Studio: international art (24.1902)

Old English Glasses

OLD ENGLISH GLASSES: GROUP 3

tion. But, when we turn to the glasses of the last
century, we find a notable variety of form, design,
and ornamentation, and there are undoubtedly
certain points, both of shape and structure, that
modern makers of such vessels might do well
to note.

It will be noticed that the examples given on
these pages have nearly all a certain massiveness,
not extreme or unpleasing, and it makes one
wonder whether terribly fragile bowls and spindly
stems are either desirable or beautiful in objects
of daily use which are exposed to constant risk
of destruction. But leaving this question of
massiveness, if we turn to the structure of these
glasses, there are several points that strike the
observer; and the present writer seeks to note
these features, and to suggest that some of them,
at any rate, are worthy of reproduction to-day.
Beginning with the bases, as is fit and proper,
the first point to be remarked is the tendency
to a conical form ; and this, particularly when
associated with a slight bulb at the springing of
the stem (as in the centre example in group 6)
gives the effect of growth, and adds greatly to
the appearance of stability presented by the
glass; whereas in too many recent glasses the
foot is flat, and the stem seems stuck into it,
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instead of springing from it. This may seem
an unimportant detail, but it is not; the designers
of silver goblets and cups of to-day follow the
old models, which show a similar conical form ;
the glass makers neglect the examples be-
queathed by our ancestors, and their produc-
tions suffer in consequence.

Passing from the feet to the stems, a glance
at the selection figured will show the infinite
variety the makers of the last century managed
to introduce into them. In the glasses of 1730
or earlier the stems of clear glass were fashioned
into many baluster patterns, more or less grace-
ful, some, as in group 6, of good proportions,
others remarkable for nothing but the great
quantity of metal used in them ; but when the
custom of incorporating twisted patterns in the
stems arose in the second quarter of the
century many very beautiful devices were em-
ployed to break the monotony of the plain
glass. The earliest twists were really little tubes
of air, known to collectors as " air" screws
(group 2), and these were succeeded by twists of
infinite variety in opaque white glass, threads,
bands and ribbons being used in endless combi-
nations ; while the last quarter of the century is
marked by the introduction of stems handsomely
cut in various patterns, some simple, and others of
greater elaboration, such as are shown in group 7.

OLD ENGLISH GLASSES: GROUP 4