Antique Victorian Portrait Vases

[KevinM]

I purchased this pair of hand painted portrait vases today at the TS and have been trying to find out who made them and when. I've searched on the internet without success.

The vases are about 10" in height and about 5" in width at their widest point. One of the vases is signed on the bottom and I'm trying to figure out the name. The other signature on the other vase is almost gone.

I'm guessing the vases are circa around 1880 but not sure. I'm also guessing there were made in perhaps Germany. I have no idea of the value of these vases.

Does anyone know when these vases were made and who made them?

Thanks!
Kevin

[KevinM]

Any guesses?

[mart]

I looked for these but got sidetracked !! When I look at the signature from your pic I see possibly "Goodnite" but found nothing under that name !! If you can try to hold it at an angle and look across it rather than straight on !! Sometimes it will let you see the faded lines !! Or shine a flashlight on it !! You might see dull lines where the words faded out !!
I looked around and in my opinion these vases should bring around $125.to $150. for the pair if in excellent condition. Drawback is not many are selling !! Few of the more unusual ones are OK but slow !! They are not really rare and are easy to find !! Good thing is you have a pair !!

[KevinM]

Thanks mart! I did try looking at the signature from an angle and a bright light but since it's very smooth milk glass on the bottom there's not enough of the faded lines there to read it.

I was only able to find one with the same portrait on it but they didn't provide much information about it.

Sounds like a good price to me. Do you think they would bring more as a pair? Last week I purchased from the TS a pair of Japanese pigeon blood cloisonne vases that I was going to sell separately because I thought they would get around the same price but sell faster if sold separately.

Seems like a lot of things are selling very slow these days unless you price them at a very low price.

Kevin

[mart]

I think that they are a matched pair is one advantage !!  There are many singles on ebay, but few matching pairs !!  Of course you never know about ebay !!

[KevinM]

Mart, I think a matched pair can be an advantage too. You have valid points. Also, I think they look good as a pair.  I was just saying it may take awhile longer to sell them as a pair (higher cost). But perhaps not...

[KC]

Saw another vase like yours and it stated they were German women?

http://ancientpoint.com/inf/38664-antique_victorian_edwardian_portrait_vase_german_girl_lady_hand_painted_deco.html

[KevinM]

Thanks KC. That was the one I found too where the portrait looked like the one on 1 of my vases. I was thinking my vases might be from Bavaria.

[KC]

I guess my eyes are seeing something different on the bottom....Austria.

[mart]

I can`t get Austria out of it but your eyes are better than mine !!

[KC]

My mom (who lived in Germany for years) said she looked more dutch!

So, searched and Just found another vase with same lady
https://www.etsy.com/listing/203065732/pretty-lady-vase-large-and-antique?ref=market

[KevinM]

Thanks KC! That's the other Lady on the other vase. The site states Dutch too so your mom is right!

So this would bring us to the next question, would this be considered "Bristol Glass" (not the blue glass) as in being milk glass hand decorated in Bristol in the late 1800's but the glass being made in Bohemian?

Mart, looks like the value range you placed on them is spot on!

[KC]

Well...it could be that Mom and the other person are both wrong! LOL

Still looking.

[frogpatch]

Are you certain that these are hand painted? The fact that there is another lady identical in features and dress to yours make me think that the portraits are transfers with handpainted highlights. You can easily tell with a loop. Transfers will be  broken up into small pieces where painting will show brush strokes. _Please realize that I am not trying to be insulting to you but I have seen a lot of similar pieces from Europe from the late 1800s that were transfer ware. 

[KevinM]

Frogpatch, you are exactly correct, the portraits are transfer ware and the highlights and surrounding areas are hand painted. I should have been more specific on what was hand painted.