Chalet or not Chalet?

[Glassman]

Hello,Great site.I've been collecting Chalet for about 6 years now.I've bought and sold houndreds of peices.First i just wanted to say the pink and purple peice is not Chalet.Mosst likley polish or Czech.Simalar peices are still made today.You would never find one with the star base sighned or the a sticker.The ones with the sort of tumb print in the base are Loraine,they commonly but not exclusivley have the 4 bulby feet.I call them Turkey feet.Like those Pheonix birds.The other ones are Giovanni glass a lot of them have designs in the bases.You see this a lot in the taller baskets.It's very hard to tell Loraine and Giovanni glass apart.However you would never see any like that sighned Chalet.Bring on the questions.

[glasscollector]

well thats the question of the centery....Identifying pieces that are not signed is almost impossible there is no characteristic that positively identifies chalet ot lorraine as both had the same glass blowers so technique style and color combination traveled with the glass blower himself, it is well know that some lorraine glass glass blowers left and went to work at Chalet as stated in the history on this site. My point .....I do not kow how you can possitively identify lorraine glass by style characteristic or base when so much has crossed over to chalet, turkey feet ( also know as pedistal feet or lobed feed) as you call it is also a charictaristic of chalet.... proven as many signed pieces exist. I am not being critical I just I just want to know are your statements proven or through your experience or just how you choose to identify your glass for your personal collection? Sharing this information is benificial to serious collectors as not any detailed info has been released on chalet glass. Till this site. By the way admin great info section have you been collecting long? I collect many different styles of glass but chalet has become my favorite.

[deborah]

Hi guys,

I have been back and forth "schelpping" glass for the museum exhibit in Cornwall all week so excuse me for not getting back to you instantly as the first posts on the site - I am thrilled!!!!!!!!! Welcome! I am posting this way as am too tired to get all the admin stuff tonight from my designer - he and I are playing communication tag and I didn't want to wait any longer getting back to you.

Glassgal-please send me your e-mail address through the"contact" button on the site and I will get info re the exhibit off to you asap. Just to stir things up - we have Lucie Tedesco, Angelo's daughter, and Bruno Panizzon, Chalet Maestro, and hopefully Giovanni Voltalina, another Chalet Maestro, coming to the opening as guests of honour. Mr. Panizzon has also offered to loan the exhibit his personal collection - I have many questions for him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Glassman and Glasscollector - hi! The "shell" shaped piece is actually a deep cranberry and a turquoise blue.I agree that a "star" shaped base is not typical of Chalet but this base isn't quite the usual star shape as it is much wider than most "star" shaped bases I have seen. I had a big Czech collector look at it and another large cranberry and blue piece I have. Plus I have a "mini" in these colours and base. Well - he agrees that this isn't a typical Chalet base BUT after he saw the colour combo and the ribbing (very Chantili) and especially the mini - he said he'll reserve judgement till I get Maestros Panizzon and Voltalina to take a look at these - remember, there are alot of limited editions and special orders and artist's samples that Chalet did. Plus they blew for themselves, their families and friends things we would never have dreamed are "Chalet" - I have learned "Never to say Never"!

Re Giovanni Creations - Giovanni Botaro blew for Chalet before the bankruptcy and before he started his own studio. He has since passed away. His baskets are gorgeous as are his "long arm" centerpieces. I will post a pic of one of his once I figure out how (ha!) but they are much more like Chalet, in my opinion, than they are like Lorraine - the side cuts are smooth and much finer, the arms are much more elegant and both his and Chalet baskets (in their Eatons and Chantili lines too) are much larger as well. I am not sure whether he worked at Lorraine, like Panizzon and Rossi, before Chalet - again, another question for Mr. Panizzon! The poor man doesn't know what he's in for!!!!!!!!!!!

Mosaic Glass was also started in Cornwall by another Lorraine/Chalet blower - again have not been able to establish who but on my "list". It is incredible to see the similarity of his work through the 3 companies. I have seen a Lorraine polar bear, a Chalet ashtray, a Mosaic ashtray and a Mosaic polar bear and it is incredible how clearly the pieces were done by one person. He had a studio In Cornwall on Rosemount Ave for a about a year following the closure. The museum also has one of his pieces.

I agree that style and colour travelled with the blowers - how could it not? I plan on doing a page on pulls and bases to add to the site after my next photography session as YOU CAN NOT identify an unmarked piece strictly on this criteria. You must take everything into account - is it crystal or just leaded glass? Where are you buying it from? How heavy is the casing? Does it contain uranium? How fine are the sides? Have you seen an identical/almost identical piece that IS signed? Do you know that this is a colour/style that is exclusive to one company? What is the colour combination? What are the pulls? What is the base? And to me - does it "feel" like Chalet? I know that sounds hokey but it's valid after you've been collecting for awhile.

