Mdina Glass Identification Guide + Gallery
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Mdina Glass was founded in the Maltese town of Mdina, in 1968 by Michael Harris and Eric Dobson, a risky venture at the time as Mdina had no history of glass making. However the gamble paid off, and Mdina glass was an instant success. The company produced free formed organic glassware, often in colours inspired from the sea, sand, earth and sky, which proved very popular with tourists in Malta. Vicente Boffo and his son Ettore joined in 1969, having previously worked at Whitefriars. Two other workers at the factory were brothers Joseph Said and Paul Said, who started as trainees. In 1972 Michael left Mdina, and formed a new company, Isle of Wight Studio Glass, on the Isle of Wight in the UK, leaving Eric Dobson in charge of Mdina. Many of the designs created by Michael Harris continued to be made at Mdina Glass after he left, and new designs and patterns were added. In 1981, Paul Said left to form Mtarfa Glass, also in Malta. Eric Dobson sold the Mdina factory to Joseph Said, who was Michael's most skilled apprentice, in 1985. From the mid 1990's, Joseph was joined by his four children, Nevise, Olivia, Pamela and Alan, in various roles. The company is still active today.
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Strata Pattern
The Strata range was introduced in 1976, and was only in production for a short time, as it proved to be unpopular. This pattern has also been referred to as Sea and Sand by collectors and dealers. Reference: "Legacy: 50 Years of Mdina Glass" by Mark Warner.
A sandy yellow Maltese glass vase with blue + brown swirls, by Mdina, signed. Made in the Strata pattern.
A sandy yellow Maltese glass vase with blue + brown swirls, by Mdina, signed. Made in the Strata pattern.
A sandy yellow Maltese glass vase with blue + brown swirls, by Mdina, signed and labelled. Made in the Strata pattern.
A sandy yellow Maltese glass vase with blue + brown swirls, by Mdina, signed. Made in the Strata pattern.
A sandy yellow Maltese glass vase with blue + brown swirls, by Mdina, signed. Made in the Strata pattern.
A sandy yellow Maltese glass vase with blue + brown swirls, by Mdina, signed. Made in the Strata pattern.
A sandy yellow Maltese glass vase with blue + brown swirls, by Mdina, signed. Made in the Strata pattern.
A sandy yellow Maltese glass decorative bottle with blue + brown swirls, by Mdina, unsigned. Made in the Strata pattern.
A sandy yellow Maltese glass squat vase with blue + brown swirls, by Mdina, unsigned. Made in the Strata pattern.
A sandy yellow Maltese glass vase with blue + brown swirls, by Mdina, unsigned. Made in the Strata pattern.
A sandy yellow Maltese glass vase with blue + brown swirls, by Mdina, signed. Made in the Strata pattern.
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Mdina Glass on eBay UK
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Mdina Glass on eBay USA
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Reference Websites
For more information on Mdina glass, check out the following resources:
Mdina Glass Catalogue - A catalogue of Mdina glass including pattern numbers, sizes and some pattern names, by Austin, a USA distributer.