Alan

It should bother you (as it does). EOD has become another fanciful concept that attempts to dramatize the cane construction process in a completely untraceable, un-provable way with no provenance. If one spends time as part of the cane construction process (or watches it closely over time), there are many things that can and do happen that are variables affecting the final outcome. Then multiply that by variables in shop, artist, assistant, error, weather, pot/glory hole/glass temps, time constraints, how bored or tired the artists was etc etc etc. Cane construction and marble cut-off weren't rocket science and the tools of the day were (and are) quite simple. Expect variances. Lots of them. Much like the much-ballyhooed "Left twist" as a 'rare' thing. Its not as if there was a law that prevented right-handed people from twisting left.... or left-handed glass artists. If one understands cane construction - why would an artist go through all the trouble to make a cane to make just one marble at the end of the day? They could make ten times the marbles with ~10% more effort. (select and then size and lay down the canes on a hot marver & measure with calipers, first gather, cold marver, 2nd gather, cold marver, 3rd gather, cold marver to start the cylinder, gather, begin torch-heating the canes (Joseph) or frit (onion), cup shape, measure, gather, marver to cylinder, caliper the gather, do the cane or Onion background pick up, heat carefully, marver, gather. If an Onion, then heat layer #2 of the frit, do a pick-up, marver. Then do a clear gather, marver. If only one stage piece (simpler), then start the end neck-down process, cut off excess to water bucket and then round the cut-off point with the cherry wood cup. Then begin necking down the single piece slowly, returning to the glory hole a few times to keep piece evenly heated, then complete necking down. Cut off the piece to the cup or wet paper, finish the cut-off point with heat and cup, or store overnight to the annealing oven and wait until tomorrow and cold grind it. Personally, I don't see hard working vintage glass workers in a sweltering glass shop with little ventilation going through that to make a single piece to amuse themselves. It good to remember the era these were made in.

Joseph's Coat for me. The cane layout/marver pick-up is classic Joseph's Coat. Any band stretching is incidental to the required necking-down process. IMHO

I can't add much to the prior discussion. The raked black/green (T/R) is fairly consistent with Ferguson, but there are always artists that copy good designs, so.... The bottom two uses colors more muted than we usually see among "usual suspects" marble artists. If unsigned, nothing about them is characteristic to any specific artist. They are not someone starting out. They show control from experience, but also appear to follow practiced technique that comes from making a fair number of them. They are not inconsistent with a lot of gift shop pieces, especially the muted colors and simple construction that supports speed. And gift shop glass is usually unsigned.

They are of more value to you to learn from than what they will sell for.

Its not a furnace swirl. Beware that seller.

That one is a machine made as well.

I think you'll find that it doesn't have a pontil. Its a machine made.

Looks red from those pics - but they are out of focus. Back your lens away until the marble comes in focus. Focus is more important than pic size.

Matthews:

Ric: They are both 2-13/32" dia. On the large size for Noble Efforts. Alan

1980 and 1984 Noble Efforts:

Bill Murray:

Bill Murray:

John Hamon Miller

Gerry Coleman

5 think that it is a machine made mistake. Thats not a pontil.

I've never heard of a "caged latticino". That marble looks like a normal latticino.

Orange, not oxblood.

Modern torch. I seriously doubt you'll ID the maker.

Its a mix of vintage and modern.

I ask because I see seams.

I agree.

No. "Handmade" infers a cane-cut marble in the vintage style. This is how a handmade marble is made: A marble made on a torch is a torch marble. The one pictured is a modern torch marble.

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