Isle of Wight Studio Glass Identification Guide + Gallery
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Michael Harris founded his second glassworks, Isle of Wight Glass Studio in 1972, at Old Park, St Lawrence, Isle of Wight in England, after leaving his first glassworks, Mdina Glass, in Malta. During the 1970's, some designs developed at Mdina Glass were also produced at Isle of Wight Studio, including the brown & gold pattern "Tortoiseshell", and a blue & green colourway named "Seaward". Many more designs and patterns were created at Isle of Wight Studio, including "Aurene", which featured speckled effects and iridescent streaks, and "Azurene", coloured glass fused with gold and silver leaf. Several popular iridescent ranges have also been produced, including "Golden Peacock" and "Summer Fruits". In the 1980's, Michael's wife Elizabeth Harris began working a a designer at the factory, and the couple were soon joined by their two sons, Timothy Harris (glassmaker) and Jonathan Harris (designer). After Michael died in 1994, the factory was run by Elizabeth and Timothy, until going into liquidation in 2012. At this point, Michael's younger brother Richard Harris aquired most of the assets, and in 2013, together with Timothy, set up a new company, Isle of Wight Studio Glass (2013) Ltd, shortly after they aquired the original name Isle of Wight Studio Glass Ltd. The factory was moved to a new location on the Isle of wight, the Arreton Barnes Craft Village, where production resumed in 2014 and still continues.
Sources: 20th Century Factory Glass by Lesley Jackson.
A British brown and golden striped glass globe vase. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Tortoiseshell" range, flame pontil mark to base.
A British brown and golden striped glass vase. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Tortoiseshell" range, flame pontil mark to base.
A British brown and golden striped glass globe vase. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Tortoiseshell" range, flame pontil mark to base and labelled.
A British brown and golden striped glass squat vase. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Tortoiseshell" range, flame pontil mark to base.
A British brown and green glass globe vase with iridescent streaks. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Aurene" range, flame pontil mark to base and labelled.
A British brown and blue glass globe vase with iridescent streaks. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Aurene" range, flame pontil mark to base.
A British purple and blue glass globe vase. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Heather" range, flame pontil mark to base and labelled.
A British green, pink and clear glass lollipop vase. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, labelled.
A British black glass globe vase with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Black" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British black glass squat vase with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Black" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British black glass cylinder vase with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Black" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British black glass cylinder vase with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Black" range, flame pontil mark to base. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British black glass cylinder vase with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Black" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British black glass cylinder vase with gold leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Gold" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British black glass globe vase with gold leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Gold" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British black glass apple sculpture with gold leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Gold" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British blue glass globe vase with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Blue" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British blue glass bowl with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Blue" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British blue glass pebble shaped paperweight with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Blue" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British pale blue glass cylinder vase with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Azure" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British green glass globe vase with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Green" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British green glass cylinder vase with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Green" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British pale pink glass vase with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Pink" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British dark pink glass globe vase with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Pink" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British pink glass lollipop vase with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Pink" range, boxed and labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British pink glass squat vase with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Pink" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British pink glass globe vase with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Pink" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British pink glass squat vase with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Pink" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British brown glass vase with applied flower decoration. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Four Seasons" range, in the "Autumn" colourway, labelled. In production 1981-1982.
A British dark blue glass cylinder vase with spots and lines pattern, and iridescent finish. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Summer Fruits" range, "Mulberry" colourway, labelled. Designed by Timothy and Jonathan Harris in 1993.
A British dark blue glass perfume bottle with spots and lines pattern, and iridescent finish. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Summer Fruits" range, "Mulberry" colourway, labelled. Designed by Timothy and Jonathan Harris in 1993.
A British blue glass bird sculpture with spots and lines pattern, and iridescent finish. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Summer Fruits" range, "Mulberry" colourway, labelled. Designed by Timothy and Jonathan Harris in 1993.
A British brown and pink glass vase. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Gemstone Topaz" range, labelled. Designed by Timothy and Jonathan Harris in 1993.
A British pink glass cylinder vase with spots and lines pattern, and iridescent finish. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Summer Fruits" range, "Cranberry" colourway, labelled. Designed by Timothy and Jonathan Harris in 1993.
