The Glass Cone_No.104 Winter 2014

The Glass Cone

ISSUE NO.104

WINTER 2014

Contents

1 Contemporary Makers – Our Living Heritage
3 The Windows of St Alban, Romford

5 The Attraction of Imperfection

9 Decorated Cocktail Glasses

12 An Aussie at the AGM

14 Vienna and Budapest

17 A Celebration of the Work of the Ysart Family
20 Members News

21 What’s on

Chairman’s message

Editor: John Keightley [email protected]

Editorial Board
Brian Clarke, Gaby Marcon, Bob Wilcock

Address for
Glass Cone
correspondence

E-mail [email protected]
or mail to Glass, 4 Seven Acres, Worcester WR4 OJD

E-mail news & events to [email protected]

Articles and news items are welcome at any time,

but please bear in mind the copy dates if you have
an event you would like to be publicised.

The opinions expressed in the
Glass Cone
are those

of the contributors. The aim of the Editorial Board is to

cover a range of interests, ideas and opinions, which

are not necessarily their own. The decision of the

Editorial Board is final.

Copy dates
Spring: 21 February-publication 1 May

Summer: 21 May – publication 1 August

Autumn: 21 August – publication 1 November

Winter: 7 November – publication 1 February

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cover and back cover, prices are on application.

Discounted rates for GA members

Please contact [email protected]

Design by Malcolm Preskett

Printed in the UK by Micropress Printers Ltd

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Published by The Glass Association

ISSN No.0265 9654

The Glass Association
Registered as a Charity No.326602
Website:
www.glassassociation.org.uk

Life President:
Charles Hajdamach

[email protected]

Chairman:
Dr Brian Clarke:

[email protected]

Hon. Secretary:
Judith Gower

[email protected]

Membership Secretary
Pauline Wimpory,150 Braemar Road, Sutton Goldfield,

West Midlands, B73 6LZ

[email protected]

Committee
Nigel Benson; Paul Bishop (Vice-Chairman); Christina
Glover; Alan Gower; Mark Hill; Jordana Learmonth;

Gaby Maroon; John Keightley; Karl Moodie; Malcolm

Preskett; Rebecca Wallis; Bob Wilcock; Maurice

Wimpory (Treasurer)

Membership and subscriptions
Individual: £25. Joint: £35. Student with NUS card: £15.

Institutions: UK £45. Overseas £35. Overseas

Institutions £55. Life: £350. Subscriptions due on

1 August (if joining May-July, subscriptions valid until
31 July, the following year)

Cover illustrations

Front:
A collection of pieces made from recycled

glass (see p.6).

Back:
A Harvey Lyttleton sculpture, ‘Pair of red

sliced descending forms’ 1989, which is on
display at the European Museum ofModem

Glass, Rosenau, Bavaria. Gifted by Otto

Waldrich, Coburg (see ‘Glass Cone’ 95).
A Happy New Year to all our members

and readers.

LAST year was eventful, with the committee

taking on the leadership role for much of the

time, some members retiring and younger
glass collectors joining in to boost our

activities. The year was crowned with the

AGM, held at what is now the spacious

home of the Ruskin Centre in Stourbridge.

Will Farmer of Fieldings auction house gave

an informative and highly appreciated talk

on the changing tastes of collectors and
prices of old and modern glass, showing

examples of glass of the 20th century that

have become highly collectable, many pieces
still being affordable and noting that some
glass of the 18th and 19th centuries has

sadly drifted in value, needing rarity to still
command a high price. Charles Hajdamach

kept us all enthralled with an instructive talk

on the history of Stourbridge Glass and

Victoria Scholes, Chair of the Contemporary
Glass Society (CGS), gave the most inter-
esting overview of works by some of the

CGS members. Graham Fisher, representing
the British Glass Foundation, entertained us

and together with the team of Graham Drury

and Terri Colledge – we were treated to
viewing the recreated Portland vase and

Auldjo jug. A great event to complete the
GA’s year of activities, ended with an

invitation to the exhibition of the Roger

Pilkington collection of 18th century glass at
Broadfield House.
Together with the editorial board, our new

editor has put together another varied
Glass
Cone.

In this issue we welcome back Bill

Millar who continues to delight us with his

series on cocktail glasses with cockerel
designs. Roger Ersser has written the first

of a very personal and informative series of

articles on the worldwide, creative uses
of recycled glass – and articles on our trip

to Vienna and Budapest as well as on the

Church of St. Alban have helped to create

this interesting issue.

The talks between the Glass Circle (GC)

and ourselves have continued – our last

meeting being clear in the agreement that
the future vision of the two societies is very
similar and that a merger would create a

stronger single organisation. Two issues remain,

one about membership subscriptions and

the other about self-funding of GC meetings.

We decided to give these points time to
crystallise before moving further ahead and

requesting a vote from all our membership.
We have a number of events lined up for

2014. Our very popular ‘Let’s Twist Again’
will continue in April and dates for Coburg

(studio glass exhibition and competition)

and Barcelona amongst others, are being

finalised. Our AGM this year will be on 18
October, most likely at the V&A, London.
Harvey Littleton, originator of the ‘Studio

Glass Movement’ at the Toledo Museum of

Art in 1962, passed away last December.

