A pontil mark or punt mark is the scar where the

pontil Glassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble (or parison) with the aid of a blowpipe (or blow tube). A person who blows glass is called a ''glassblower'', ''glassmith'', or ''gaffer''. A '' lampworke ...

, punty or punt was broken from a work of

blown glass Glassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble (or parison) with the aid of a blowpipe (or blow tube). A person who blows glass is called a ''glassblower'', ''glassmith'', or ''gaffer''. A '' lampworke ...

. The presence of such a scar indicates that a glass bottle or bowl was blown freehand, while the absence of a punt mark suggests either that the mark has been obliterated or that the work was mold-blown. Some glassblowers grind a hollow into the base of their work, obliterating the natural punt scar. Where the base of the work is sufficiently heavy, the entire natural base can be sawed or ground flat. Where the base of the work is concave, after the punt has been broken from the work, the punt may be used to attach a small gather of hot glass over the punt scar, into which a maker's mark is impressed. As commonly used in the

collectibles A collectable (collectible or collector's item) is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector. Collectable items are not necessarily monetarily valuable or uncommon. There are numerous types of collectables and terms t ...

and

antiques An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...

industry, the term refers to the mark impressed on a blown glass item over this scar, since many notable glassblowers have impressed or engraved makers marks in the punt scars of their work.Emhart Glass Punt Marks web page
In the case of mold-blown work, where no pontil is used during manufacture, the term has also come to apply to marks impressed in the base of the work where the pontil scar would have been had it been free blown. The base of a wine bottle, particularly when it is indented, has come to be known as a punt, although wine bottles have generally been mold-blown for centuries. In older

enamelled glass Enamelled glass or painted glass is glass which has been decorated with vitreous enamel (powdered glass, usually mixed with a binder) and then fired to fuse the glasses. It can produce brilliant and long-lasting colours, and be translucent or o ...

there are often two pontil marks, indicating that the piece has been in the furnace twice, before and after the enamels were added.

References

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External links

Discussion with glassmakers and collectors.
Glass art Glass production