The Isle of White Glass studio was established by the celebrated glass maker Michael Harris in 1972 after he left his first glassworks based in Malta, the well known Mdina Glass. Some of the Mdina designs continued to be made in his new location but new ranges were introduced as well, among them the ‘Golden Peacock’ design which was made from 1982 to 2003. The particular variation we have here is ‘Royale’ which was made from 1987 to 1998 allowing a fairly precise dating for this piece. Michael Harris died in 1994 and the business was continued by one of his sons, Timothy (see image 12), and his wife, Elizabeth, until it unfortunately went into liquidation in 2012. But Timothy’s younger brother, Richard, came to the rescue and business resumed in 2014, continuing until the present day in new premises at the Arreton Barnes Craft Village.

The pieces made by Isle of Wight Glass are a continuation of the innovative designs and skiful craftsmanship seen in Mdina pieces and this bottle is a fine example of their work. It also comes with a matching box but this may not be the original one (other examples are taller) since the stopper has to be loose packed separately. This hardly detracts, though, from a striking and individual piece in an attractive and rarely found colour wave.