A force in modern glass, internationally
acclaimed as an innovator and teacher,

many renowned glass artists started as his
students. More in the next
Glass Cone.

Brian Clarke

The Glass Cone

THE MAGAZINE OF THE GLASS ASSOCIATION

Issue No: 104 – Winter 2014

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

Contemporary Makers

Our Living Heritage

A talk given on 19 October 2013 to the Glass Association

by Victoria Scholes, Chair of the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS)

Katharine
Coleman-Grey

Fishbowls, 2012.
18cm diameter,

12cm high, 4.5kg.

Blown by Potter

Morgan Glass to
Katharine’s design

as grey glass over

clear lead crystal.

S glass an addictive

substance? It would seem

so. One of the things

that artists often say at

Contemporary Glass

Society (CGS) events
is that there was a

moment when they

got hooked, and this
passion is certainly one

that seems to be shared
by members of the Glass

Association. We are people
who get excited about glass,

are even a little obsessed with it.

What is it about this material that

inspires such passions? Is it the fact

that it connects with the past, or that it
can be part of the most cutting edge of

new ideas and processes. Is it mastery
— the sheer skill that underpins it? Is it

the magic of its transparency? Is there
something of alchemy in a material that
is made of earthy, opaque ingredients
and yet comes out clear? Who
knows? But it certainly has the power

to captivate us.
Our aim at the CGS is to be the

glue that holds the glass community
together, and to encourage

excellence at all levels. That
sounds a bit stuffy, so put
it another way: We want
people all over the
world to see glass,
enjoy, buy and make it,

from those just starting

out to artists operating

at the highest level of

their profession.
We began in 1997 as a

smallish group of about 100

artists and have grown in the

following 15 years into a group of 720.

As well as promoting the cross-flow
of information and ideas about con-

temporary glass via our website and

magazine, we stage exhibitions, con-

ferences, networking events and oppor-
tunities to learn from the masters.
We believe that our members are

part of our living heritage. In fact, to this

end, we’ve just had a whole year
celebrating Glass Skills and the part

that contemporary glass-makers of all
sorts play in keeping those ancient

skills alive. We began with an exhibition

— New Glass: Ancient Skill, Contem-
porary Artform

at Blackwell House in

Cumbria; we’ve had a show of
specially-made glass at Contemporary

Applied Arts in London —
Hot Glass!

New Work from the Furnace;
we’ve

been ferociously promoting key glass

exhibitions and events in national
venues via our website and magazine

and we staged a fabulous conference,

Glass Skills: Exploring the Fusion of Art

and Technique,
at the National Glass

Centre in Sunderland in October. We
had a wonderful year.
We all know that the glass land-

scape has changed radically in the last
100 years. Seeing and hearing about

beautiful historical objects really high-

lights how different it is now in terms
of making. Many of our members are

descendants of the studio glass

movement — they work alone and in
small groups and the garage is a

favourite studio-base. You see this in

the way that the balance is shifted

towards more sculptural and experi-

mental pieces, and there are fewer
objects that are functional and
decorative, though they are by no

means extinct.

Two pieces made

for ‘Glass Games:

a desire, a dream,

a vision 2012; in

Redchurch Street,

London.

Left: David Reekie

– Throwers III.

Right: Rowan
van der Holt-

PerennialWreath.

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

Stewart Hearn – Owl Jugs.

Stewart says these are the best pouring jugs he ever made.

Carrie Fertig –
Homing,

Chichester

Cathedral, 6m
wide by 5.5m long

by 5m deep.
Flameworked

borosilicate glass.

Photo: Duncan McNeil

Gillies Jones –
Landscape Study

2012 – 18cm high

by 32cm long.

Photo: Pete Chambers

In fact, one of the things that excites

us is the variety of our membership –
we have those working in design,

fine art, contemporary craft and archi-
tectural glass as well as those who
produce art installations, sculpture

and performances.
We believe that it is by increasing the

critical mass of those experiencing and

making glass, that we can become a
healthy arts community. This means
that there is a flow in: people are
excited to try out the medium, learn

the skills, play about with colour, form

and concept; and also a flow up – we
are about excellence after all. And
that means helping people on their
way as they gain skills at the very

highest level, develop new techno-

logies and processes as well as push
their creative practice to the furthest
boundary.
I’m sure that you’ve heard

something of our recently-told

story – we had Arts Council

funding (we were one of their

regularly funded organisations)
then we lost that in the cuts last

year. It has been a tricky time, but

the great thing is that we have 720

members who form the bedrock of
the CGS – both financially and

ideologically. We have to review how

we fund our events and activities but,
because we have a sound members’

base, we haven’t just faded away into

nothing. Our future is fragile – we

need 200 more members by 2018 to
be self-sustaining for core activities –

however, we are gaining about 50

members a year so the future is by no

means certain but it is positive.
We feel acutely that a glorious past

supported by many artists, designers

and skilled workers of all kinds is kept

alive by the people working in glass
today. Across the country we are
seeing glass courses close and be

amalgamated with other courses as
the recession takes its toll on small

and large business alike. For young and
up-and-coming makers it is very hard,
but our artists, makers and designers

are a national cultural treasure that
reflect the very best of UK talent,
expertise and ingenuity.
I love the idea that grew out of

Japan, I believe, of intangible cultural
heritage, recognising that tangible
things like objects of art and craft are
one way that we preserve our past, but

there is a complementary intangible
side too – the things that are stored in

people’s heads and hands. In the

glass world we are surrounded by

wonderful contemporary objects –
but we are also surrounded by the

people who are making these objects,

who together help to keep our past

alive in the here and now.
So I want to thank Glass Association

members for your part in collecting
glass and engaging with glassmaking

– for visiting shows, talking to us,
showing an interest, buying work. I can’t

tell you how important you are. You are
supporting our intangible as well as

tangible cultural heritage, something

that is a great treasure and that at

CGS we work very hard to promote.

