A heavy art glass vase with a squared ovoid body below a narrow, slightly sloping neck with a small inturned rim, decorated overall in a richly multicoloured marble effect pattern and signed at the base 'Mdina' '1979'. Mdina Glass was founded in the Maltese town of Mdina in 1968 by Michael Harris and Eric Dobson. The town had no history of glass making but the venture proved to be a success. Its wares, free formed organic glassware, often in colours inspired from the sea, sand, earth and sky, proved very popular with tourists visiting Malta. Michael Harris left Mdina in 1972 and formed a new company, Isle of Wight Studio Glass, on the Isle of Wight, UK, leaving Eric Dobson in charge, but many of the designs he created continued to be made at Mdina Glass after his departure although new designs and patterns were added as well. Ownership of the company later changed but it is still producing a popular range of glasswares today. It is possible that Eric Dobson may have been responsible for the pattern here, but, whoever the designer, this is certainly an excellent example of Mdina work with a striking range of colours set off by the bold organic form.