GLASS CIRCLE
NEWS
EDITORS
David Watts
27 Raydean Road
BARNET, Herts. EN51AN
John Towse
25-27 Curtain Road
London, EC2A 3PH.
No. 43 January 1989
FRIGGERS, WHIGMAT FERIES AND WITGIBALLS
By Wendy Eyans and Cyril. Weedon
This, our Christmas meeting
;
held on 6th December, started in festive vein with
hot cider punch, provided, by’ Philip Whatmoor, to support the usual welcome
refreahments.
So it was in a mellow mood that we settled down to a. somewhat
unusual subject for our evening’s entertainment. Cyril opened the session
with a few definitions.
First,
Frigger,,
for which, despite the’popularaise of the term in the glass
industry, there is no authoritative definition other than in ‘Webster’…
to
frig:
to
waste
time in
a futile or fooling manner – often used
with
‘around’,
and in the Oxford Dictionary:
,trimove about restlessly,
although the latter
quotes an obsolete definition of ‘frigger’ as a clown. Newman, in his
‘Illustrated Dictionary of Glass’, definea a frigger as
a glass object, of
: various forms, made by a glassmaker in his own time and for his amusement and
home decoration, or, for sale by him.
Usually made from the molten glass
remaining in the ‘pot at the end’ of the) day, and considered the workman’s
perquisite.
In some regions made on a Saturday when the glasshouse was not
working.
On Sundays, or so it was said, each factory group paraded with its
accomplishments, stopping at public houses en route to have the pieces voted
on.
The most popular received a prize and the assurance of factory
production.
Their sale no doubt helped to pay for the beer!
They have
sometimes been called ‘end of day glass’ in England, and ‘off hand glass’ in
the United States.
British Standard 3447 ‘Glossary of Terms Used in the Glass
Industry’ describes a frigger as
a fanciful article made by a glassblower.
Whigmaleerie
in both Oxford and Webster is given as…
origin unknown, an odd
or fanciful contrivance.
An additional definition is…
a shy fellow full of
caprice.
The word has obvious Scottish associations and all the references in
the Oxford, quote Scottish authors,
Ramsey, Scott and Burns
whose reference is
‘I produced my whigmaleerie cup’. To put the word into context, in Webster an
American author is quoted – ‘producing .gadgets, gimmicks, fizgigs and
whigmaleeries for Latin American consumption’ (Alva.Johnstoa).
Clearly these
articles do not have to be glass.
The British Standard reccignises
neither
whigmaleeries not witch balls.
Witch Ball:
Webster gives this as
a hollow sphere of glass hung in
cottage
windows in the 18th century
to
ward off evil spirits,
and the Oxford and Newman
have similar definitions.
The Oxford, however, includes
‘Witch Bottle’… a
stone or glass bottle filled with urine, nails or hair, burned or heated for
the purpose of repelling or breaking a witch’s power over, her victim.
Francis
Buckley in ‘Curious
Old English Glass’ suggests that the term is a corruption
of ‘Watch’Ball’, and that from them the glasses for watch covers were cut.
Wendy Evans then presented and discussed a range of items brought by meabers,’
and illustrations in books and catalogues that might fall into one of the
defined categories.
It was pointed out that many so-called friggers were, in
fact, commercially produces lines for regular sale.
Many rolling pins and
small decorative items associated with the North’ East, and the brightly
coloured end-of-day vases and jugs imported from Bohemia fell into this categ
–
–
(Cont. >>
2
(category)
ory.
Other objects, such as the Jacob’s Ladder illustrated in Keith Vincent’s
book on Nailsea Glass, were said to be used as a test of the glassmaker’s skill
but ,lacked the element of originality.
An interesting series of glass hats
had a provenance that supported their offhand production and some fancy pipes
and walking ‘sticks could have a similar origin.
From abroad a large,
aggressive crocodile (Venetian?) must surely have started out as a frigger and
the same could be said of a vase in which various types of decoration –
moulding, frilling, filligree work, applied flowers etc. had been carried to
tasteless excess.
•
In the discussion Dave Bowman gave what he considered as an authoritative
definition of ‘f rigger’ which in his youth was well-known in Scotland.
It
related to the off hand production of special items of an innovative nature and
was particularly used to describe baker’s fancies, produced for special festive
occasions.