We want to make sure there will still

be lots of objects and artefacts from

the early part of the 21st century to
enjoy and collect in 50-100 years time.

Victoria Scholes has been chair of the
Contemporary Glass Society since 2008,
and is also an artist in her own right.

She has shown work at the British Glass
Biennale 2012 and was selected for the

2013 Corning New Glass Review 34.

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

The Windows of St Alban,

Romford

0
NCE a thriving Essex market

town and home to the re-
nowned Ind Coope brewery,

Romford, just inside the M25, has

long since been swallowed up by the
suburban sprawl of London, and is

now a very non-descript commuter
town, pleasant enough, but certainly

not on the tourist trail. Yet, hidden
away in a quiet side-street a few

minutes walk from Romford Station
and surrounded by ordinary Victorian

housing, is an equally ordinary-looking
red-brick Victorian church, the

Church of St Alban, that is far from
ordinary inside.
Thanks to the driving energy of the

Reverend Father Roderick Hingley,
high quality works of art have been
commissioned from important artists

to enhance the building and thereby

the worship of parishioners. That he

is a priest with vision is immediately
clear on entering the church, for there

are two wonderfully engraved glass
Ruth Wilcock

doors by Sally Scott and

David Peace from 1995.
One shows the shrine
of St Alban and the other

St Alban himself, in his

Roman soldier’s uniform.
He holds a model of the

Abbey and is standing on
the hill of his martyrdom,
where a spring miraculously

appeared, all surrounded
by poppies and other wild

flowers. Scott and Peace
worked in partnership on

many architectural glass
projects from 1986 to

2000 (Peace died in 2003,

aged 87); probably best
known were the eight

panels on the western

porch of Westminster

Abbey, which combine

Peace’s lettering with the
figurative work of Scott.
Unlike many Victorian

churches St Alban is full of

light, which shows many
remarkable works of art

to best advantage. The
original quarry windows

of the nave allow light to

fall on the wooden panels
around the church, which

match the paintwork of
the organ, and provide a
subtle colourful back-
ground for the jigsaw-like
‘Stations of the Cross’ by

Charles Gurrey. High above

the chancel arch is an

amazingly powerful ‘Christ

the King’ or ‘Christus Rex’

(2001) by Peter Eugene

Ball, reaching out in
welcome to visitors and

worshippers alike.
The central nave window

at the west end lets in a

flood of light, having been
replaced by a magnificent

Left. Glass door

by Scott and Peace

Below: East Lancets

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

Pilgrimage Window by Patrick Reyntiens,

who worked with John Piper on windows

in Coventry Cathedral and Liverpool’s

Metropolitan Cathedral. At the top is a
pilgrim’s badge or scallop shell and below are

shown many of the places the parishioners

have visited on pilgrimage, including the
shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, as well

as images of the pilgrims below. Above the
Pilgrimage Window is a circular window,

also by Reyntiens, representing the seven-

fold gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Angels are the theme for the windows in

the east end of the church, where light bursts

through the multi-coloured glass to great
effect. There is a sense of ethereal movement

and yet serenity at the same time. In the
central lancet the angel holds a crucifix and

his fellow angels, also with golden halos, hold
the chalice and the host. Red, white, blue and

yellow predominate in the lancets on the side
walls. In the north window an angel holds a

rose, and beneath are the words All shall be
well, and all shall be well, and all manner of

things shall be well’, a quotation from Julian

of Norwich. The angel in the window on the

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south wall holds a fire surrounded with rose

petals and the inscription is And the fire and

the rose are one’ – from T.S. Eliot,
The Four

Quartets.
They are joyful examples of

Reyntiens’ work.

A later addition by artist Mark Cazalet is

the huge mural on the ceiling and part of the
walls of the chancel, The Angels of the Four

Elements of Creation’. Opinions are mixed
as to whether the work complements the
sublime angels of Reyntiens, but it is a work
which repays study and must be unique

amongst modern ecclesiastical commissions.

As with the Pilgrimage window, there are
scenes showing parishioners, this time in local

areas of Romford and the Borough of

Havering with the London Eye and the

Gherkin in the distance.

This is an extraordinary Victorian church

whose decorations reflect the best of modern

art. There is exquisite silverwork, including

a processional cross and a breathtaking

Top: Pilgrimage Window by Reyntiens
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archangel altar lamp by Julian Cross,

wonderful woodworking by Siegfried Pietzsch

with the statues of Our Lady and St Alban,

and work showing the Thompson of Kilburn

mouse. Interesting details abound: carved

flowers to remind worshippers of the flowers
that grew when St Alban was martyred, and
even the holy water stoup has a carved fish
below the rim. It must be one of the only, if not

the
only, church with ballet shoes carved on

two pew ends!

