Green Millefiori bowl - older

[Dawnemes]

Hello!

I bought a second-hand wavy-rimmed green glass bowl with daisy-like/sun-shaped flowers coloured plum, green and white in the middle. The surface of the interior of the bowl is embossed with the pattern but the outside is smooth.

There is a blue and silver small rectangular label on the base of the bowl that looks old although the printing is recognisable. The label says (from the top):-

ARTS OF MURANO

G. MANZONI
S. Zaccaria 4697 - (the numbers are less clear)
VENICE ITALY


I wondered if 'ARTS OF MURANO' was just the name of the shop where the bowl was purchased and that 'G. Manzoni' was the name of the proprietor of the shop which sold the piece.

Any idea if it is a genuine 'MURANO' or, although it seems to be an older piece, if is just a lookalike maybe made somewhere else in Italy? I can't show a photograph yet.

Kindest regards,


Dawn

[Langhaugh]

Without a photograph it's hard to tell. There have been thousands of companies operating on Murano in the last hundred years, some very small and short lived. )It's hard enough sometimes even with a photograph.) I've seen the name G. Manzoni somewhere but he's not a well-known artist. A picture of the label would help also.

Sorry.

David

[Dawnemes]

Hello David,

Thankyou for your reply. It's good to know that the name 'G. Manzoni'
is a little familiar even if he isn't one of the big cheeses in the Murano business.
I liked this little green Millefiori bowl just because the colours went well with another glass artisan piece I have which is made here in Canada by a contemporary local artist I think. The two make a sweet composition on a side table. Once I can get a handle on how to put a photo online for your forum maybe my humble little bowl can be identified as to whether its real Murano or not - even if it's only second rate, I like it alongside my Canadian piece so whether it's worth $10.00 or $100.00, it's staying where it is.

Thanks again.

Dawn

[Langhaugh]

Lesser known doesn't always mean second rate. There are manu gifted artists on Murano, so even a 'little known' name can be pretty good.

I'm in Canada also so I'd be interested in knowing who the Canadian glass artist is.

David

[Dawnemes]

Hello David,

Thanks for your comment about 'little-known' not necessarily being 'second-rate' - I just assumed that 'little known' meant 'not good enough to advance in the world of Murano' Not that that matters in the grand scheme of things of course. 'Make a bouquet of the flowers within reach' as the old saying goes and if you've got only simple daisies or buttercups, make a start with those. As for my other Canadian piece you showed an interest in I picked up the square plate/platter in a consignment store here in Ontario - the same store from which I bought the green Murano bowl in fact. The Canadian artist has signed the plate - it has inscribed 'Taylor Stevenson' on the side. I have just checked online for a website and the studio seems to be in Peterborough in Ontario. After checking the Taylor-Stevenson website, I decided I still like the one I had bought more than what is currently online although I think they might look better in reality than on a photograph - the lower section on mine has solid colours of blue and green divided right of centre by two thick black raised vertical lines of different lengths ending just above the middle of the plate inbetween which is a lilac shade and again two thicker raised parallel lines running horizontally approximately in the middle of the plate almost all the way across the width, making that band symmetrical, again with lilac wedged between the lines. The upper half of the plate has large randomly placed, green, blue and deep lilac/plum coloured angular splodges (confetti-like) over it with finer dark loosely formed lines (again random) threaded through it and not raised above the surface. As well as the greens, blue and lilac, there is clear glass as a backdrop to the confetti effect at the top. The random thin lines and the geometric confetti effect on the upper section makes that part look like dancing flowers in abstract I feel. There are little bubbles in the glass as well which I love and I shall try to include a photograph of it when I tackle the picture of the Murano glass for your forum as well.

I hope the final photos match the written description - I'm better at writing than taking pictures.

Kindest regards,

Dawn