It was certainly not restricted to glassmakers who might have
adopted
in from other trades.
This definition excludes the idea of the’object
being one-off or not being for commercial production, its essence being that
the
objects fell outside the normal range of production and therefore
demonstrated the craftsman’s special skills.
This, definition was accepted
without
demur.
The definition of watch/witch ball, of which a fine, early
example was provided for inspection, was also discussed.
The term ‘watch
ball’ Occurs in 19th e century price lists but it was suggested that silvered
versions, like that displayed, When hung in the window, allowed the owner to
watch what was going on outside without appearing to be nosey! The ‘witch
repulsion’ theory might then be used to explain why the ball had been hung in
the window in’the”first place!
Wendy replied. that glass globes were known to
be produced for watch and,clock glasses.
Silvering would not be the province
of the glass houSe. However, the ornament manufacturer might well obtain his
supplies from the same factory as the watchmaker.
It would be nice to know
how the
silvered balls were described in advertisements. Perhaps one of our
readers knows the answer?
The meeting, which was held at the Royal Entomological Society, closed with
thanks to our speakers and to the hosts, Mrs Felsenstein,
Mrs M.
Kilbey and Mr
and Mrs John Smith.
A A A A A A A
EXHIBITIORS
GLASSWORKS (LONDON), LIMITED: CATHERINE HOUGH, SIMON MOORE, STEVEN NEWELL,
To 17th February 1989. At 43 Earlham St.e Covent Garden, London WC2H 9LD.
Creations by these talented artists. of contemporary studio glass, both’regular
lines and one-off specialities (friggers1), are ‘all for sale at reasonable
prices. The gloSsy advertising brochure ‘has text by Alison Britton; two quotes
say it all: “Three individually established glass makers…have jointly
sublimated some of their egos and come together to build up a business where
bread and butter is as important as cake”.
,
“Catherine Hough specializes in
cutting and grinding glass once it has cooled”,
The exhibition is open
Mon.-. Sat., 10.00-5.30 p.m.
THE TIM SHAW GLASS EXTRAVAGANZA
From 4th – 29th April, 1989 at Jeanette Hayhurst, 32A Kensington Church St.
Jeanette writes; “Tim is one of the most exciting young glass artists; he first
studied at North Staffordshire Poly (BA Hons.), followed by 2 years at the
Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, (Staat Diploma Gas) and, finally, 2 years
at the Royal College of Art.
He has exhibited throughout Europe.
The exhibition is called an extravaganza because Tim is an enthusiastic glass
blower, a skilled sculptural cast glass artist and very knowledgeable in; all
field of glass technology.
His work is either interior design orientated or,
in his word, “too rediculous to be functional”; the sizes range from goblets to
vast glass and metal chandeliers”.
All Glass Circle members are welcome to
the Private View on Tue. April 4th, 6.00 – 9.00 p.m.
HELEN 11CREARIN
On Wednesday, 19th October, 1988, our member Helen McKearin (Mrs Helen McKearin
Powers) died at Valley Falls, N.Y., at the age of 90.
The daughter of George
McKearin, of Hoosick Falls N.Y., a well-known collector and dealer in glass,
she collaborated with him in a number of publications on glass, and shared to
the full his activities in the glass field.
Together they published American
Glass (1941) and Two Hundred Years of American Blown Glass (1950) which were,
and remain, the best general books on the history of American glass-making.
The necessity of deciding what is and what is not American, however, took the
authors far afield in the general history
,
of, glass, and their knowledge and
interests were the reverse of.. parochial.
After her father’s death, Helen
continued her researches into American glass and compiled, in addition to
numerous periodical articles, a Corning manual on American Historical Flasks
(1953), a substantial monograph on Bottles, Flasks and Dr Dyott (1970) and, in
1978, as a culmination of this line of study, American Bottles and Flasks and
their Ancestry, written in, collaboration with Kenneth M. Wilson and showing the
same breadth of errudition and interest that had informed American Glass nearly
fourty years earlier.
Members of the Circle will recall her paper on
“Possess, Syllabubs and their Vessels”, published in The. Glass Circle, No.5
(1956).
To those who were privilaged to know Helen McKearin personally, these very
considerable achievements receded in importance by comparison with her personal
qualities.
Warm-hearted, generous, ,wise, .humourous and amazingly patient
under the physical handicaps of her later years, she inspired deep affection in
all who knew her well, and who now grieve for her in equal measure.
