1Alleynut Posted May 9, 2015 Report Share Posted May 9, 2015 A friend of mine owns this and his thoughts on it are as well as several other collectors that perhaps it was made by an Akro employee just messin around on a break or after work, I've personally have never seen anything like it, and most likely a 1 of a kind type of object, if anyone here has seen anything like it or owns anything similar I'd love to see it, anyway he's curious on a value? I have no idea myself do to it's rareity and nothing to compair it to, He might let me take it to Des Moines show if anyone has an interest, PM me your email for plenty of Angles of this little guy, very cool Item DB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Alleynut Posted May 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2015 a few more angles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted May 9, 2015 Report Share Posted May 9, 2015 What a great design for the "fur". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted May 9, 2015 Report Share Posted May 9, 2015 It looks like it was poured into a simple mold, and the ears and eyes were added later manually - and the tail was picked and turned up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Alleynut Posted May 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2015 It's odd, if it were made from a mold, wouldn't you think you would see a few more around? I agree that the eyes and ears were added after the body was made, It looks more like the Ashtray glass, and yes the way the hair or fur is around the neck going onto the back is real cool, or just a great thought by the maker. DB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted May 9, 2015 Report Share Posted May 9, 2015 It's odd, if it were made from a mold, wouldn't you think you would see a few more around? I agree that the eyes and ears were added after the body was made, It looks more like the Ashtray glass, and yes the way the hair or fur is around the neck going onto the back is real cool, or just a great thought by the maker. DB. Guess: Its a one-off mold someone made of something expedient and easy. Probably not meant for production...just for amusement or the kids at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstmmrbls Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 Looks more like a freehand piece to me. Possibly made with a chipped up ashtray?? I Looks like some stress fractures on the piece. I would guess not something made at the factory as torches and tools for that kind of work do not seem like something one would find laying around a marble plant?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Alleynut Posted May 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 No fractures on the piece that I saw, I think its a play on the lighting in the photo, could very well be a freehand piece, I think it would be fairly tough to accomplish with a chunk of cullet and torch, my very first thought when I saw it a few years ago was perhaps when they were making the ashtrays someone took a hot piece folded it and pulled the legs, then added the ears and eyes, one might get a we bit bored making ashtrays all day, and as you mentioned perhaps just took it home to the kids, the owner thinks its fairly special and was considering letting me bring it to the Des Moines marble show, only problem he doesnt know what to value it at? and I cant really giveany help in the area,as mentioned This is the only one Ive ever seen of any animal made of or with a blue ox glass. DB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duffy Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 its hard to figger out the value of a one of a kind piece ,when theres nothing to compare it with...emotional connection should not count....sure its purty and unique but if the guys lookin for more than 25-30 bucks he would have a hard time sellin it... at auction its something you would expect to get in a box lot....its neat fer sure and it would look good on a shelf...whimsy.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstmmrbls Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 Fairly big fracture on the neck, very first picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Alleynut Posted May 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 No fracture, some type of light refraction, a very thin oxblood line there as well I understand it looks like that in the photo, but there is no Fracture perhaps the angle. DB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 The mold was inverted when poured through holes at the feet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'llhavethat1 Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 The mold was inverted when poured through holes at the feet. Not sure I follow, but that's probably more from my end Any dimensions available? Is it around the same size/weight as an Akro ashtray? Or is it the presence of oxblood that started the thoughts of it being Akro? Curious piece Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Alleynut Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 The second group of photos, has it next to a ruler (approx) 2 in long I didnt measure the width, My thoughts on the Ashtray glass was due to the white,and definetly the oxblood and basically the color combo in general that would lead to someone messin around at Akro, The white as a base for would be fairly uncommon in a Blue Oxblood marble, as where some of the Ashtrays match the colors pretty closely, but thats just a guess on my part, interesting piece for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 I think its torch-worked rather than molded -- the decoration is typical on old and vintage (and new) beads - - - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Alleynut Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, If you were to (torch) vintage or Antique glass such as Akro Cullet just for an example dont you think it would drasticaly affect the color? especially oxblood? DB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Alleynut Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Also note the dogs belly Ann, all white, I believe or at least all of the antique/ vintage beads Ive seen are 360 degree color or pattern not half pattern and half white, the ashtray thought is just my opinion it seems to make the most sense to me. DB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Maybe the trailed decoration was laid down in the mold and then the body glass was poured in? Then hand-finished as Alan suggested? And the guy, seeing the final result, thought to himself "the world doesn't need more than one of these," or maybe "nah, not worth the trouble," and tossed the mold? It's awfully weird, however it was made. And I'd guess Akro fits in there somehow, just because that's the only source of that color combo that I know of. But there could easily be some I don't know about. since I don't know much about figurines, ashtrays, etc., from other companies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Alleynut Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 I had Roger Hardys contact info at one point in time a few years back, as many little scribbles on pieces of paper go it has disapeared and I can not locate it, since I'm not a huge Akro collector, perhaps he's the one who might possibly be able to shed some light on the subject, at this point it is merley speculation and thoughts of others points of veiw reguarding this object most likely a (one of) type of item since I know of no one who has a similar or seen anything else in the relm of this figure, and yes the only company that I'm aware of to use this color combination is Akro. DB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Maybe the trailed decoration was laid down in the mold and then the body glass was poured in? Then hand-finished as Alan suggested? And the guy, seeing the final result, thought to himself "the world doesn't need more than one of these," or maybe "nah, not worth the trouble," and tossed the mold? It's awfully weird, however it was made. And I'd guess Akro fits in there somehow, just because that's the only source of that color combo that I know of. But there could easily be some I don't know about. since I don't know much about figurines, ashtrays, etc., from other companies. My first look at the glass on the back caused me to wonder if that pattern was a "pick and feather" approach used on beads. But I backed up and looked at it from the 300' level - and I see glass flow lines that naturally taper from a poured flow. I think trying to coat a simple mold with oxblood and then pouring in white foundation glass would be either improbable or terribly hard. The simplicity of this piece reminds me of Occam's Razor: "When you have two competing theories that make exactly the same predictions, the simpler one is the better." Its an interesting one of a kind piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'llhavethat1 Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 Are Akro marbles with this blue/white/ox pattern more common in ashtrays than this interesting feller? Sure there were different era's or parts of the plant this could have been made in, just trying to get a feel for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 All I know in relation to that is the fact that Henry Hellmers (Akro's glass chemist) had to make adjustments to glass formulae if they were to be used for pressed ware (or needed to be heat resistant). So I guess the glass in an ashtray (or child's dish, etc.) isn't exactly the same as that in a marble with the same color scheme. But the difference might not be enough to noticeably alter the color. Don't exactly know. Maybe some of our more intense Glass Friends could stop by . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akronmarbles Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 Looks like a torch made dog to me - need not be Akro as all of those colors have been and still are obtainable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 Thank you. Glass Friend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Alleynut Posted May 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 Not Torched in any way shape or form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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