Privacy:

We do not sell nor otherwise trade on your private information.

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Inventory:

We typically have additional items that are not shown on this site. Please let us know if you are seeking something in particular.  

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Shipping:

We are careful, experienced glass/fragile items packers.   We work to protect your selections. 

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Origin of Items:

We are proud to say that most of our inventory is vintage or antique. That means not only a tendency to increase in value over time, but also a decrease in waste. 

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Item Details:

While some objects of art have a very clear origin, for others it may be less obvious.  While we are fairly knowledgeable, especially about vintage Murano glass, we also want to acknowledge that experience in identification is not a reason for arrogance. We know that no one knows everything, and that knowing what you don't know is an important competence.  We welcome your questions as well as your input on identification. 

We try to underpromise and hope to overdeliver. For example, we tend to be overzealous in pointing out even small flaws; we want to deserve your trust.   Below are more specific examples of details and disclosures that are important to the ethics of our cautionary approach.

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-Measurements are approximate and generally represent the approximate widest/longest/highest areas of each item.

-The color on your monitor and/or in your environment may look somewhat different than on/in ours.

-Keep in mind that vintage objects often will show evidence of previous ownership, such as scuffing, scratching, and/or other wear such as marring, dulling on bases, etc. Buyers of vintage, antique, and other previously owned objects are presumed to understand and accept such hints of prior ownership. Since vintage objects  have typically been owned before, it would be unrealstic to guarantee perfection. We do our best to inspect for and describe flaws found.

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Regarding Murano glass items, we want you to know a little about identification, condition, makers, descriptions, etc:

-"Murano" is not a brand. It is the name of the Italian island where the most celebrated master glassblowers create(d) their works.

-Vintage Murano glass items may be heavy or light, thick or thin, substantial or petite, etc. Thickness and thinness of glass will tend to vary on some items, especially sculptural items.

-Sometimes, small inclusions may be found in or on Murano glass, such as ash, tiny bubbles from the blowing process, or tiny raised or pitted areas. These are not considered "damage" as they are naturally occurring in the blowing process. Nevertheless we point them out if found.

-The bases of Murano glass items are often polished, but not always; the glassblower may have decided not to grind a pontil mark down or highly polish a base if they felt it might risk damage to the item. Many Murano glass items have a smooth base, though some may have a distinct pontil mark; the mark may appear as an indentation in the glass or, occasionally, a raised area.

-A pontil mark on a Murano glass piece may be visible or not, and may be smooth, rough, raised, indented, or some combination of these. For the same reason noted above, some finer, more delicate Murano glass items may have a rough pontil mark that may also be either raised or indented, with the rest of the base smooth.

-Many myths about Murano glass identification exist. For example, we've heard some claim that "all Murano glass" has an indented pontil; this is simply not true, as you might already know.  There is also a very commonly believed myth that "all" Murano glass must have a polished base.  This also is not true; bases tend to dull over time, but this is not the same as "unpolished".  Furthermore, as mentioned previously, some bases might not have been fully polished due to risk of damage in the artist's opinion.

--However, an unpolished base that is also entirely, extremely rough (as if the entire bottom were grinded with very course sandpaper or metal) is generally considered indicative of a non-Murano made work.

-While on occasion a vintage Murano glass item will bear the signature of its creator or have an original label affixed, this is relatively rare; most vintage Murano glass available to the general public is unsigned / unlabeled, especially in the more affordable price ranges. Most vintage Murano glass in the public marketplace is unsigned and unlabeled, so a keen eye for identification becomes important. We are fairly good at this, identifying items as best we can based on our research and experience. Nevertheless, without signature, identifying label, or other documentation, it is ultimately not possible to guarantee an item is from Murano or is by a specific Murano glass maestro.  (If you are uncomfortable with this, we recommend that you purchase only items that have their original label, artist signature, or other documentation. But you are welcome to email us if you have questions before a purchase.)

-Sometimes, if we feel that an object is by a particular artist, we may use the term "suspected" -- meaning that we suspect the item is by the named artist / from the named region due to its similarities to other items from that artist / region, and sometimes also due to the lack of the item's characteristics appearing in other artists' works. If we say "suspected" it means it's our belief about the piece, but we are not certain.   "Assumed" or "likely" means we feel pretty confident it is by the named artist / from the named region but do not have sufficient information to absolutely confirm it, so while we believe it to be as stated, we are not absolutely certain.  "In the style of" means that based on characteristics, while there may be a possibility it could be by the named artist / from the named region, a greater possibility is that it is not. In such cases the item could also be by another glassblower (from Murano or otherwise).

-It takes time and study to train the eye to recognize what is and is not Murano-made. However much knowledge may be accrued, no one dealer is likely to know absolutely everything.

-Since we do not offer returns*, please message us with concerns or questions if you have any before making your purchase. We'll be pleased to respond.

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Regarding other objects of art:

-We also use the term "style" or "in the style of" when an object looks like one made by a well-known artist but we think it is probably not.  Rightly or wrongly, there are many objects in the world that look similar to the creations of others who came before.

-We are not metal experts so prefer not to declare an item to be bronze unless it is well-known to be so; Loet Vanderveen sculptures are widely known to be bronze, for example.  Sadly, many items out in the mass marketplace are incorrectly stated to be bronze when they are either brass or some other metal.  (Not that there's anything wrong with other metals.)

-Paintings and other wall art will be described to the best of our ability. If they are signed, we will say so though we might not be able to make out the artist's name.  We also attempt to identify the media used. Again, if you have questions, please email us and we'll happily respond. 

 

*Our policy regarding returns:

Since it is very expensive to properly pack and ship fragile items (proper packing materials are expensive), and such items are at high risk of damage in transit when packed by non-experts, our general policy is that of final sale.  If for some reason we do decide to accept a return,  the buyer will be responsible for all shipping, packing, and insurance costs both ways, and the item must arrive to us in undamaged condition. 

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