Signed MDINA Maltese Art Glass FISH VASE Blue Green

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Signed MDINA Maltesse Art Glass FISH VASE Blue Green Description Vintage Signed MDINA Maltese Art Glass CLASSIC FISH VASE Also known colloquially as AXEHEAD Typical Michael Harris' Vase Blue Green Clear Measures about 10 1/8 inches tall by 7 1/2 inches wide and 2 inches deep Excellent Conditions .............. The Magic of Mdina Glass by Mark Hill It's the colors that first draw you in. Reminiscent of the Mediterranean coastline of Malta, where Mdina Glass was made, deep blues and aqua greens of the sea vie with sandy ochers of the shores in unique mottled and streaked abstract patterns. Forms are curvaceous and balanced, ranging from functional vases, bowls and bottles to more sculptural shapes that express the fluidity of liquid glass and truly deserve the moniker ‘Art glass’. Mdina Glass was founded in 1968 by Michael Harris (1933-94), previously the tutor in glass at the Royal College of Art, London. Frustrated with the limitations of academia, this mercurial and commercially minded innovator had perfected his skills by learning Studio glass techniques from the glassmaker Sam Herman, who was invited to the college in late 1966. Developed only a year or so earlier in the US, these techniques freed the creation of glass from the confines of large factories, allowing even individuals to make glass themselves. Putting faith in both himself and such new techniques was undoubtedly a risk, particularly when combined with moving to a new country. However, Harris was almost immediately successful and quickly built up a thriving business that employed over 15 people and exported to countries around the world, with his designs being displayed alongside those by notable names such as Rene Lalique. Although vases and bowls are the most common forms, his most characteristic and desirable design is the ‘Fish’ which is really a sculptural display piece. ........................................ William Michael Harris was born in 1933 in Belper, Derbyshire and went on to become one of the most innovative and successful glass designers of the twentieth century. He was also one of the best- liked. After spells at both Leeds and Luton Colleges of Art, he moved with his parents to Stourbridge in the West Midlands, historically the centre of British glass making. Here, at the Stourbridge College of Technology and Art, he studied various disciplines among which was glass design. At this period glass was factory-made and he had no opportunity to work directly with the hot glass, but he did learn engraving and other cold-working skills. He then applied to the Royal College of Art in London to study industrial glass design. After National Service in 1955-6, he studied at the RCA and honed his engraving and design skills, producing many designs echoing the new modernist and avant-garde flavour of the post-war period. It was during this time that he produced the highly successful Calypto pattern for Chance Bros. of Birmingham. He had married Elizabeth, a fellow student at Stourbridge, during this time and they had a son, Timothy, in 1961. After a brief period at the Southend Municipal College of Art he moved back to the RCA as Tutor in the Industrial Glass Dept. The RCA by this time had acquired a furnace, a development overseen by Ronald Stennett-Willson, but it was still not accessible by the students. Michael eventually became Head of Department when Stennett-Willson left in 1967. The Harris's second son, Jonathan, was born the same year. After a stint at a glassworks in Slovenia Michael began to experiment with textural surface patterns on glass using such things bark and mesh to create the moulds. Small furnace technology was in its infancy in the USA at this time and was brought to the UK by Sam Herman where he taught Michael and his students to work directly with molten glass, thus beginning the British studio glass movement. Michael quickly learned to work creatively with the glass and discu... read more

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