Outside is a memorial garden with a bench

in Portland stone by John Pitt and a stone
column of remembrance by Jamie Sargeant

and this year has seen the addition of a

new cross at the west end of the church,
dedicated to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond

Jubilee, and inscribed in her honour.

Some of these artworks are paid for by

grants, bequests and money raised in the
parish. All visitors are welcomed by

appointment, 01708 473580, and Father

Hingley also organises art tours, with the
possibility of tasty teas, for groups. The

revenue helps the funding of more artworks
in this exceptional church.

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

The

Attraction of Imperfection

Global creative uses for recycled glass

Part 1: Factories and artisan workshops

Roger Ersser

W
HEN we were given a bowl

made from recycled glass
in Mexico, I realised how

little I knew of the fate of the glass we
diligently place in the recycle bins or

take to the centre. Here I describe
what I have discovered of its new life

which might interest glass enthusiasts

and collectors. We mostly seek
perfection in collectable items and

the maker strives for consistently
outstanding quality, but both studio

artists and ethical glassware pro-
ducers, especially in developing

countries, are incorporating recycled
glass into aesthetically pleasing, if

sometimes imperfect, objects. Some of

the factory and workshop products,
which are commonly found in our high

street shops, are discussed in this first

article while studio examples will be
described in the second part.

Background

UNTIL cheap and mechanised mass-
production, glass items were not
single-use products and would be

used repeatedly until damaged,
when repair would be difficult if not

impossible. Restoration was only
attempted on rare, expensive or

cherished pieces. Fortunately, in the

early days of glassmaking, it was

found that the material could often be

re-used. Now organisations such as
British Glass and Friends of Glass

champion glass as being almost

infinitely recyclable. This is attractive

in a world concerned with conserving
energy and natural resources, and

reducing unusable waste, especially
for a material which does not rapidly
decompose. In the EU (2011), an

average of 70% (individual countries
6%-98.5%; UK 64%) of used glass

containers are made into new ones
by the closed-loop recycling industry.

There is an increasing number of
other initiatives to reduce the amount

of glass going to landfill.
Damaged or redundant items can

be cleaned, crushed, or ground and

re-melted to produce new objects,
though the structure and appearance

of the metal may be modified. Some
sources such as soda glass containers

and float (window) glass are more

amenable to this process compared
to specialist products like mirrors,

light bulbs, car windscreens etc. or
glass combined with other materials.

Factors like clarity, mixed colours,
toxic minerals, co-efficiency of

expansion (COE), melting points and

devitrification temperatures influence

its destiny.

Uses for the original object
SOMETIMES the original object finds
an alternative purpose, so called

upcycling.
Bottles can be made
into walls, chandeliers, table lamps,

beakers or vases, and parts of vessels

can be incorporated into collages,
windows or sculpture.
Innovative bottle walls are common

in eco houses worldwide (Inspiration

Green), and include a bus stop in

Kentucky, USA and a men’s public

toilet in Kawakawa, New Zealand.

Wat Lan Kuat, The Temple of a
Million Beer Bottles’, is now a tourist

attraction in Khun Han, Thailand. All
the walls, roofs, and some of the

floors of the complex are constructed

from cemented beer, wine, medicine
and fizzy-drink bottles. The mosaics

are made from bottle caps.
On a visit to Curacao in 1960, the

brewer Alfred Heineken was dismayed

by the lack of building materials and

a surfeit of bottles littering the beach

of this Caribbean paradise: thus the

WOBO (World Bottle) was born.
Designed by John Habaken, these
stackable beer containers, which
came in two sizes, doubled as self-

aligning interlocking bricks. Technical
difficulties with wall and roof junctions

hampered development; few bricks

have survived and only a couple of

structures on the Heineken estate,

near Amsterdam, remain.

Sources of glass
GENERAL commercial and domestic

glass is aggressively re-cycled on an

industrial scale for use in a variety of

architectural processes (even replacing
sand in concretes) which tolerate

variations in composition, inclusions

and contaminant level
(see

Cindy Ann

Coldiron). For example, mixed glass

from more discernible sources can
be used for decorative horticultural

aggregates, marbles and glass
pebbles for water filtration systems

(Glass Cone 72/73).
Beverage bottles

and glass food containers are by far

the most common reliable source.

Panes of float glass are another clean

Fig.1:

Giraffe

family.
Courtesy

Ngwenya glass

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

Fig.2: TranSglass

group.
Courtesy

Artecnica

consistent start material. The front

barium/strontium glass plates of

obsolete cathode ray TV tubes are

removed by Recycling Lives from the
lead glass funnel and the cullet turned
into tiles and bricks. This cullet and

also whole plates are a popular source

material for glass sculptors. Nulife Glass
has a system for melting the tube glass,
running off the lead and producing a
safe cullet, suitable for an expanding

list of diverse products, from cufflinks

to work surfaces and sculpture.