R.J.C.
3
BOOK REVIEWS
(
We were ,pleased to receive a letter from a Finnish member, Jacob Seela, who
would like to see more book reviews. After a somewhat fallow period we area
—
happy to include five in this issue. We can assure members that if the Glass
Circle has any financial involvement in any of the books this would be clearly
stated.
We are always pleased to receive books for review or short review
articles (in English, please) of books or catalogues even if the text is not in
English. We recognise that we are trying to help members everywhere, and U.K.
members like to know what is happening abroad; we shall publish all we can.
DORFLINGER: America’s Finest
Glass,
1852-1921.
By John Quentin Feller.
•
In the period reviewed Dorflinger devised more than 500 patterns in cut,
engraved and acid-etched glass. Many of these are reproduced for the first
time.
The book has 550 (48 in colour) illustrations, including 250 pages of
original catalogue material, in all, some 1250 pieces of glass.
The bock
represents 7 years of research and writing and tells the full story of the
House of Dorflinger; over 800 glassworkers are identified, original immegrants
and 2nd and 3rd generation workers.
The introduction is written by Isabel
Lambert Dorflinger. The book, approx. 21 x 27.5 cm, has 350 pages and costs
$75 + $3 P+P. from Antique Publications, P.O. Box 553, Marietta, OH 45750.
KEY
1.
Pribram
2.
Novi; Bor
Liberec
Jablonec
5.
ielezn; Brod
6.
Harrachov
7.
Turnov
8.
Pod;brady
9.
Pernstein
10.
43′ Budgjovice
.A.1. Lenora
12. Bratislava
from
NGrnburg
10
011
BRNO C
)
12
3
O
~
O
2
0
7
0
PRAGUE
O
08
O
0
Plzen
1
The Watts family went to Czechoslov-
akia in the first place to participate
in the Congress of’
.
the International
Union of Biochemistry
the largest
conference ever
held
in the’country -‘at
the new Palace of Culture in Prague. We
were in PragUe itself for a week, before
setting offon
t
mainly glass-orientated
tour of Bohemia’and Moravia.
We were
able to do this in an entirely flexible
–
way as we
were travelling in our motor
caravan and campsite.elor “autocampers”
are ‘ available,’ moitly in beautiful
country, within reach of all the museums
and glass centres we planned to visit.
One of the guide books I had read listed
Pribram, (south of ‘the main road to
Prague) as having “lbcal glass” in’its
museum.
This proved incorrect, but we
found the local history gallery
interesting as a
scene-setter.
The
main speciality was minerology, for
the
town is a mining centre, historically
yielding a wide range of unusual ores,
now concentrated on uranium production.
The collections were very fine and, of
course; had their interest as glass
materials.
There was also a travelling
exhibition of modern textiles and emb-
roidery, which was our, introduction to
contemporary’ Czech design flair, later
seen again and again in modern glass.
•
We
camped just outside Prague, and had
season tickets to get us in by tram and
around using the splendid new Metro.;
the “Palace of Culture had its own
station. In fact, glass came
to meet us
there, for the Novy Bor factory had a
stand it the shopping arcade at the,
Palace:
The city had many specialist
glass shops, besides a great variety of
glass available at smaller shops and
department stores.
Besides our scientific
colleagues, we had two
people to meet in Prague.
The first was Olga
Drahotova, curator at the
Museum of Applied Arts.
Here she led us round the
quite outstanding public
display, set out in rooms
also containing historic furniture and
othereartefacts, giving
us
an equally
outstanding exposition of the styles and
techniques of glassmaking in different
regions.
Behind the scenes, the depth
of the collections of glass of
every
type showed how the display we had just
seen was possible – given that someone
With
–
Olga’s erudition and devotion was
there to do the huge amount of work!
I went to see Ivan Fidler, head of the
International Department of the Czecho-
slovakian Central Co-operative Council,
to discuss a range of topics of co-oper
ative interest. I asked if any of their
producer Co-ops made glass. (They are
involved in small and medium-sized
industry and the’provision of services,
such as bespoke clothing and furniture,
0
so
too MILES
.5.
photography, motor maintenance, while
the big factories are state-run).
It
turned out that they did, and he was
able. to arrange for us to visit a co-op
glass-cutting factory, in a village in
North Bohemia.
