Posted 12 years ago
MacArt
(94 items)
So this is my latest acquisition, it is a mystery to me for several reasons, first of it is hand blown as it is obvious because of pontil mark, but it had only one other person wanting it but me on ebay at a reasonably low starting price and other person only bid the starting price so i got it for next to it, I was very surprised by it because I expected it to sell big and initially was not going to buy it just watch how much would it sell for, I would not be able to go to sleep if I let it go at that price. I guess that is the glass addiction curse :D
The second reason is the technique, I am not any kind of expert on engraving, but I see it as a very delicate and precise work, it makes very fine and detailed images, but on this peace if I understand it correctly it was engraved first and then frosted. So the delicacy of image was degraded. I think it is very unusual.
And then there is no signature or markings which I could find to identify it. I assume master would have spent many hours on this size of bowl (it's 28 cm in diameter and weights more than 2 kg, that's 11 inches and 4.5lb)
So any ideas on origin, age, maybe maker?
Thanks Bellin, as always You are the fastest one :D
No idea! but what's new!! Tis very lovely thought!!
Sorry for the 't' on the 'though'!!
It always helps if you actually show the base.
and the back side of the decoration
I also think this is probably pressed not engraved and maybe a little newer than older. having a polished pontil doesn't necessarily mean the work was engraved. it very well could have been pressed and then finished over the fire to remove mold marks. then that mark was polished.
Thank You Justanovice!
Hey, that's what i want to find out, I said I'm not an expert :D I added a pic of the bottom, did not add it at first because the pontil mark is visible from the front and there is no markings on it but fine marks from grinding stone, it has some signs of wear but not a lot, the gazelles or antelopes and leaves are "negative" parts.
About pontil marks on pressed grass, did not know that is someone is doing, wouldn't it be a great complication to a simple process? or did You mean some other kind of process where the bowl is blown and then the decor is pressed on?
Thank all of You for the loves BTW :D
yes that's part of a mystery :D I don't think it's Lalique, their pieces are very well documented and I did not find similar one, and I have not seen Lalique with pontil mark, but I'm limited to online sources so anything is possible. For some reason I was thinking Scandinavian too, simplified design of animals looks art decoish to me too, so it could be from that period.
Thank You Bellin for sharing Your thoughts :)
I am not sure of the exact process that was used on this. but I am pretty sure it was in some kind of mold and probably blown that way and it was reheated over a glory hole to get rid of the mold lines. then the scar was cut and polished. this is not a cut piece. they wouldn't ever have cut a piece then put it back on the glory hole. you can't reheat a cold piece of glass. while this could be as early as the 30's I really doubt it. I think mid century sometime. Bellini's Mid Century Scandinavian sounds like a great place to start looking for this imho
Thank You Greatsnowyowl for sharing Your ideas!
I have another idea, this could be unsigned Daum piece, they have this type of pieces with big polished pontil marks visible, I have seen only with geometrical paterns, but they have history of experimenting with all kinds of techniques.
Either way I think it's quite rare and nice looking piece :D