Factory and small workshop
initiatives

IT is the selection of specific articles
from our throwaway society, particu-

larly containers, that fuels many of
the newer glass working initiatives

throughout the world. The Eden

Project in Cornwall provides an elegant
eco-friendly upcycling example. Their

used green beverage bottles are sent
to a local glass workshop which

transforms some of them into bowls to
be sold in the project’s shop. A similar
‘pay twice’ scheme in Africa (Green

Glass) involves mobile production
units which attend large public

events and tourist sites. They collect

empty beverage bottles, convert them
into drinking glasses on site and sell

them back to the visitors!

The portfolios of many prestigious

glass factories include tableware

ranges made from recycled glass

(e.g. the mouth blown Mia and Firo
bottle glass ranges of LSA Inter-

national). The major Spanish company
La Mediterranea works exclusively
with recycled glass to which small

amounts of compatible frits are

added to produce their internationally
renowned colourful collections.
In 1979 a Swedish Aid Project

imported the equipment and set up

Africa’s first glassblowing factory in

Swaziland. They even sent a couple
of locals to Kosta Boda for training.
Unfortunately it closed in 1985.

Frustrated collectors of the factory’s
glass elephants, the South African

Prettejohn family, re-opened it in 1987.
Similarly, Ngwenya Glass makes a
large range of tableware, corporate
items and animals
(fig.1).
They have

a glass art studio which runs intern-

ational workshops and conferences;

Scandinavian artist Annette Gulbaek
has designed ranges for them.

Artisan workshops

APART from sustainability, the two
main drivers for smaller artisan units
are economics and locally available
starting material which negates the

need for glassmaking facilities. They
use simple equipment, run training

schemes for unskilled locals and
‘collecting’ bottles provides welcome

paid work. Global supporters and
sponsors of artisan products, such

as Artecnica, Traidcraft, Overstock/
Worldstock, The Netherlands FTO

and Italian CTM encourage such enter-
prises, often by enlisting technical and

artistic expertise from more developed

countries. The British Association of

Fair Trade Shops has almost 100
members, many of whom enthusi-
astically import and sell a wide range
of these functional and decorative
products. Individual makers have

interesting and diverse histories.
A few examples illustrate this variety:

•
The process at its simplest is

encapsulated in the work of Green

Glass in Cornwall who, developing an
idea pioneered in Southern Africa,

initially cut and shaped bottles into
drinking glasses. By designing what

they describe as ‘Wallace and Gromit’
equipment, they can provide a range

Fig.3: Water carafe

and glass.
Crisil s.r.I.,

Bolivia

Fig.4: Colourful
Mexican tumblers.

Courtesy Milagros

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

of decorative finishes and have

expanded into tea lights, candle

holders, vases and fused glass
beads, winning design awards along

the way. They supply equipment and

provide help and advice to those
wishing to set up similar enterprises

elsewhere in the world.

•
A high profile example is

tranSglass. In 1997 the London-
based designers Emma Wolffenden

and Tord Boontje (Professor and

Head of Design Products at the Royal
College of Art since 2009) produced
vases, carafes etc. from recycled
wine bottles
(fig.2).
They are still

widely available and are sufficiently

regarded to be included in the
permanent collection of MoMA in

New York. Through the ‘Design with
Conscience’ programme of Artecnia

in LA, USA, and with the help of
‘Aid for Artisans’, production has

been moved to a specially created

workshop in Guatemala City (2005)

which teaches young people cutting

and polishing skills.

•
In 2007 the Crisil glassworks in

Bolivia (supported by Traidcraft and

Dutch FTO) acquired the skills of glass
artist Will Shakespeare as a consultant.
On a visit in 2011 Mike Holden,

studying glass and ceramics at

Sunderland, and Jim Maskery, the

University’s glass technician, helped

with technical and commercial issues

(such as logos and colour)
(fig.3).

•
In 2011 American designer,

engineer and recycled glass artist

Bill Hess was part of a University of

Virginia team which shipped a kiln to
Mongolia and taught the locals how
to make greenhouse panes from bottle

glass. They have already progressed

to dinnerware and other objects.

•
In Mexico, glassmaking arrived with

the Spanish and much of the present
output often consists of brightly
coloured, decorated blown glasses,

jugs and other tableware made from

recycled glass, mainly in small

factories and workshops
(fig.4).

Companies like Milagros import it
in large quantities into Britain for
wholesale and retail. They have

a significant trade with caterers,
restaurants and hotels and offer

a bespoke manufacturing service.
Fig.5: Odumasi

glass beads.
Copyright John Irwin,

African Fabric Shop

Fig.6: Ghanaian

bead moulds.

SINCE the dawn of glassmaking,
shards and powdered glass from

recovered objects have been turned
into beads. Today they are used by

makers from intemet-tutored amateurs,
through international, handmade craft
workshops and small factories, to

large-scale mechanised factory
production in places such as China,

India and the Czech Republic.
Two of the most revered sites for

traditional handmade recycled-glass
beads are Ghana and Indonesia.

The Ghanaian system uses cullet,
powdered glass and ceramic dyes

packed into clay moulds and

combustible cassava stalks for the

holes
(figs
5 & 6). Similar moulding is

used in Indonesia, but glass tubes,

lampwork and facet cutting and
polishing are also employed. Turkey’s

traditional hand-wound beads are

available in recycled glass. Sea glass

beads are ubiquitous and currently

fashionable. They have a rough
opaque finish, which results from the

iron oxide content and partial

devitrification during heating and mimic

beachcombed pieces.