Though not many miles from the great
state glass factory•at Novy Bor, it was
hard to find, tucked away beside, a
stream, in a site where a
e
lmall glass
workshop might have flourished centuries:
back!
None of the co-operators, spoke
English, but they had arranged „an
interpreter, a ‘young teacher of English
from Prague, who had a holiday cottage
nearby.
With her ‘help, we made our
tour and talked to the glassecuttersaa
Housed in a-
.
smart white Isuilding,
filled with up-to-date equipment; was a
small team, including one young woman
;
decorating glass . with exemplary skill.
We have visited glass factories in
various countries; the craftsmanship
here was quite outstanding.
All over
Bohemia, we saw that the design skills
‘,are on a different plane from elsewhere
(even
–
bearing in mind the international
art glass scene); this surely must help
inspire the cuttersa They were working
on large piehes; the patterns were
hold, swinging’, vigorous, but with the
typical Bohemian highlight of ‘small-
scale cutting in places. David was able
t6 take ‘a series of photographs, using
natural light. We held our breath when
the slides came back from processing –
but all was well; the only place too
dark had been the Director’s office!
Afterwards, we went to have coffee with
our new friend, . the English teacher.
It would seem that old moulds from the
factories may, appear on the market as
logs;
she had a pile
.
in her shed,
–
and
offered us some aa’Souvenirs.
How do
,
yoU declare to the Customs a’couple of.
pieces of fire-wood?….
All thiS took
‘place on a
Monday, when
the museums
are closed,.
So we never
saw the one
at Novy
e
Bor.
We moved on
across North
.Bohemia.
Liberec had a very good general museum,:
with a fair amount of glass, some of it
old, much dating from earlier this
century, the local “glass between the
Wars”. They also had interesting books
for sale.
,
In the “town, we had a
leisurely look round the shops and
bought a few pieces of “ordinary” glass;
this was not a visitors’ place.
We had
read that: it -was . the
seat
of
Glassexport, said to have large display
rooms, but we failed td’track this down.
Next day, we spent some:’hours at Zelezny.
Brod.
A banner on the railway.bridge
proclaims a :welcobe to this town of
glass-making and the museum, partly. in la
small traditional house, has old glass
and models
,
showing-the cottage’andustrei.
of glass bead-making-. e The College ‘of
Glass Technology has extensive:galleried
_displaying the- students’,
ework, including ‘design
.
drawings .as well as
finished articles.
In
over two hours, we could
.only begin to appreciate
(the’ richness, thee,huge
.variety, the innovation.
As
–
usual, the lighting was excellent,
many cases backed by opal windows, so,
here too, we have a record in colour
slides.
Turning back north to Jablonec, we found
a museum with rich, specialist
collections of both glass and costume
jewellery. We only had time to look
round the very fine chronologically
arranged glass displays and buy some
more books before closing time. We
drove into the mountains to camp at
Harrachov, a winter sports centre close
t6 the Polish border. ‘
There was much to see, in
this old (and current)
glass centre.
The .glass
museum, in a single hail,
had .a very good collection
of locally made items,
Bohemian with pronounced
overtones of Venice.
The
room was highly colourful,
striking as one walked in,
but the colour in
individual items was used
in subtle ways.
Unlike other museums,
it was very_crowded, the village being a
(Cont . >7 )
(from page 5)
6
centre for both holidays and coach
outings,. The factory shop was likewise
busy;
here ye,
also, ,
bought ‘spine
souvenirs.
On our way south, we
visited Tutnov (famed for garnets)…
There,, we looked round the general
museum,, in which I particularly remember
the collection of decorative wrought
iron work. We reached Podebrady..
Podebrady has a riverside campsite and a
glass factory. We used the former, but
failed to find the ratter. The museum
was again general, although it contained
specialist glass because of its
situation in a spa. town.
It also had a
large travelling exhibition of the work
of three. contempory
.
Czech glass
designers.
It is difficult to convey
the impact of such. .an exhibition,
containing so many outstanding pieces;
it was difficult to “take in” at the
timel.
The three designers had
related
I
but individual styles of which
liked
one less than the other two.
The
museum had a pile of posters, and let us.
have one, but the lighting here was
beyond the scope of our camera to use..