A British pink glass vase with spots and lines pattern, and iridescent finish. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Summer Fruits" range, "Cranberry" colourway, labelled. Designed by Timothy and Jonathan Harris in 1993.
A British pink glass bird sculpture with spots and lines pattern, and iridescent finish. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Summer Fruits" range, "Cranberry" colourway, labelled. Designed by Timothy and Jonathan Harris in 1993.
A British green glass cylinder vase with spots and lines pattern, and iridescent finish. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Summer Fruits" range, "Greenberry" colourway, labelled. Designed by Timothy and Jonathan Harris in 1993.
A British green glass bird sculpture with spots and lines pattern, and iridescent finish. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Summer Fruits" range, "Greenberry" colourway, labelled. Designed by Timothy and Jonathan Harris in 1993.
A British blue glass squat vase with spots and lines pattern, and iridescent finish. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Summer Fruits" range, "Blueberry" colourway, labelled. Designed by Timothy and Jonathan Harris in 1993.
A British gold glass miniature cylinder vase with spots and lines pattern, and iridescent finish. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Summer Fruits" range, "Goldberry" colourway, signed and labelled. Designed by Timothy and Jonathan Harris in 1993.
A British white glass cylinder vase with gold leaf and purple swirls. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Golden Peacock" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in 1982.
A British white glass globe vase with gold leaf and blue swirls. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Golden Peacock" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in 1982.
A British white glass squat vase with gold leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Golden Peacock" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in 1982.
A British white glass bird sculpture with gold leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Golden Peacock" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in 1982.
A British green glass cylinder vase with gold leaf and blue swirls. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Golden Peacock" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in 1982.
A British pink glass cylinder vase with gold leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Golden Peacock" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in 1982.
A British blue glass pear with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Blue" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British pink glass paperweight with gold and silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Azurene Pink" range, labelled. Designed by Michael Harris in collaboration with William Walker in 1978.
A British golden glass egg shaped paperweight with white, pink and green lines and spots. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Kyoto" range, "Cherry" colourway, labelled. Designed by Michael & Elizabeth Harris in 1982.
A British white glass squat vase with pink rim, and pink and green lines and spots. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Kyoto" range, "Cherry" colourway, labelled. Designed by Michael & Elizabeth Harris in 1982.
A British white glass cylindrical vase with green rim and yellow, purple, blue and green lines and spots. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Kyoto" range, "Pine" colourway. Designed by Michael & Elizabeth Harris in 1982.
A British blue glass cylinder vase with silver leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Victorian" range, labelled. Designed by Jonathan Harris in 1989.
A British pink glass mushroom sculpture with spots and lines pattern, and iridescent finish. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Meadow Garden" range, "Dog Rose" colourway, labelled. Designed by Elizabeth Harris in 1983.
A British yellow and green glass bird sculpture with spots and lines pattern, and iridescent finish. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Meadow Garden" range, "Buttercup" colourway, labelled. Designed by Elizabeth Harris in 1983.
A British golden iridescent glass bird sculpture. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, labelled.
A British blue, green and clear glass bird sculpture. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, labelled.
A British multicoloured glass fish ornament. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Fish and Shells" collection, labelled and boxed.
A British black glass bird sculpture with gold leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Minimals & Maximals" range, with the "Azurene Black" pattern, labelled.
A British black glass pig sculpture with gold leaf. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Minimals & Maximals" range, with the "Azurene Black" pattern, labelled.
A British white glass squat perfume bottle with coloured swirls. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Sweet Pea" range, labelled. Designed by Elizabeth & Timothy Harris, in production 1991 - 1993.
A British dark blue glass cylinder vase with strong iridescent finish and swirling mirror effect. Made by Isle of Wight Studio, from their "Lace" range, labelled. Designed by Elizabeth Harris in 1988.
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References
For more information on Isle of Wight Studio glass, check out the following resources:
Books
Michael Harris: Mdina Glass and Isle of Wight Studio Glass | ISBN 978-0955286513
20th Century Factory Glass | ISBN 978-1857322675
Websites
www.isleofwightstudioglass.co.uk - official website of Isle of Wight Studio
www.iowstudioglass.wikidot.com - excellent resource for identifying Isle of Wight Studio glassware