Broken Pontil

[TxSilver]

I just adopted a new Jack in the Pulpit vase. It needed a little cleanup, but after its bath, it is a thing of beauty. There is one thing that concerns me. It looks badly chipped around the pontil in about a 1 sq in area. I don't know if this is a pontil that was broken off when the vase was made or if it is some after-the-fact damage. I tried to take a picture, but they all of my attempts were not so good. Does anyone know if the glass makers broke off the pontils and what it would look like if they did? Thanks!

[fossilfly]

I have come across this with some of the items that Ive imported from Murano. The pontils, when cut, are still molten, but if they are not smoothed and at least roughed out when still hot, they can harden with ragged edges. The edges are generally not chipped, but ragged and uneven. One item in particular wasn't finished, properly and I had to get it done stateside. Wasnt happy considering it was a pricy item.

Charlie

[TxSilver]

Thanks, Charlie. I have the feeling that my vase is broken. It has a ragged pontil, but the area around it was broken after the glass was solid. It is shiny with the rings of glass showing. I was afraid that it was the case. It is still a lovely vase.

I have bought seven pieces on eBay now. Only two of them lived up to their descriptions. The others have been chipped or abraded noticeably. I like to buy online, because the prices are better, but I'm starting to get a little chip shy. (I received another bowl today with two bad chips :( I understand scratches, but chips need some describing.)

Anita

[IluvItalian]

TxSilver...I can't speak of the pontil on Murano pieces, I just have a couple. But I can tell you that a few of my American pieces do indeed have sharp pontils. I have even cut myself on them. Some can be very sharp and jagged. You can usually see small cracks from a pontil that was snapped a little late. It sounds like if yours isn't cracked, but that the area around the pontil is chipped. If it's not cracked and the pontil is large, jagged and messy, I'd say it may give you a clue as to the quality of the piece. But this is just one of my thoughts.