Our
other find in Podebrady (besides a
Bank with a short
queue!) was a.
seconds”, glass shop. Here, we bought
.4eur
es
v
e
11
e)
Alt„
two pieces, one, appropriately,
was
a
large vase in the contemporary idiom.
The rest of our tour had less glass
interest; we
saw
marvellous old towns, a
“Ruritanian” castle at Pernstein,
limestone caverns, Mendel’s monastery at
Brno.
In South Bohemia, the tourist
centre, Ceske Budejovice, had
a
specialist costume jewellery shop where
choosing .glass beads was a difficult
task: Beyond, in the entrancing
mcuntaie-e district, Sumava, .we drove
through
the
old glass-making town,
Lenora.
Our clockwise route then had
to end with a return to the border. We
brought home with us a great affection
for the beautiful country and for the
friendly people of Czechoslovakia, who
made .us so welcome, even when we had
only
a few words of German
in common;
it was never a problem. And we have
our many pictures, and our few,
treasured
pieces of glasS – and wood!
RW
BOOK REVIEWS
(Continued)
GAZETTEER OF IRISH STAINED GLASS
By Nicola Gordon Bowe, David Caron and Michael
Wynne.
Hot from the Press,
and oozing authority, this is what the stained glass buff,
going to Ireland, has been waiting for. ‘ The opening chapter, by
N.G.B,
of
this 112 page
work, takes a dispassionate and uncomplimentary look at the
early(ish) Irish stained glass and, exploring, en route,
the link between Henry
Powell and Messrs John Hardman & Co. in Dublin, gradually homes in on the group
of artists who,. from the
turn of the century turn the art form from a bad joke
“If
we are determined to have bad work,’it is better to have bad Irish than
bad
foreign” to an achievement that is worth going out of one’s way toesee.
Short
biographies of the artists concerned; Beatrice Elvery, Michael Healy, Ethel
Rhind, Catherine O’Brien, Wilhelmina Margaret
Geddes, Hubert McGoldrick, and of
course, Harry Clarke and Evie Hone,
–
are given at the end of the book.
The
main text is occupied with a gazetteer of who did what, where and when, and, in
some cases, what has happened to it since, in alphabetical order by county and
town.
The book, 15 x 22 cm is enhanced by 14 art plates, 4 in colour, a
county map and bibliography.
The appropriately-named Irish Academic Press
offer a choice of prices, £9.95; £19.95, without explanation (No! its not the
exchange rate.) but make your offer to Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Eire.
7
SMIT, F.G.A.M., 1988. Frans Greenwood 1680-1763. Dutch poet & glass engraver.
Peterborough (published privately by author). 194 pp., 130 illus. Price £15 but
£12 Mr members of The Glass Circle (from author at 4 Glamis Gardens, Peterborough
PE3 6PQ); orders received before May 1989 will be sent post-free, thereafter please
add £1.50 p. & p.
In the introduction the author remarks that Frans Greenwood was nationally once
well known as a writer of Dutch poetry but that he is internationally still renowned
as an engraver of glass: the first real stippler. Even so, the history of his life and
that of his family and relatives was hitherto virtually unknown. Wilfred Buckley’s
modest treatise on glass engravings by Greenwood is already sixty years old and seldom
obtainable (a copy may fetch £300). It
,
is this dearth of information which induced
our member Mr Frans Smit (who is also a Fellow of the Guild of Glass Engravers)
to find out in order to enlighten those who are interested in historical aspects of
glass as well as admirers of Greenwood’s masterpieces of stippling. It took the author
ten years to amass and sift the astounding number of facts and figures which he mainly
discovered in hundreds of bulky archival documents in various Dutch archives. Hence
it cannot be said that this book is one of those hastily concocted publications which
do not really help to advance our knowledge.
The book is divided into three parts: biography (including iconography), art and
poetry, glass-engraving. The biographical chapters begin with Yorkshire ancestry and
deal with grandparents, parents and among the eight children special attention has of
course been given to Frans. As the Greenwoods owned a sugar-plantation in Surinam,
relevant data are also provided. Among the illustrations in this part are a number of
signatures of members of the family, maps of parts of Rotterdam’ and Dordrecht where
they resided, the old church where Frans was married and even a photograph of a
wrought-iron gate, still in good condition, of a former homestead near Leiden where
another Frans Greenwood, a cousin, used to live.
