items)
I am reasonably confident this is Italian. I have owned it for probably 20 years and it was given to me by a lady who regularly traveled to Italy in the 1960s. I'd be very surprised if it weren't Italian.
An almost identical vase was apparently made by Scandinavian Strombergshytten Glass and the shape and style was likely made by many more Italian glass houses than just Seguso, so exact attribution may be challenging. It wouldn't surprise me if these were also being currently made in Asia.
It is only because I know enough about the provenance of this piece that I am able to make any estimate about its origin and that may be the most valuable tool for assessing these "sommerso" teardrop vases in the future. The Marc Heiremans' Seguso monograph (which my local library has so far not found it necessary to add to the collection) should help distribute some of the vital information.
This vase stands exactly 20 cm (just under 8") tall. The heavy base is slightly oval - the underside is smooth and highly polished. The diameter of the throat is 1 cm (about 3/8"). The colors are an olive green cased in a light steely blue.
For what it's worth...not sure this will help you or not but thought I'd throw this out there.
This is what I do when I know I have a quality piece and think I may have an ID. I look carefully at the pieces made by that maker that have a firm ID to see if there is a pattern with how they finish the lip, base and whether most are signed.
Is this vase finished the same way others from Strombergshytten Glass are finished? Is Strombergshytten Glass usually signed?
It is so tough, isn't it, when they don't sign the pieces. Hope that helps in some way...
Thank you Rosie - I am a long way from knowledgeable when it comes to art glass but there are enough knowledgeable people here at CW that are helping all of us to learn.
I have zero first-hand experience with Strombergshytten but I know the subject has come up in discussions here (and elsewhere) in relation to these "teardrop" vases. Most of the Strombergshytten pieces I have seen online have been signed but I can't say that all have.
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/79246-sommerso-mystery-1
Any wear on the base, hard to tell from pic posted ..
Cenedese is a possibility. Does it react to black light. Mine does !!!
There is very little wear to the base - for most of the twenty years or so I've owned it, the vase has been held in place with Quake-Hold so it hasn't moved much.
The blue glass glows a weak green - the green glass does not react at all.
Thank you both.