I have learned alot of "Similar yet Different" and will keep digging and updating that section. It really does help to figure out "Who" when you can figure out "Who not" sometimes. I really am looking forward to writing those pages on bases and pulls because I recently bought 2 signed Chalet pieces - one with a perfectly round (coin) flat polished base and one with "feather" details - I always had questions about these types of pieces because I had never seen a signed/stickered piece from ANYONE!

One of problems we all have is the use of different terminology when we describe our pieces - check out the glossary section for mine and I promise I will post pics (I think you can too - I asked my designer to set it up so we could all share) as soon as I get in touch with him. Hopefully tonight.

So pleased to talk to you all - this will be fun! I am looking forward to many more discussions about "history/mystery and fact/fiction". I am also really looking forward to seeing what info comes out because of the exhibit and the company, families and artisans getting some long overdue recongition.

chaletvintageartglassadministrator (who will do it properly next time!)

Anoth

[glasscollector]

Chalet or not chalet question of the day? Thanks Terrible Curious on this piece.

[deborah]

Hi gasscollector,

Posted it on purpose to get discussion going as I have never seen a star shaped signed piece - plus I knew that I would be meeting with Mr. Panizzon, master glass blower from Chalet, in the very near future and would be able to find out whether or not they did this piece or any pieces with this shape of piece. I actually am meeting him tomorrow at the museum. He is putting on loan 2 pieces that he blew while at Chalet! I also will be meeting with Lucie Tedesco who I am told has a large collection. Hopefully my long list of questions will get some answers! As I said I have 2 other pieces in exactly this colour combination but with "Chalet" bases BUT neither of them is signed either! So I can't get any further along the "No it isn't/yes it is" debate based on the other two. They are at the museum as well so he can take a look at all 3 together. So hopefully in my next post I will have some "definitive" answers - but with Chalet - probably not! I don't think we'll be long without something to debate though!

If I do get a definiteve "No and this isn't a test piece either" type of identification - I will definitely remove from site and repost a signed Chalet piece now that the site is starting to get quite a few hits. I will post its pic in the forum with the answer I get re the base regardless.

I did talk to my designer and he said posting pics is quite easy but they have to be posted off the internet not your desktop. Told me just open a free "Flicker" or "Photobucket" and download and post your pic from there.

Will post what I find out tomorrow - should be an interesting "Chalet" kind of day!

Administrator

[queenoft]

I'd just like to say I have been following posts on Chalet for a while now and I became intrigued with this glass.
Recently I've aquired 3 signed Chalet pieces. One is a listed as a "sommero" bird...blue and amber with a 5 feathered tail.
I've gone on eBay to try to find out what I have (I figure it's a good reference point for now) but you really have to watch what's what.
What is "sommero" and is it referred to in Chalet Glass? I have the idea it's more than 2 colours in clear glass but was it ever refered to in this particular collection?
And my bird...I've had a heck of a time finding a similar one (picture). I'd like to see more close up shots of animal figurines. Some on eBay are suspect (the etched Chalet marking looks suspect on a clear owl I saw).
This site will be super once there's more info logged on to it. Where can we send pics to share?
Nice to see. More pics please!

[deborah]

hi there,

Welcome!

Please look around the site ([You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] thoroughly - there is a huge section "glossary" which will explain all the terms you will need to know. "Sommerso" is Italian for "submerged" - colour or colours submerged together and cased in crystal. Can be 1 colour or many. All the leavy leaded crystal pieces Chalet made are sommerso - the Riekes lines and the Canadianna Cranberry lines are not.

The site also has sections showing Chalet marks and product lines and a section called "Similar yet Different" that is to help differentiate between Chalet pieces and those from other Canadian glass houses.

There are tons of pics in these sections plus many from my personal collection under the private gallery heading in the "your collection" pages

You can share pics on the forum by loading yours to photobucket or flicker on the net (free) and then posting them here - hope you do! See the pics from Glassman that he has sent for us to envy!

Chalet did not make realistic "bird" centerpieces - they made animal figurines and many of them were variously styled birds and freeform pieces that looked like abstract swans - I suspect you have a bird made by Lorraine Glass Industries - but you say its signed? Please see the "Similar yet Different" section for pics of Lorraine and Chalet birds.

It is unlikely that an etched Chalet mark is suspect - they varied widely in size and style and clarity. Again see the sections on product lines and marks to see the wide variety in appearance just there. Which e-bay owl - send me the number and we can all take a look.

I'm glad you like the site but don't really understand what you mean re needing more info and pics? Perhaps you just saw the forum? Could you please visit via [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] - if you still think it's "light" after that - let me know!