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

Fig.9: Syrian

lighting: Blown
pieces.

Courtesy Artiquea

Fig.10: Indonesian
table lamps.

Overstock/Worldstock

Lighting

LIGHTING is yet another area for the
inventive use of upcycled glass. Ever
since it was found that candles would

fit into their necks, bottles have been
used as lamp bases. Electric table

lamps made with Portuguese rose- or

raffia-clad Chianti bottles were trendy

in the 1970s. Chandeliers and similar
collections of hanging bottles, drinking
glasses, glass shards and rings of

recycled glass are popular on internet
eco sites. They are constructed by

everybody from amateurs to high-end
bespoke designers. Propellor Studio

in Vancouver, BC has a suggestion

for all those old drinking glasses in
the back of your cabinet
(fig.
7). Table

lamps patiently made in Indonesia

from recycled glass pieces bound
with baling wire, are widely available

(e.g. Overstock) and have an archi-
tectural quality
(fig.10).

Ceiling lights made from blown

elements in Syria which echo an

ancient tradition can be found in
Artiquea’s Aladdin’s cave of Middle

Eastern delights
(fig.9).
The present

situation of the Damascus workshops

in which they and several other

fabulous lighting models
(fig.8)
were

fashioned from locally-collected glass
bottles, using century’s old skills,

is heart-rending. Since the 2011
uprising, production has stopped as

fuels became unavailable and travel
to work too dangerous. The safety of

the workers is uncertain, although
one glassworker is now in Egypt and

hopes to resume work soon.
Few of these everyday items are

likely to become collectable, but many
are functional, attractive and often
well-designed. While they are with us

they are helping to save the planet.
Links

for both articles

‘Recycling Glass Bottles/Glass bottle Walls’:

www.inspirationgreen.com

‘Sculpture and Design with Recycled Glass’.

(2011) Cindy Ann Coldiron. Schiffer Books.

ISBN: 978-0-7643-3889-2.

www.schifferbooks.com

Transformations’: Form and Function in

Recycled Glass (2009) Zest Contemporary

Glass Gallery: www.zestgallery.com

Clean Washington Centre: 1.Recyded Glass

for Art Glass Applications (1996). 2. Using
Post-Consumer Glass for Blowing and

Casting (1996). www.cwc.org/glass

Matthew Durran / Glass Heap Challenge:

www.mattdurran.com
/www.glassheapchallenge.com for eBook –

www.infottmattdurran.com

Ruskin Glass Centre/ Ruskin Mill Educational

Trust: www.ruskinglasscentre.co.uk /

www.rmtorg.uk

British Glass: www.britglass.org.uk

Friends of Glass: www.friendsofglass.com

British Association of Fair trade Shops:

www.bafts.org.uk

African Fabric Shop: www.africanfabric.co.uk

Artecnica: www.artecnicainc.com

Artiquea: www.artiquea.co.uk

Crisil: www.en.crisil.com.bo
Gallery East: www.galleryeast.com.au

Ghanacraft: www.ghanacraft.com

Green Glass: www.greenglass.co.uk
Kestle Barton Rural Centre for the Arts:

www.kestlebarton.co.uk

La Mediterranea: www.lamediterranea.com

LSA International: www.lsa-international.com

Milagros: www.milagos.co.uk
Ngwenya Glass: www.ngwenyaglass.co.sz

Nulife Glass• www.nulifeglass.com

Overstock/ Worldstock: www.overstock.com
Propellor Studio: www.propellor.ca

Recycling Lives: www.recyclinglives.com

Traidcraft: www.traidcraft.co.uk

Anne Midge: [email protected]
John Bassett: www.basglas.com

Bill Hess: www.ideasonlegs.com

Max Jacquard: www.maxjacquard.com

Shuro Kasai: www.homepage2.nifty.com

Jon Lewis: www.orbicglass.com
Daniel Maher: www.dmstainedglass.com
Erwin Timmers:

www.washingtonglasscentre.com

Fig.7: Dram

Chandelier.

Studio

Fig.8: Syrian

lighting: Plate

lamp.

Courtesy Artiquea

–

‘

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

Bill Millar

Decorated Cocktail Glasses

Fig.1: left to right:

Footed tot in clear glass

with optic moulded bowl

and green foot; two glasses

with enamelled decoration

in various colours.

Fig.2: Traditionally cut,
footed tot.

clear, undecorated cocktail glass from the jazz age

sounds an unlikely object. They do exist,hopefully
in small numbers, but are too boring to be

of much interest so we’ll ignore them and concentrate

on decorated cocktail glasses. This article outlines

the background to their development, the decorative
techniques used and illustrates the styles and motifs

that may be found.
Cocktails first became popular in the USA in the

late 19th century and cocktail glasses were produced
from the turn of the century. The first recorded
cocktail party took place in the USA in 1914 and they

became popular in the UK in the 1920s and 1930s.