In the second part we learn that Frans Greenwood was a’ man who appreciated
works of art and indulged in collecting. He had some fine paintings, a good library
and even the sword which had been used to decapitate a famous Dutch statesman in
1619. Most extraordinary is the account of how, in 1724, Frans “removed without
permission” ten wheel-engraved goblets from the premises of a wine-merchant to add
to his collection. Greenwood’s role as a Dutch poet is also described and his various
publications in this field are listed. Title-plates of his books, as well as plates con-
tained therein, are reproduced; listed are also the numerous persons Twith concise,
biographical data) mentioned in his poems. The first two parts of the book end wi
th
a bibliography of 140 titles and references to 301 archival documents.’
The third- part, devoted to glass-engraving, occupies nearly half the book and is
illustrated with 87 figures.. As nearly all Greenwood engravings are signed, and many
dated as well, the various types of signatures are listed and samples shown. All
goblets engraved by Greenwood are depicted in outline on four pages which facilitates
comparison. A novelty is a “Key for the identification of glass-engravings by F. Green-
wood”. In the catalogue all 57 glasses known are fully described and each engraving
is illustrated. The background information makes interesting reading and the assembled
data are most useful, especially when considering that these pieces are quite valuable
(fetching as much as £35,000 in a recent auction). The glass chapters end with an
index of engraved inscriptions, one of objects shown in engravings and one of the
present whereabouts of Greenwood goblets; there is also an: extensive bibliography.
Although quite readable as such, this is not a novel but an important work of
reference brimful with hitherto unpublished information.
By way of comment we should mention that this Magnum Opus by our friend and
member of the Circle, Frans Smit, should occupy, a prominent place on any glass
collector’s and museum’s book shelf. The innumerable facts and fascinating
illustrations will add enormously to the sum total of our historical knowledge of
the 17th and 18th centuries.
J.T.
8
GUIDE: CECIL HIGGINS ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM, BEDFORD.
This is a popular, all embracing guide in full colour.
It packs much
information into its 64 paged
plus
stiff covers including 22 representative
examples of the fabulous glass collection, one with a clear shot of the
Ravenscroft seal.
Porcelain, pictures, toys, textiles, lace and very
realistic room settings make
.
up
the-rest.
It won’t breakthe bank at
£2.50
plus 50p’P+P, and its a delightful browse. Get from
W.H. Smiths, Tourist
Office, Pemberton’s Bookshop or direct from the C,H.A.G., Bedford, MK40 2NY.
READINGS IN GLASS HISTORY No. 21. Luxury Glass of the Ronan Period.
By Anita Engle, Editor of the Series
.
Reddings
No.21 centres on two unique glass vessels from the collection
of Mr
and Mrs
Andrew Constable–Maxwell of
Switzerland.
One Is the cameo-carved
scyphus e since sold at
auction –
which is known by their name. The second is
an unusually large, marbled, mosaic.,-.jar
.
still in their possession.
The
scyphus may be connected
with an almost forgotten peace pact with .Parthia,
which
has
left
–
a record in some of Nero’s finest coins, and an enigmatic wall:
painting at Pompeii. The marbled mosaic
jar, thought for
a time to be the
prOdUct of the Venetian ‘Roman revival’ of
e
the 16th and 19th centuries, proves
to be a murrhine of the pre
–
glassblowing,period.
Linguistic clues were used
to bring new understanding of these mysterious murrhines, so highly prized by
Caesars.
They also reveal
unsuspected.
influehces.on glass history radiating
from Iranian territories bordering on
.
the Persian Gulf.. Among the many
historical sidelights is the amazing story
e
of Alexander the Great’s glass
burial urn, told for the first time.
All this is it Chapters 1 and 2.
Chapter 3, The Final Analysis, reports on
the result of an eleceroteprobe microanalysis (a non-destructive way of
determining
elemental
composition) of the marbled jar.
Chapter 4, Natron and
its Devious Routes,’illuminates a later period, that of, the religionebased
cultural development of medieval Europe.
Here we learn of the influence
exerted on this early development by a group of isolated Egyptian monasteries
situated in the wastelands of WadieeleNatrun. It was this area which was the
source of the natron for the glassmakers of the ancient and medieval world.
Chapter 5 ,brings New Light on the Sidonian Glassmakers.
