Go Sklo!

Well, it seems as if post war Czech glass design is very much flavour of the month! Could it become flavour of the year, and maybe even the next ‘big thing’, I wonder? With July seeing the launch of an important and ground-breaking exhibition and accompanying catalogue focusing on the subject, prices seem to be […]

Right on your doorstep

Too often we’re all guilty of travelling for miles to out-of-the-way places in the hope of finding that bargain that nobody else could be bothered to travel that far to find. Not only is it bad for the environment, but it’s also not always the best thing to do. A visit to a retro store […]

Sam Herman – Then & Now Exhibition

Last month I had the pleasure of another meeting with Sam Herman, who is arguably the greatest name in British studio glass – and pretty darned important in the global studio glass movement too. Unfairly in my mind at least, few recognise his incredible vision, abilities and importance. Without him, studio glass techniques would not […]

Mdina Magic

Yesterday, at the rather marvellous Woolley & Wallis salerooms in Wiltshire, a new world record was paid for a piece of Mdina at auction. Lot 169, the Mdina ‘Crizzle Stone’ shown below, fetched a staggering £950 – over £1,100 including buyer’s premium. Whilst this isn’t quite as much as the £1,564 paid for a large […]

Fab Forms

Wandering around glass fairs, as is my want, reveals the diversity of the exciting world of contemporary glass. Whilst glassmaking is a costly and time-consuming activity, often making many pieces expensive, there can be a few affordable surprises. One of them is the work of recent glass graduate Sarah Cable. The piece below is typical […]

Fat Lava As Art?

Thanks to Els van Petersen for drawing my attention to a new contemporary art installation or exhibit (depending on your perspective) by Marieke van Diemen at the innovative Boijmans van Beuningen museum in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.The picture says it all – some 520 West German ceramic vases on display as part of a wider exhibition […]

Mistaken Identity

Building up a knowledge of shapes and colours can really reap rewards. It’s why I have my book collection split between two places, within easy reach of either my sofa or my bed. Nothing beats leafing through a book as you relax to firmly imprint images, makers and designers on your brain. Repeated viewing really […]

Mdina on the move…

For those of you who treat buying antiques and collectables somewhat like the stock market, here’s something you will be interested in. Today, a large Mdina ‘Fish’ vase designed by Michael Harris, and also signed by him, sold for a staggering £1,564 on eBay.de! A couple of years ago, this would have probably fetched around […]

Berlin Bound!

I’ve just got back from a working and (thankfully, latterly) pleasure weekend in Berlin. The results of my Fat Lava this time hunt were rather surprising! I found one design shop in trendy Mitte where they actually had a selection of Fat Lava on display in their vintage design section. This is the first time […]