Huge numbers of cocktail glasses were made during
this period in the then Czechoslovakia although

American, British, Scandinavian and other European
glassmakers produced their share. By the late 1930s

the Czechoslovakian glass industry claimed to produce
some 40% of the world’s output of glass; a

record shattered by the outbreak of WW2. A few

manufacturers recommenced production post-
war but cocktail parties declined in popularity and

the 1960s mark the end of this chapter. Identifi-

cation of country of origin, far less the maker, can be
difficult if not impossible. Where identification of the

maker has been possible this is stated in the article.
Cocktail parties were what the smart set did

between tea and dinner in the 20s and 30s; so with a
whole evening’s dining and carousing ahead of them,

party goers needed to pace themselves. Consequently,

cocktail glasses of the period were small by today’s

standards; which probably explains why so many

of them survive today, as larger glasses, being

more useful to later generations, were more likely to
be used and consequently broken. Whilst this article

is restricted to glasses, the motifs may be found on a
wide range of cocktail-associated glassware including

shakers, trays, decanters, mixer jugs, bitters bottles,
coasters, ashtrays, cocktail sticks, cocktail stick

holders, cigar humidors and toothpick holders.
Some glasses were made in coloured glass without
decoration and others carried abstract applied

or cut designs. However, a large proportion were

decorated with pictorial motifs which offer an

endless range of subjects for the collector.

Cockerels, the most common, far outnumber any

other subject. Cocktail glasses were usually hand-

made and most were hand-decorated. Various
techniques have been employed to produce interesting,
colourful glasses and an explanation of these tech-

niques is just one way to categorise these glasses. It
was quite common to use two or more techniques on

the same glass. There are three basic shapes: a tot

(least common), a footed tot or stemless glass, and a
stemmed glass; some struggle to decide if they are

in the 2nd or 3rd category. All three are illustrated.

Coloured Glass

COLOURED glass in combinations with other colours

or clear glass was used to good effect to produce
attractive, stylish glasses. The glass on the left in
fig.1

is neither but it suffices to illustrate the concept.

Cutting

TWO types of cutting can be found: normal cutting and
intaglio cutting. Normal cutting is done using the top
of the cutting wheel to produce straight lines, intaglio

is cut on the underside of the wheel and produces
curved lines. Both can be polished or left matt.
The clear glass, footed tot in
fig.2
has been

decorated with traditional cutting. The Stuart glass in

the centre of
fig.3

has a simple, cut design and an

etched cockerel.

Fig.3: left to right: 1. Engraved; 2. Cut with etched motif

by Stuart; 3. Intaglio-cut by ThosWebb.

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

Fig.5: Uranium glass tot with

needle etching.

Fig.4: Intaglio-cut glass by Orrefors.

The Thomas Webb glass on

the right in
fig.3
was made

post-war and the intaglio-cut

decoration is reminiscent of the

Japanesque style popular over

half a century earlier. In contrast,
the Orrefors glass in
fig.4
is

intaglio cut to great effect with
a stylised seal juggling cones.

However, its capacity is tiny so it
might only have been popular
with mean hosts or those trying

to minimise their consumption

of alcohol. Designers often sacri-

ficed utility for style which may

not have been an issue to
owners who may have received

the glasses as wedding presents
and then placed them in a

display cabinet never to be used

or moved except for dusting.
Engraving

COPPER wheel engraving
requires skilled craftsmen and

is, therefore, probably the most
expensive technique.
Engraved glass was hugely

popular up to the First World

War. Skilled craftsmen were still
at work in the inter-war years.

However, post World War 2,
demand for engraving declined.

The glass on the left in
fig.3
has

a most striking design with a

cut, solid, combined foot/stem

and an engraved cockerel on
the bowl. Engraved cockerels

are common, but other subjects

much less so on cocktail glasses.

Acid Etching

THIS technique involves coating
the glass with a resist which is
partially removed to expose the

area to be etched. The pattern is

then produced as either a line or

a silhouette area.
The glass in the centre of
fig.3

by Stuart has a silhouette etched

cockerel. Stuart also used this

as a template to produce what
appeared to be an engraved

motif. A few intaglio cuts pro-
duced an effect similar to

engraving at considerably lower
cost. The uranium glass tot in

fig.5
has a frieze of needle-

etched cockerels.

Transfer Printing

THE design is printed on a backing
which enables the motif to be

floated off and transferred to
the glass which is then heated in

a lehr to make the motif more
or less permanent. Clearly this

is not the case with the glass
in
fig.6.

The glass was produced by

Stevens & Williams using two

colours of glass. The bowl was

formed using opaque white

‘opal’ cased with an amber

uranium ‘cairngorm’, which was

also used to produce the stem

and foot. The combination of
‘opal’ and ‘cairngorm’ was known

as ‘primrose’. The transfer-printed

motif has suffered over the past
80 years and the huntsman who

is holding the dead fox above

his head appears to have lost
Fig.6: Transfer printed glass by

Stevens &Williams.

his trousers. This combination of
colours was also produced with
differently shaped bowls — some

undecorated and some with a
cockerel transfer print.

Enamelling

ENAMEL is produced by grinding
coloured glass to make a powder

which, when made into a paste,

is painted onto the glass. The
glass is then heated in a lehr at

a temperature high enough to

melt the enamel so that it fuses
to the glass. Most glasses with

an enamelled, pictorial motif had

a transfer-printed silhouette or
outline applied to guide the

decorators, although outlines

could also be etched.
The two glasses (centre and

right) in
fig.1
have been decor-

ated with coloured enamels.

