Alan

http://buckeyemarble.com/august.htm

Sorry - the initials don't ring a bell for me. Nor does the raking to the pontil.

Over a decade ago, I supplied a large amount of marbles to a builder whose client wanted them in a custom kitchen countertop. It has been done - no problem with supply. Owning a swimming pool - you don't want anything but a smooth, continuous pool surface. It would make cleaning a giant pain. Especially in Spring and the height of summer temps.

Place it in a shallow glass of water just covering the piece.

I have never seen the heart before. Its a contemp.

I wish I could be of more help. My thought first went to Jim Cooprider - not due to style...just memory kicking in. Thing is - my recollection is that Jim was a torch worker. This is a tank, cane construction piece. Now that should allow us to sort most "JC" artists out - because most makers are torch workers. The other challenge is that the construction is fairly unremarkable. A lot of artists made pieces that look like this. The construction is fairly straightforward and the glass is standard. No artist-specific styles or techniques shown. Wish I could be of more help. Alan

Maybe if you put an arrow on the photo showing the Onionskin construction, it will help point it out. I assume when you wrote "Mifoi" - you mean 'Millefiori'. I've never heard of a vintage cane handmade marble in which millefiori was included.

Its a Latt with outer bands. There would be no reason to fuse an onionskin cane with a latt cane. Their construction approaches are different: The latt is made in layered stages with a clear core, a latt cane core (pick-up) with outer band (pick-up). The onion is made with frit rolling on a marver. The outer bands on this wonky piece are flat because they were intentionally flattened after the pickup to form ribbons.

End of Cane Latt that should have been discarded.

Among a few others, John Hamon Miller was a constant fixture at show hotels years ago. It was common to see a torch going on the hotel room desk and John was just a slow and steady guy. I spent a fair amount of time with him. At Columbus - he would bring a 5' folding table and set up in the courtyard just outside his room. "Annealing" was done in a 1 lb. Maxwell House coffee can filled with vermiculite. John would say "I think I'm going to do sort of a Golden Rebel-themed pattern" - and then if you stayed long enough - you'd see him change the design subtly from piece to piece....tuning it to his mind's eye concept. One night he said "I'm going to make this Submarine design tonight only - and then never again." Sure enough - you'd never see it again. Here is some of John's hotel room work:

John: I don't know who was making them. It was one of the Ohio shows. The copper pipe was <1/2" diameter. At the time - there was only one person who I had ever seen making/selling them.

I've seen those made. The technique is to make a pseudo-cane with Moretti, twist it a bit and then quickly torch-off segments into a small diameter copper pipe. The glass rolls down the length of pipe (about 3.5') and rounds itself (mostly) and drops out the end.

12 o'clock: Yellow latticino core 3 o'clock: Yellow latticino core 9 o'clock: Divided core Opinion (worth what you paid for it): You'll want to lay off damaged handmades as much as possible - unless you are getting them for a dollar or three.

If anyone has a photo of him - I'd appreciate it.