MDINA HARRIS 1970 5" SAPHIRE/JADE/OCHRE ETRUSCAN WINGED VASE

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THIS MDINA VASE WAS BOUGHT ON MALTA IN 1970 BY A FAMILY MEMBER AND HAS BEEN IN THE FAMILY EVER SINCE. IT WAS ONE OF TWO BUT BECAUSE THEY WERE BY NO MEANS IDENTICAL, THE OTHER WAS SLIGHTLY LARGER, I KEPT THIS ONE FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. I SUSPECT THIS ONE WAS ONE OF THE EARLY ONES, ALMOST AN EXPERIMENTAL PIECE. IT IS A RATHER BEAUTIFUL VASE THAT UNUSUALLY HAS VERY LITTLE OCHRE, EXCEPT IN THE TOP RIM BUT IS PREDOMINANTLY JADE AND SAPHIRE, THE PONTIL HAS AN UNUSUAL GROUND ANGLE ON ONE OF THE OVALS DONE DURING ITS CREATION. THE VASE MEASURES APPROXIMATELY 13CM X 15CM. AS MENTIONED ABOVE, THERE ARE TWO VERY TINY SCRATCHES AROUND 2MM AND A PINPRICK NIBBLE ON ONE SIDE. A COUPLE OF MAKERS LINES ON GLASS SURFACE BUT THESE DO NOT DETRACT. THE BASE HAS THE USUAL LIGHT SURFACE SCRATCHING AND AN ALMOST INVISIBLE TINY NIBBLE, IF THATS THE CORRECT TERM BUT YOU'D HAVE TO LOOK WITH A MAGNIFIER TO NOTICE IT, THERE IS A POLISHED ANGLE ON THE TWO OVAL POLISHED PONTILS WHICH MAKE UP THE ARTISTS PALETTE SHAPE. NONE OF THESE AFFECT THE AESTHETICS OF THIS SMART PEICE OF ART GLASS. BOUGHT IN 1970, I SUSPECT THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST OF THIS RANGE. MILLERS COLLECTABLES QUOTE THE FOLLOWING... Stunning heart shaped winged and signed Etruscan vase from the world acclaimed English design artist, Michael Harris, for the Mdina factory on the small Mediterranean island of Malta, in colours of azure, turquoise, eucalyptus, sapphire, yellow ochre, jade and sea green. The vase begins with a conjoined set of two oval polished pontils making an artist’s palette shape. The vase ascends gracefully outwards to form two lobed arms that enwrap and encase the vase at each end whereby the official 1972 Mdina Glass Collection named the piece as Etruscan. The words ' Side Stripe ' to denote the vases crystal clear wings were not in use at the time. The crystal clear arms or wings seem to envelope or embrace and protect the sublime, slightly flattened heart shape within . As the wings wend there way up the vases side walls they dissipate & decrease in stature, nestling in the neck area & eventually finishing on the underside of the vase's small splayed mouthrim . The piece has a slightly flattened bulbous heart shape - please see photo 3 which has the most stunning patternation seemingly arranged at differing levels creating depth of field. An azure and turquoise ground greets the viewer which is highlighted with a swathe of beautifully structured yellow ochre particles which envelope the lower regions and arc around in organic form. The necklace like yellow ochre particles eventually nestle in the vase's upper reaches whereby they then disperse and compliment the underside of it's splayed mouthrim. These particles grow in stature as they near the vases upper limits whereby every now and then they combine to give a meshed or clustered effect like a string of pearls. To the left and right, yellow ochre glass minute globules are viewed in a semi transparent ' cirrus cloud ' clustered formation, perfectly harmonising with the azure and turquoise of the main body. Each and every yellow ochre element is laced or shadowed with even more beautifully colours of turquoise and eucalyptus green. Minute clusters of yellow ochre particles of globules are seen embellishing the vase's high rounded shoulder whereby these apparent off shoots of colour resemble distant shoals or galaxies The vases reverse side has a differing patternation with cloud like swathes of jade and turquoise embellishing it's upper reaches, which horizontally traverse the main body like gracefully floating and seemingly swaying swathes of seaweed or low lying clouds. The piece eventually reaches its summit whereby the vases mouthrim is splayed outwards. The mouthrim itself is not a flattened plateau but consists of very gentle & shallow slopes leading the eye into the depths of the vases reduced mouth and inner well. In this respect the mouth and it's clearly delineated rim resembles a small to medium button. In natural light the above colours apply whilst in unnatural light the vase transforms... read more

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