a pile of curious glass

[earlyglass]

I think that much of this glass can be viewed as junk to American collectors, as I have always viewed it in the same way. However, I do believe that many of these have good age, 17th and 18th century... possibly earlier. Most of the pieces look Middle Eastern to me, some of them Dutch, all of them foreign.

Although I know very little about it, I am gaining some respect for some of this early glass, for the shear fact that it has survived for so long. I understand that there are many fakes out there... but I have seen authentic early Roman vessels sell for sell for $100. It makes you think... what will the American glass sell for in 500 years... long after the "the empire" has crumbled? Just another perspective, and a pessimistic one at that. Not necessarily how I feel, just offering a point of view.

I am actually quite happy to see the interest in this glass, which I figured would have completely died on Ebay. It is still well outside of any of my collecting interests!

Mike

 

[kungfufighter]

ORIGINAL: Steve/sewell

Does this forum have anyone truley skilled in determing these.[&:][] We discuss mainly American with a little European mixed in but hardley ever ancient glass.I trust your opoinons Jeff,I will look through some of my pictures from my trip to the Corning museum last year.Honestly ecotramper412 a quick email to the Corning or Smithsonian museum may help.The fact that the person called it a saddle flask is not good,....................but an email to the two places listed above might be your best option.Ill see if I can dig up the picturesI have to go to work now but I will check back in later

No need to contact the Smithsonian on this one - sorry to say that it is a deck sweeper[]

 

[GuntherHess]

I think even museum collected items need to be treated with a bit of skepticism. Museums often buy (and get donated) items based on hopes and stories just like anyone else. I would gravitate to the museum items that have a known excavated provenance.
Chemical a.nalysis of the glass and an expert in the period glass would also add a lot to the authentication.

My guess is this seller is an honest general antique dealer that has bought out someones collection for resale. It probably came with some great stories and the seller has added thier own priceless embellishments.
I agree they would have been well servered to have the items viewed by a glass expert. All the descriptions apear incorrect to me.

I find these items interesting because I have no idea where most of them originated.

 

[baltbottles]

I agree that these are interesting pieces of glass. The only two that I feel are truly old are the two early case bottles. I like the one with the embossed tree on the base.

One of my biggest concerns is if these pieces were collected by someone with some means why would they have left them dirty when it would have been quite easy to clean out the content residue. I don't think a display of dirty bottles would look very good.

My other concern about most of this glass is that you don't seem to ever see any dug examples with glass deterioration and stain.

As for the "roman" vase I have never seen a non dug piece of roman glass and that doesn't look dug it like some one covered it in dirt.

Chris

 

[earlyglass]

The dating of this glass seems to swing greatly... and that is a bit intriguing to me. Are these Middle Eastern pieces from 50 years old or 500 years? They don't seem to be the same maker of the recent "decksweeper", but maybe I am wrong. I also like the case gin bottles... but I wonder if it is only because the have a similar look to 18th century NJ glass. I will admit, I know very little about this "ancient" glass... do we have any authorities or collectors of this glass on the forum?

Mike

 

[GuntherHess]

I dont think they are related to the famous "deck sweepers" at all. These items seem to come from many sources. I dont have trouble beleiving they were collected during someone's travels.

 

[kungfufighter]

The bottle I am referring to as a deck sweeper is the piece pictured by ecotramper. I think that many (or most) of the Middle Eastern bottles were made for Victorian era (and later) travelers to the Far East...

 

[kungfufighter]

ORIGINAL: baltbottles

I agree that these are interesting pieces of glass. The only two that I feel are truly old are the two early case bottles. I like the one with the embossed tree on the base.

My other concern about most of this glass is that you don't seem to ever see any dug examples with glass deterioration and stain.

As for the "roman" vase I have never seen a non dug piece of roman glass and that doesn't look dug it like some one covered it in dirt.

Chris

Chris, you and I are again in total agreement.

 

[earlyglass]

I completely agree that the bottle by EcoTramper, and a few of listed items in question are later... amd marketed as 17th century saddle flasks, deck sweepers, etc., but I am quite confident that glass was blown throughout the 15th, 16th, 17th century. Unfortunately, the market has been flooded with fakes. How much of this authentic (and possibly important) glass is seen that we simply dismiss today as junk?

Are the sided Latticed bottles old? One of these were sold last year for $1287. Norm described it as Middle East, 18th century. I don't like them and I personnally don't believe in them, but I cannot say for sure whether they were or were not 200+ years old.

 

[Steve/sewell]

Here are some interesting links to view.This area of glass collecting is a virtual minefield.The forgers have had a lot of time to practice.
There were even the Clevenger equivalent Venetian glass blowers from the 16th and 17th centurys who copied glass from 15,000 years prior.
Imagine trying to tell the diffrence in the vases from each period probably less difficult then determinig if a Booz bottle is the real or reproduction.[]
There are some nice pieces of glass from ancient Judea,Roman,Greek,ect in museums scattered through out the world.Our measly little corner
of glass ( 250 years ) in the world of glass is modern compared to this stuff.There is some neat info on these sites and they link onward to others.
I dont believe any of us here in this post discussing these objects are even close to being authorative on the subject.In fact we would be in glass preschool[]

http://www.unrv.com/forum/topic/9438-the-colour-of-glass-in-antiquity/

http://www.mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/romanglass/

http://www.collector-antiquities.com/90/

http://glassloversglassdatabase.webs.com/apps/videos/videos/show/9158901-corning-museum-of-glass-part-2-ancient-glass