A copious
bibliography follows. The book has 100 pages, 2 maps and 110 ill., price $16-+
$2
;
i4P+Registration, from Phoenix Publications, Jerusalem, P.O.B. 8190.
J.T.
GLASS CIRCLE. LIBRARY
It must be more than a decade since the Reverend Humphreys startled the Glass
Circle by leaving in his will the residue of his glass collection to be
distributed to the members after the V”& A had made its selection.
The
evening reception and
lottery
that followed was in the true Christian spirit of
expressing gratitude for his life and benevolence, and will long be remembered
by those present.
Nor was that all, for his collection of glass books was also bequeathed to the
Circle and forms the nucleus of its library, now housed at the Museum of
London.
Since that time further donations
and exchanges for Circle
publications have seen the library grow steadily.
The latest generous
contributions have come from our member, Mr Paul Hollister, who has very kindly
donated the National Early American Glass Club Bulletins Nos 113 (Aug.1975) to
146 (Spring/Summer 1985).
We are also most grateful to the N.E.A.G.C’s
President, Mr Kenneth W. Lyon, who has arranged for their new-style newsletter,
“Glass Shards” to be sent to us on
a
regular basis.
The spring issue has
already arrived and if you would like to
see
this and other volumes in the
Library write for an appointment to Wendy Evans at the Museum of London or
phone 01-600 3699.
THIS AND lniskT….By John Towse
We have received
d
–
adVance notification of
an
exhibition of the work. of some of
the foremost glass craftsmen in the Country.
Peter Dreiser, Sat Herman, Peter.
Layton, Anthony Stern and Patrick Stern will all be showing their work at the
Sternberg Centre, under the auspices of the Manor House Society, fro
5th May – 31st May, 1989, at 80, East End Road, London, N.3.
For further
information please contact Kathryn Salomon, Visual Arts Director, or Judith
Russell at the above address.
An interesting article by Geraldine Norman in The Independent offers a guide to
. the sale-room estimates game that can lure the unwary into parting with, too
much cash.
In her view, works of art have little intrinsic value but it is
the eye and the mind of the beholder that establishes prices.
At the heatt of
the pricing mechanism lies the auction “estimate”.
skUctioneers in recent
years have realised ‘ that the appearance of estimate figures in the catalogue
descriptions tends to stimulate the acquisitive instinct.
If the figure
indicates cheapness, it’ often induces someone to buy works of art that
otherwise they would not normally ‘have considered.
She suggests that the idea
of estimates wat’to give buyers the benefit of the auction’ experts’ knowledge
of the market.” Basitally, as informed guess.. It was considered good policy
to publish estimates that were below expectations.beeause it encouraged bidders
to believe a work of art was within their reach, and once they were hdoked they
were likelyto bid higher than they meant to.
In her opinion, buyers these
days look on estimates as a guide to the reserve price.
Conttary to that
view, our experiences indicate the Auctioneers’ more straightforward intention
of getting the bett prices for the vendors without resorting to questionable
practices
It must also be borne in mind that the reserve prices are set by
vendors, admittedly influenced by- the advide of AuCtioneers. The article
suggests that when the sellers are prepared to follow the
Auctioneers’ advice the resulting estimates will be around
30% below the figure they really hope to sell at.
Summa summarum; whilst Auctioneers are no angels, there is
a mutual realisation of the need fot trust and confidence
between collectors and Auctioneera based on honesty.
We
assume, of course, that a glass collector is more
knowledgeable about his hobby than the average participant
in the Antiques RoadShow.
DAWN MIST AND ‘MOON SHADOW
from
Iestin Daviet is a young glass design glass, :gilding, with gold-leaf to
graduate from theStourbridge College
–
of produce either designs :or backgrounds
Art, who has also studiea at the’ RaYal and sand engraving, using equipment-
s
he
College of Art and with Michael Hatris has built himself.
Bold prunts. or
‘at the Isle of Wight Glass Studio’.
He drOps of coloured glass and, threads of
was resident’ coloUred glass development contrasting colour also form parts of
artist at Stuart Crystal for two years some designs.
and then setup his own studio adjoin-
ing the Broadfield HoUse Glass’ Museum, There are echos from the past but a very
Kingswinford (W. Midlands) in September modern feeling about these vases,
e
flaaks
1987. Here,` he is producing a number of and
:
‘ Paperweights..
