Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Helen Farnsworth, post: 4169878, member: 19465&quot;]M. Model</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Research on perfume bottles is rather like a race between two tortoises.&nbsp; Slow and even slower sets the pace.&nbsp; The first time I was aware of Model glass was the 1991 Perfume Bottle Auction of Monsen &amp; Baer. At this point in perfume bottle history sometimes the word “Model” was read as “Modele” (sic).&nbsp; Randy &amp; Rod had two examples in that auction and I bought neither of them, but I was sensitized to that wording in glass - “Modele France”.</p><p><br /></p><p>I began searching for more information about the company and found nothing and it didn’t help that the word “Model” or “Modele” was included, since I got all varieties of information about small scale items and other similar uses of the word model. The term used by Wikipedia is “disambiguation”. “Disambiguation” means that a word has many meanings that can only be determined by context.</p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp; Time marched on and I managed to buy the most common (again a misnomer) example of Model glass which is the mahout riding the elephant.&nbsp; This deco perfume bottle is on the grand scale with the archetypical flat planes of deco design.&nbsp; He is wonderful and available in numerous colors of glass (opalescent, clear, black and teal).&nbsp; On the bottom in raised lettering is “Model France”.&nbsp; I saw at this point that the name lacked that final “e”. Next I acquired a frosted glass sachet jar that is a cherub on a barrel entwined with grapes.&nbsp; The marking on this example was just about impossible to see, but I felt it had to be there and after very close scrutiny in raking sunlight I found it embossed on the bottom.&nbsp; Two down and more to go was my feeling.&nbsp; And where were my three ships I had missed at the Monsen &amp; Baer auction?</p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp; The next example came from my collection and just shows how it pays to re-examine old acquisitions periodically.&nbsp; That girl-with-an-urn type has more family members that a Smith family reunion.&nbsp; I had not really examined her that closely since I bought her years ago at an IPBA convention.&nbsp; I saw the paper Narcissus label and hence was sure she wasn’t a liquor bottle, since many of her cousins are.&nbsp; When I pulled her out of my collection for a visit, I found she was marked “Model France” - now that is a great way to add to your collection!</p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp; As to the other Model example of the sailing ships in the auction, it can only be shown in an image from the catalog, since to date I have not been able to buy the three black and green sailing ships in a stand.&nbsp; Another example of why one should buy the antique at its first appearance, since it may not appear again.</p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp; The great thing about the march of time and research on the web is that slowly more data appears and some of it is even in English, but there is always Google Translate for French just to be sure that my brain is reading what is said correctly.</p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp; As they say on those History channel documentaries that I love, “and now we know”.&nbsp; Maurice Model is the name of the owner and founder of a glass maker/manufacturer in Verdun, France.&nbsp; The company started in the province of Lorraine about 1930.&nbsp; The major lines were those frosted glass panels in high deco style that were so popular then, but also the company made smaller decorative items like small glass statues, clocks and bookends.&nbsp; Other numerous product lines were the hanging chandeliers and wall sconces so essential to the well-dressed deco interior.&nbsp; Often these smaller decorative items fall into the category of Lalique (?) when they appear for sale or auction.&nbsp; Isn’t all quality frosted French glass Lalique?</p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp; It is unusual that a factory or glassmaker has an exact stop date, but thanks to World War II, Model does.&nbsp; On 15 June 1940, the factory was bombed and extensively damaged and never reopened.&nbsp; It is intriguing to see in online histories that the entire production of this factory was shipped abroad to the United States.&nbsp; Currently a woman in France is trying to produce a “catalogue raisonné” for the company.&nbsp; She is trying to photograph existing examples.&nbsp; Her name is Madeleine Martin.&nbsp; Stay tuned after the next commercial break for a status update on that catalogue.</p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp; So far I believe that the four examples of perfume related glass by M. Model is the entire output of dresser or vanity items, but of course the way to see if this is true is to put out this statement and stand back as more Model perfumes fall from the sky or at least that is the hope.&nbsp; I would love to learn of more examples or perhaps our club can support more research into this small area of the vast French glass industry.</p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp; Finally as a note the M. Model models are marked in the mold in raised letters as “M. Model France”. On some examples the leading letter of “M” and the final letters of “France” are not well registered.&nbsp; One of the clocks found online is reportedly marked “Maurice Model France.”[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in