Decipher Signature on Candy Dish

[veggieguy]

Hi! Found the below signature engraved on the bottom of a crystal candy dish.  Nobody in my immediate circle has had any luck deciphering it. Thought I'd run it by the community here to get some more eyes on it.  Anybody particularly good at reading cryptic signatures?  Maybe somebody who works with doctors?    Thanks!

[veggieguy]

Further research shows the item is actually a prism compote.  Leading candidate for the signature is Val St. Lambert.

[mart]

If it is,, must have had a few glasses of vino when it was signed !!

[veggieguy]

Haha, agreed!

[mart]

Is it cut glass ?? Or pressed ?? Is there a seam in the bowl ?? What is the location of the signature ?? Approx how long is the signature ??

[veggieguy]

I think it's cut glass, but honestly, I don't know that I could tell the difference yet.  There is no seam in the bowl.  The signature is about 1 inch long, done on the underside of the bowl before mounting.

[mart]

Feel the edges on the side of the bowl !! Cut glass will be sharp and a precise edge, not smooth and rounded !!  Is anything on the bottom of the base ??

[veggieguy]

On the underside of the base, two of the feet have a star, shaped like an asterisk or starfish. The third has the number "5271" on it.  The fourth leg has something, but it's hard to make out.  Possibly an "L".

The second metal tier, just under the glass, also has a number: 6139.

The inside and outside edges of the arched glass ridges up top are pretty sharp.  The edges of the cross hatch pattern around the bowl are less sharp.  Maybe not soft enough to be called "rounded", but definitely not as sharp as up top.

[mart]

I have enlarged this and honestly,,I don`t see quality here !! Is some of the finish off the base !!

[veggieguy]

There is some age showing on the base (dirt or patina, or both), but I don't see any areas with finish coming off.  Would you like to see close-ups of the base / underside?

[mart]

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.20thcenturyglass.com/images/items/glass_signatures/glasssignatures_french03.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.20thcenturyglass.com/glass_encyclopedia/glass_signatures/glass_signatures.htm&h=200&w=200&sz=13&tbnid=a9Lzb2FouUdBkM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=124&zoom=1&usg=__v1tkHu820Bb4vUh9jbmc1MxlSr4=&docid=b4Z2HPiGK0XLWM&sa=X&ei=vfyTUqSgO5CjkQeB2oDQAQ&ved=0CC0Q9QEwA

Still not sure !!

[veggieguy]

I was at that exact page earlier today, and I agree, the signature is not a spot-on match.  I can see the last name being "Lambert" without much trouble.  I can even see "Val" in the first part, though in a different style than the reference signature.  I have trouble making *anything* out of that middle bit which would have to be "St."

As you said, maybe there was too much vino involved that day.  It has to be hard to sign consistently with an engraving tool.  Or, it could be a fake, or even a totally different chicken-scratched name.

[mart]

Compared to other VSL pieces this is very plain and ordinary !! I have seen others made identical to this but with no signature !! Maybe Wendy will pop in tomorrow and take a look !! She knows more than I about glassware !!

[wendy177]

OK Veggie are you looking to but this  item from etsy??  Or are you selling it?  In my opinion I would say No this piece is not by VAL ST LAMBERT But this is very difficult to do with CRYSTAL and just photos, I can not check the weight, color , sound, cut , if it is blown or pressed etc... BUT I will say for $45.00 the price they are asking it would not break the bank, if you do own the piece  I would try to contact Val ST Lambert directly.   I do not have access to many original design photos / renderings from the factory.  The color , clarity, quality of the piece just does not look to be there but this could always be the photos!! The signature has many differences from any I have seen but also has many similarities to the real thing.  

[veggieguy]

Hi Wendy. We already own the piece.  Another cheap auction pickup, so our investment is minimal. We put it in our Etsy shop this morning for $45, which it sounds like you already found. Thanks for the additional tips. Will see about contacting St. Lambert directly. I always feel a bit hesitant going right to the maker/artist, because I feel like they must tire of people asking questions like this. Maybe that's a misperception on my part though.  I will give it a shot!