Need help with Art Glass Vase

trdhrdr007

Bronze Member
Nov 1, 2009
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The estate sale company I work with part time is handling a high end estate. Everything has been arranged & the owners are about half way through the pricing process. The main reason I work for these people is that I get to shop early. The owners do a pretty good job researching items so prices are generally reasonable. Some things do slip through the cracks. I suspect this vase may be one of those items. It's obviously a high end piece. Unfortunately the signature is illegible so it has been priced as a fancy vase. I'm hoping someone here can help with an ID so I'll know if it's a good deal. These pics are the best I could do. 002.JPG004.JPG005.jpg
 

Looks Italian to me but that's just a guess, resembles the higher end Murano / Venetian type. Could be Swedish or even polish too tho. Also that's probably why the signature is not readable, its probably in a foreign language & also written all fancy like which doesn't help either. It's a very nice piece for sure! Value? I'm not quite sure.
 

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It appears to have the pontil mark of a hand-blown item.

Reminds me very much of the Rick Strini Studios art glass lustre vases.....thinking they were a late 1990s product, tho Strini was around in the late 60s or early 70s.
Check the signature and see if it is his.....if so, there may also be a date on the base.
 

Not an expert but here is what I think. Its hand blown, probably small studio American glass. probably 1985 till present day. Wouldn't entirely rule out sweden. Sharp cut in angle on the neck looks america where swedes have more flowing shape. If you take the pic from a more extreme angle is it more readable? I would call it a luster color. I wouldnt pay more than I would be willing to keep it at that price.
 

is there any off chance it says the glass eye or glass eye studios? they like shinny thing? the don't sign much though
 

I like this piece but not enough to pay $50 for it. I have it in hand & will make an attempt to get a better shot of the signature. I'm doubtfull that I'll be able to get a better shot. In addition to being an illegible scrawl it's not very prominent. Maybe a local Dr blows glass for a hobby.
 

I like this piece but not enough to pay $50 for it. I have it in hand & will make an attempt to get a better shot of the signature. I'm doubtfull that I'll be able to get a better shot. In addition to being an illegible scrawl it's not very prominent. Maybe a local Dr blows glass for a hobby.
I hear ya. I have several studio pieces such as this (illegible marks). It reminds me of Robert Eickholt pieces in a sloppy kind of way. I'd give $20 for it just because I like the style of it, but without knowing the signature, I agree that $50 is too much to pay if resale is the intent. It may as well have been a Dr. that signed it, as illegible as it is. lol. Here is a similar looking one just for comparative purposes-

Hand blown glass vase in blues and dichroic glass
 

I know this is late, but I just want to toss in a bit of glass info. Neither vase used as examples has dichroic glass. The first vase is iridized, the second has some copper colored mica. Both are attractive vases, no question. Dichroic is a very recent material in the glass world, in the last twenty years or so. More comonly used in the last ten years.

Iridescent glass, sometimes called iris glass, is made by adding metallic compounds to the sheet glass or by spraying (fuming) the surface with stannous chloride or lead chloride and reheating it in a reducing atmosphere. Can also be sprayed over a finished blown piece, as the last step before the piece is annealed.

Dichroic - is also a coated glass, it is however a much thicker coating. Multiple ultra-thin layers of different metals (such as gold or silver); oxides of such metals as titanium, chromium, aluminium, zirconium, or magnesium; or silica are vaporised by an electron beam in a vacuum chamber. The vapor then condenses on the surface of the glass in the form of a crystal structure. This process makes the dichroic glass much more expensive, as it is only produced by a few companies.
 

If you can, a good way to bring out the mark is to use chalk dust on it and then lightly wipe it off leaving behind what went into the mark.It helps alot in making out what is there and is not hard to remove when you are done. hope this helps.
 

Miss Houser
I know this is late, but I just want to toss in a bit of glass info. Neither vase used as examples has dichroic glass. The first vase is iridized, the second has some copper colored mica. Both are attractive vases, no question. Dichroic is a very recent material in the glass world, in the last twenty years or so. More comonly used in the last ten years.
Iridescent glass, sometimes called iris glass, is made by adding metallic compounds to the sheet glass or by spraying (fuming) the surface with stannous chloride or lead chloride and reheating it in a reducing atmosphere. Can also be sprayed over a finished blown piece, as the last step before the piece is annealed.

Dichroic - is also a coated glass, it is however a much thicker coating. Multiple ultra-thin layers of different metals (such as gold or silver); oxides of such metals as titanium, chromium, aluminium, zirconium, or magnesium; or silica are vaporised by an electron beam in a vacuum chamber. The vapor then condenses on the surface of the glass in the form of a crystal structure. This process makes the dichroic glass much more expensive, as it is only produced by a few companies.
Thanks for the added information. My eyes aren't what they used to be. My only personal experience in dichroic glass has been in the form of paperweights and a pendant or two. You sound as if you have personal experience in modern glass making. Are you in the business? I have a signed mouth blown cylinder vase that I don't know how to describe other than pulled feather?, maybe you can take a look? Reply number 5 in this thread shows a pic and a close up- http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/garage-sale-finds/369691-i-went-estate-sale-today.html
 

I'm just trying to be productive but,

while i agree with your definitions I think its the fourth option of being frit reduced in a glory hole by adding more gas to the mix which brings the metal oxides to the surface and makes its shiny.

dichroic is mostly seen in fused glass and paperweights because it has a tendency to burn off in hot glass. If you see it its usually cased instead of being left on the surface to prevent it from burning away.

I also think its just two pictures of one vase.

diggumup, those are murrini's. Its not pulled or feathered. Murrini's are pulled however those are then chopped and laid flat on a plate glassworker would call it a "roll up/pick up" probably some youtube videos if you look. Judging by how well they kept the murrinis in a line the signature should be identifiable. the terms that are used in a shop and what its searched for by ebay users are often different
 

A couple of years ago, I sold a large glass vase on ebay for $60. That thing was about a foot tall and weighed about 15 lbs. It was similar in shape (more or less) to this one and had a lot of color variations in the glass. It wasn't signed. It was purchased by an interior decorator up in Long Island, New York as I recall. Hard to say how much relevance my piece has to yours but maybe there is something useful. I'd post a picture if I could find it.
 

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