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Description
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Murano 🇮🇹 Venetian
Spartaco Colelli Clown
Vintage 1950s Italian ArT GLaSs
FEATURES:
• Hand Blown/Lampwork
• J.I. Co. Gondola "Hand Made In Italy” Label
• 3 Complex Marbles
~ Reasonable offers cheerfully entertained & often accepted! ~
• DIMENSIONS: 13" tall (33 cm) x 6½" w x 4" d
• WEIGHT: 4 pounds, 4 oz (1.688 kg)
• CONDITION: Excellent Vintage: Free from any damage or restoration. In gift, or collector-grade, condition.
• DISCUSSION: Authentic, gorgeous Italian, collectible Murano art glass clown paperweight figurine with a large complex marble in each hand and a slightly larger marble on the head. This statuesque gem was created on the island of Murano, Italy--in Venice Bay--circa the 1950s. It carries the original Murano Gondola label, reading "'Hand Made Venetian J.I. Co. Made in Italy" from Jordan Imports, the Murano/U.S. manufacturing-import firm. (see, J.I. CO. About the Maker history, below). Weighing 4 pounds and standing 13 inches tall, it's a striking and substantial piece of artistic excellence! Shown in both warm and cool lighting and varied backgrounds to present a range of appearances. The base is ground-flat and is showing the expected sliding 'shelf-wear' consistent with its age. It's completely damage-free and even more beautiful in person!
FULL CONDITION REPORT: We thoroughly inspected this piece and found no cracks, chips, nicks, scuffs, flea bites, flakes, hairlines, notable scratches, or repairs with no evidence of grinding or restoration. Any natural indentations, bubbles, tool marks, and/or any other natural textural features are all original to this piece and normal for hand-blown glass. Wear to the base is consistent with age. Pontil scar artifacts, usually on base (looks like a divot), are the remains of the normal scar and are recognized by collectors to not be damaged. Please review all high-resolution photographs, at full size, in forming your own opinions.
~ We remain at your disposal for any further information. ~
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About the Maker
J.I. Co. (Jordan's Importing Company)
The Jordan's Importing Company (J.I. Co.) label features a gondola and states 'Hand Made Venetian J.I. Co. Made in Italy". Our research indicates that it was a 1950s company, with a beautiful showroom on the corner of 23rd St. and Fifth Avenue in New York City, and in Italy their own furnaces located on the Venetian island of Murano. The company’s founder, Jack Blanco, designed a portion of the glass., while his partner, glass artist Spartaco Colelli, in Venice, took care of much of the glass production. Jack’s daughter, Sylvia, as well as the introduction to their 1958 printed catalog claims the company "is one of the world's leading importers of Venetian glass. Each piece brought direct from our own factory in Murano…”, but there is credible information that their catalog was indeed supplemented by prominent other Murano artists. It’s known to today’s 1950s Murano glass collectors, including ourselves, that J.I. Co. imported a portion of the works of Alfredo Barbini, Fratelli Toso, and likely a few other top Murano glass furnaces. So, it is sometimes difficult to determine the exact artist who may have created each and every J.I. piece. We are of the impression that the company was dissolved soon after Blanco’s death, in about 1965.
INVESTMENT: COLLECTIBLE ART GLASS
A smart investment in art has for some time had a proven record of stable, healthy return, but has been generally considered to be restricted to the very wealthiest among us. In the world of hot, hand-blown/worked art glass, each piece is truly unique, and many pieces can be acquired at affordable figures for nearly everyone. If you appreciate the beauty of art, it can be a way to display and enjoy your investments.
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We only sell what we acquired for our collection because we love each piece!
2. We never sell damaged goods--EVER! We carefully clean & thoroughly examine each piece, write an accurate description, and shoot honest photos. We try to come close to presenting items almost as if it's in hand!
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Richard and Karen
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PHOTOGRAPHY POLICY: Photos are considered part of the listing description. We try to give you as close to an "in-person" view as possible. That said, we shoot items in as best light and angle to show their true beauty. Any unusual random bright white or yellow areas you may see on photos are usually glare from the flash. For accuracy, we often color-correct photos to match the actual item to our computer monitor, but your monitor may vary. Photos are NOT representative of the actual size. Please view all photos--at 100% resolution. Any other object is used for showing scale only. If you have questions please ask before bidding!
NORMAL WEAR: Vintage or antique items will undoubtedly show minor signs of normal wear and/or patina. When we find exceptional wear, manufacturer's defects, damage, and/or repairs, they will ALWAYS be noted in the description. Minor usage marks will not be remarkable. Pontil scar artifacts, usually on base (look like a divot), is the remains of the normal scar and are universally recognized as normal and not damaged.
OPINION: Description and condition statements are always our opinion, based on our combined knowledge, experience, and research. Statements regarding maker, age, origin, etc. particularly on unmarked pieces, should be evaluated and confirmed by you the buyer, as you are the final judge. Though we are avid collectors, we are not experts on each item. If you know something we have omitted or misstated, please contact us to share. We strive for 100% accuracy! Your help is always welcome and appreciated!
GLASS MASTERS: The alchemy of hot glass blowing is an art/complex craft involving the 1150°F heat of the glass furnace, age-old and newly developed techniques, tools, and proprietary chemical formulas to achieve the amazing art glass you'll see in our store. Master glass artist status is not achieved quickly or easily. Reaching that high level takes some 20 years of learning and honing the many, varied skills of the glassmaster. Glassblowing is rarely done alone, but nearly always requires the teamwork of the artist's assistant(s) to successfully create wonderful glass artwork!
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Payment
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GENERAL SHIPPING INFO: We generally ship within ONE business day of receiving cleared payment. We only ship to PayPal CONFIRMED ADDRESSES, within the U.S., via FedEx SmartPost, USPS Priority Mail or FedEx Ground/Home Delivery, as well as other 'special circumstances' carriers. Alaska, Hawaii, P.R. and all other 'non-continental-U.S.' shipments may incur a shipping surcharge, which may be added to invoice or invoiced separately. P.O. Boxes are not eligible for Standard Shipping Rate!
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