A visit to the
innovative ranges, the
.
basic shapes studio to see a new creative imagination
mould-blown, then decorated by various at work could be. just the extra
processes.
These
.
-include rolling in temptation you need to make another
successive layers of ground, coloured visitto Broadfield House!
RW
10
SIR WILLIAM CLAVEWS GLASSHOUSE
Glass
Circle
.
News.No.16 tells us that
on 20th November, 1980, David Crossley,
Lecturer in Social: Hittory at. Sheffield
University, gave the.Circle a progress
.
report. • on the excavation he was
conducting at Kimmeridge, near Lulworth
Cove, in Dorset.
A further three
weeks of excavation were scheduled for
Spring, 1981.
There were three
reasons for the excitement.
First, it
was the earliest coal-fired furnace for
which we were ever likely to get
relatively unmolested, first-hand,
archaeological evidence. . Second,
there was good documentary evidence
relating to the history ofthe furnace,
and from this came the third vital
piece of information that the furnace
could be precisely dated and was in
operation for only eight years from
1618.
The definitive
account of the
dig, and analysis of the artifacts
found, was published in The
Archaeological Journal, Vol. 144 (1987)
pages 340 – 382 (plus 6 plates) and it
must be said at once that this is a
most important, scholarly and eminently
readable account that brings together
the frontiers of history and the
technology of the time in a way that is
seldom possible.
The historical interest resides in Sir
Robert Mansell, having gained the
complete monopoly of glass making with
coal-fired. furnaces, and the right to
suppress all wood-fired furnaces, being
led to Kimmeridge in the search,
unsuccessful as it proved, for a
suitable source of fuel.
This pilot
furnace remains to be discovered and
probably lies slightly south of the one
that was excavated. Abraham Bigo was
one . of the victims of the wood furnace
clotures and joined forces with Sir
William Clavell to exploit the
potential for making vessel glass using
Kimmeridge coal (shale,really) on the
site.
Mansell had only been
interested in window glass and Clavell,
who owned the site, was already .active
in the manufacture of alum and salt but
had no experience of glass.
A
contract to produce glass under licence
to Mansell was signed in 1618 and the
new furnace went into production.
Bigo was clearly a capable glassmaker
and the furnace prospered, so much, so
that shiploads of glass were dispatched
for sale in. London, thereby
contravening restrictions in the
agreement. This, naturally, brought
them into conflict with Mansell and was
further exacerbated by the witholding
of rent in the early 1620s whe.c
pressure was growing in the Star
Chamber to abolish all monopolies
because of gross abuses of privilages.
A further dimension is added to the
intrigue in that Mansell’s deadly enemy
(see CC News No.2. if you still have
it!) and self-appointed leader of the
forest glassmakers, Isaac Bungar, lost
no opportunity to exploit this rift to
his own advantage. This last aspect,
however, falls outside the scope of Mr
Crossley’s investigation.
The outcome
of all this conflict was that Bigo was
briefly imprisoned and the furnace
finally destroyed by 1625. Evidence of
this destruction was uncovered by David
Crossley and it is one of the sad facts
of archaeology that the superstructure
of a furnace rarely survives.
However, the foundations provide ample
evidence for a. fairly typical
rectangular furnace with four wings and
seiges to carry four pots, each about
50 ems tall and 40 cm diameter with
almost straight walls. They were made
of Dorset pipe-clay.
The special
feature, and most impressive, is the
length and depth of the stone-lined
trenches, beautifully preserved, that
supplied air to what must have been an
iron grate on which the shale was
burnt. They easily accomodated the
teaser who would rake the fire and
clear the ash from underneath.
The soda/potash glass, of good quality,
in a wide range of shades of green or
greenish-blue (no decolouriser was
used), was blown into a wide diversity
of domestic vessels.
Fragments of
storage vessels, bottles, flasks and
vials were found in cylindrical, square
and, occasionally, hexagonal shapes.
The round and square bottles were a
significant proportion of the output by
weight, although the more traditional
globe-bodied flasks with long or short
necks were also produced. Drinking
vessels included beakers with
folded
feet or applied foot rings, and wine
glasses.
There were also jugs, bowls,
tubes and various odments including a
linen smoother, as well as domestic
pottery.
The richness of the finds
may reflect the sudden cloture and the
fact that ther was no other glasshouse
nearby that could use the cutlet.
D
.C.W.