Posted 4 months ago
Greatsnowy…
(119 items)
I found two images of the same scene on high quality and low quality glass with a high quality and low quality image. Finding something like this as a comparison is unheard of. So I felt the need to share.
In the past there have been a few times when I attempted to try and describe low quality from high quality and without a comparison like the above it's fairly hard.
The quality of the Riedel Enamelling is simply the best. it doesn't get better than this. The quality of the other is ok. Quality definitely goes lower than this. But it's not the quality you expect as a whole from a better glass house.
Just note the detail on both pieces and the artistry. I am more a connoisseur of the end result than the technical detail that it took to get it there. I think the high end piece would have gone back to a heating kiln many times for many layers of detail on that piece. the background was filled in, foilage was carefully put in, then the woman.. Just take a close look at the detail on her in the excellent pic vs the lesser pic. The lesser pic has a cartoony paint by numbers kind of vibe. The trees are quickly drawn in with just a few brush strokes, there is no background texture.
Although in it's favor the woman at least looks better than the Heckert woman always look. That's another topic though. We love Heckert even though the artistry is cartoon like. It's consistently cartoon like but the over all quality of the enameling is high and it is meant to be cartoony I think for artistic (stylistic) effect and put on high quality glass. There was a subtle humour to their work. if they had done the above medium quality scene there would have been at least one frog with a top hat and the background would have been more detailed.
Heckerts work even though the women lack on detail is still very very good and a few steps above the lower quality piece here.
Factors: Quality of the glass. details. Background images. Actual quality of the enamel. Does it look like it was done in one pass or did it take a few layers to achieve?
A good question to keep in mind when looking at a piece. Would I ever expect to see this in a book as an illustration or on the wall?
The excellent piece is from Riedel and the pink piece is one of the many little glass houses that sold cheaper ware. It's undoubtedly a knock off of the superior piece. It's got a broken pontil scar and looks to be on a cheaper light weight glass. (although in it's favor it is an honest color change glass) I would call it low medium on quality with the many factors added in.
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Great comparison. What a find! Or finds, I should say.
looks like colored stencil vs. 17.ct oil painting, not saying first looks bad, it's actually nice, just second one is in a different league. they would make 10 of first ones in time it took to make second, probably even more
i dont normally like this kind of glass..but they are beautiful!! i esp love the 2nd piece.. cool post too :)
They aren't mine. I just wanted to post for comparison.
stunning and very beautiful:)
Great find! I often use the presence of varying skin and clothing tones and scenic depth as a markers of enamel artistic quality. The latter piece has both in spades!
Very interesting discussion. I am not a collector of glass, but this will help me when I see these items. Thx for the lesson.
Thanks for the wonderful write up and comparison Alisa!
Enamel work is something I haven't come to fully understand or appreciate, this certainly helps though.
I love the comparison and your write-up; However, I wouldn't necessarily draw the conclusion that one is a knockoff of the other - the simpler explanation for me would be that this is two different representations of an image taken from the same source; a painting, perhaps? I am mindful of the Josephinenhuette series of vessels with enameled images of the Doepler designs for the Bayreuth Festival. I would look for this image in the art world - it may be a classic.
look at the shape though.. what would the odds of it being on the same shape if it was just a classical image?
I shoudl say same basic shape. they're not identical just very very similar.
You might be right, but I would still be interested in finding out the source of the image. :)
True true. That is definitely a fair and valid point.
awesome vase --
It is very beautiful! I will look more at your glass in the next days! Don