Uncovering the Mystery Part 1: Canadian Art Glass The Twisted 4 Point
- lunasabrina
- Aug 27, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 10, 2024
As a glass collector and someone who is immersed in science I love to uncover a mystery, whether it be a gene pathway, a way to teach a tough concept or who made this piece of glass? I approach all of these problems with the same mindset and observational skills. In this series of the blog, I will uncover many mysteries (I hope!) in terms of identifying pieces which have been to date simply attributed to a glass house by process of elimination.
Canadian Vintage Art Glass: Uncovering the Mystery of the Twisted 4-Point Art Glass Piece
The first mystery we'll explore is a captivating piece of Canadian vintage art glass, known as the twisted 4-point (pictured above). This piece is a visual spectacle, featuring four elegantly pulled and slightly twisted strands of glass, creating an effect reminiscent of dancing flames. It's a piece that not only intrigues but is highly sought after by collectors.
This particular twisted 4-point has long been shrouded in mystery. After ruling out various possibilities, it was tentatively attributed to Lorraine glass. This attribution arose because it bore no resemblance to any designs by the other Canadian vintage glass makers. It was not similar to Chalet, especially considering its size and the thickness of the glass. For comparison, consider the Chalet piece below, "Fascination par cm, 4-point," which lacks the distinctive twists. Upon observation it is clear it bears little resemblance. Chalet did produce other 4-point designs, and there has been some talk of one that is very similar to these mystery pieces, however it is not evidence enough to deem these Chalet.
The piece also differed significantly from those made by EDAG. Although EDAG was known for large creations, this piece was larger and had thicker glass than the typical EDAG 4-point designs, a difference we can see clearly with the pieces side by side (below).
Mosaic was another option, a glass house that operated for a short time (Click here to learn more on Mosaic Artistic Glass). However, that didn't work either, the Mosaic twisted 4 points have different bases , colours and the twists themselves were not as pronounced.
The Revelation: Confirming Lorraine Glass as the Creator
So what was left....Lorraine...and so it just became that due to process of elimination, which could satisfy most but not me, I need tangible evidence to hop on most bandwagons.
After some deep diving into the depths of the internet, I found something that can put all of this doubt to rest and finally with confidence we can say, this is a piece of Lorraine glass.
Observe below the advertisement for this piece from the Edmonton Journal dated November 24th 1965. This Lorraine piece was being sold at a retail store in Westmount, downtown or Bonnie Doon in Edmonton Alberta, by the name of Johnstone Walker. The boutique sold a variety of goods from men's clothing, towels, china and art glass. Below we can also see a twisted 4-point that has recently surfaced with the Made in Canada sticker which was used by Lorraine.
Mystery uncovered! Lorraine twisted 4 point, with no doubts.
Advertisement was Published in the Edmonton Journal, a division of Postmedia Network Inc and downloaded from www.newspaper.com