Glad to hear from you and looking forward to hearing back from you!

Deborah

[queenoft]

Please check the link above and see the signed Chalet marking.
Is it just smudged/smeared???
Is it Chalet?

Queenoftheroad

[deborah]

hi,

You didn't leave a link or ebay listing number that I can find in either of your posts. Please also provide for info re your bird - is it an animal figurine or a bird centerpiece? Did you have a chance to look at the site more closely and if so do you still have concerns?

Deborah

[deborah]

Hi again queenofthe road,

I am getting really confused - I reread your post and now think you mean link to my site? I have 3 owls - all are Chalet. The clear owl has the Chalet lead crystal/N.C. Cameron distributor label, the green and blue has the etched Chalet Canada and the blue bullicante with gold is etched Chalet Canada. I also have a Chantili by Chalet owl that isn't listed.

I don't mean to sound like a "know it all" but are you a new collector? If so - please read the site - it will help! Chalet used many, many stickers and etchings, and hang tags and had different lines and different distributors and made boutique lines for different companies - all are Chalet that fall under that umbrella.

I really would like to help - I just am a bit confused to what exactly you need to know. We'll get there though!

Deborah

[queenoft]

Deborah...
No offense meant about my questions. I am a newbie to all this and have not had the chance to view the entire website yet.

The eBay owls I saw (2 are from Ontario and one from the US - which is the one I was inquiring about - Link:
the marking is odd but it may just be way it was etched (heavily).

As for the pic of my bird...it is not a centrepiece but rather a small figurine bird marked Chalet Canada. It's about 3" high and a real Chalet piece. As soon as I get to join one of the photo groups, I'll post it and send you the link.

In the meantime, I appreciate the responses to my questions.

Thanks.
Queenoftheroad

[queenoft]

3RD TIME POSTING LINK...HERE'S THE NUMBER
OWL EBAY #270633557458

[glasscollector]

Hi Queenoftheroad
Yes that owl is definatly chalet you have to realize that on ebay no one is a professional photographer and pictures are hard to take of some items. It looks to me like a vivid chalet canada mark being on base you can get almost new etchings to worn chalet canada etching. Don't never be fooled by the pictures more times than not the pieces are even more stunning in hand than in pictures. Have fun collecting and keep hunting the hunt is the aphrodisiac weather it be on ebay or at flea markets yard sales antique stores.

[queenoft]

Photo Bucket - search - queenoftheroad - Chalet Glass Collection

sorry I'm still learning the format here

[deborah]

Hi Queen and Glass Collector,

No offense taken I assure you!

Re the number of pics - I agree but the format of the site won't allow more than the one and the closeup and I couldn't afford the next site up yet. Once sales start I will upgrade - in the meantime if you are interested in a piece I can send you more through e-mail as my photographer took between 4-6 pics each. Thank you for making that point - I will post under new topic so others will see too.

Maestro Panizzon showed me a small bird he had done with a feathered tail (it was clear) - he got that effect by using scissors on the hot glass. I have seen another bird like that (it was clear too) but never knew it was Chalet as had never seen a textured tail. Love to see your pics!

Deborah

[deborah]

Hi,

Took a look too - curious to see what owl. Yes - Chalet all the way. Never seen this one in just clear - have seen it in bullicante with blue and gold like on my site. He is a 'Buddha" owl!

Deborah

[queenoft]

FYI: I found another Chalet bird...this one has more tail feathers but color is lighter.
I'm trying to post the links but don't seem to show. Can someone HELP??? (glassman?)

Go to Google Search:
"CHALET CANADA GLASS BIRD" under Images and it's on page 2 listed as an EBay item

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ebay.com.sg #140367355087 (that's Ebay Singapore)

[administ]

Hi there Queen,

yes - that is the bird I've seen in clear and Maestro Panizzon did those - he used scissors on the hot glass to get that effect!

Re pics - upload to either Flicker or Photobucket and you can use it to post to the site. Good luck - I'm looking forward to seeing your pics.

Deborah

[queenoft]

Deborah

I have pics on Photobucket but the links won't show on this post.
I've tried to use the "insert URL" icon and even just paste my link but I have no luck.
Do I have to have registered permission? I even tried to log on and it won't let me.

So if you haven't seen some of the pics, google:

"queenoftheroad photobucket" and in the album "Chalet Glass Collection" I have a few pics for now. Enjoy.

Queen

[queenoftheroad]

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Finally!

[administ]

Gorgeous figurine! I will be on the look out now for this piece as I always passed it by in the past as I had never seen it signed until Mr. Panizzon and you! Thanks for this - you always can learn something new about Chalet!

Deborah

[Sponsored content]