The green on the central glass
feels rough and would have

been produced using larger

granules of enamel glass. These
pretty glasses are representative
of a large number of colourful
glasses of the period. Possibly

best described as ‘nice’ but not
exactly memorable. Much more

exciting are the bright colours

and abstract designs of Art

Deco decoration typifying the

0
77
age such as the example by

Stuart Crystal in
fig.7.
Given that cocktail parties were

largely the domain of the smart
set, it should be no surprise to
discover that hunting
(fig.6),

shooting and fishing were popular

motifs. Game birds would have

been popular with the shooting
fraternity and pheasants, wood-

cock, grouse, quail and other

species can all be found. The

two pheasants on the glasses
in
fig.8
were hand-enamelled

over a transfer-printed outline.

The blue-footed glass sports a

wonderfully detailed pheasant

in flight whilst the middle glass

has an equally well presented
golden pheasant. The third glass
displays a stylised ‘exotic’ bird

(shorthand for ‘no species known
to man’); this motif was also
used on tumblers.
Turning to fishing, the three

glasses in
fig.9
are decorated with

hand-enamelled salmon fishing
flies. The outside two glasses
were made by Webb Corbett

and the quality of the glass and
decoration is first class. Salmon

fly patterns are invariably brightly
coloured, if not garish, so make

an excellent subject although
decorators might be tempted to

invent their own patterns. The

Webb Corbett glasses have the
name of the fly pattern enamelled
on the base of the glass so

Fig. 7: Art Deco cocktail by Stuart
(courtesy of Broadfield House
Glass Museum).

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

Fig.9: Three salmon fly

cocktail glasses.

Fig.10: Greyhound

and pug glasses.

Fig.11: Three glasses with

lady tennis players.
Fig.8: Three glasses with

birds.

appear to be the real thing. The central glass may or

may not depict a known fly pattern, but has the

redeeming factor of a practical design whereas Webb

Corbett glasses are difficult to hold and would be

difficult to place on a table when full without spilling.

Another very smart wedding present!
Sporting themes in general are common. Greyhound

racing is illustrated on the left hand glass in
fig.10
with

the dog from trap 8 in full flight clearing a hurdle.

Presumably the other glasses in the set sported different
trap numbers. The right-hand glass depicts a dog
portrait, possibly a pug, and the other glasses have

portraits of different breeds. Tennis is the theme in

fig.11.
The sportswear is clearly of the period although

the poses are slightly strange to say the least. Golf and
show-jumping are represented in
fig.12;

having only
these two glasses from the set it must be presumed

that the others advertised different sports.

The next two glasses in
fig.13
have a military theme.

The first glass would have been a commission from
the Scots Guards with their badge produced by
cutting around an enamelled centre with the motto
‘Nemo Me Impune Lacessit’ which means No one

touches me with impunity’. Mess guests who used

this glass to overindulge the regiment’s hospitality

may subsequently have felt that the motto should also

have been applied to the contents of the glass. The
second glass shows a drunken sailor being kicked

out of, presumably, a bar with the legend ‘Man Over

Board’. Must be a foreign glass because sailors of the

Royal Navy would never behave like that!
The above represents just a few of the enamelled

motifs that may be found on cocktail glasses. Stuart
Crystal, for example, produced a wide range of

enamelled cocktail glasses which included devils,
butterflies, flowers, spiders, huntsmen, snakes and

lucky charms.

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014
Gilding

SEVERAL types of gilding were employed. Cold-
painted gilding using ground gold or gilt material in a

paste is the least expensive and least hard-wearing.

Gold paste painted on the glass then heated as for
enamel is much more hard-wearing. Gold leaf is also

extremely effective. Silver foil and an overlay using a

measurable thickness of silver can also be found.
The elegant, gilt glass on the right in
fig.14

was

probably made in the USA and is of very high quality.

The gilding on the stem and foot has been painted
and the cockerels have been produced using gold

leaf previously textured to create detail such as

feathers. The glass on the left, which could be from
the USA or Czechoslovakia, has silver overlay cockerels

and trims to foot and bowl. The silver is thick enough

to have been engraved to create detail before being

affixed to the glass.

Modelling

LAMPWORK inclusions, and lampwork glasses with

the stem formed by mermaids, naked ladies and
various creatures can frequently be found. Many are of

fairly recent manufacture for collectors. Most are too

fragile to be practicable (more wedding presents?).
However, the glasses in
fig.15,
where a model cockerel

forms the stem and which were made in the 1950s by

If you have any comments

or questions the author will be
delighted to hear from you at

[email protected]
Morgantown Glass USA, are of sterner stuff. The

bowl and foot of that on the left are uranium glass and

represents just one of the six or more colours used to
produce harlequin sets. The glass on the right has

intaglio-cut decoration on the bowl. Modelling of stems
and shaker stoppers was used by a number of US
glassmakers including Heisey; William George of

California produced cocktail glasses with a ceramic
cockerel model as the foot and stem!
This article has only scratched the surface of a

collecting area too often decried as ‘just Czecho-

slovakian glass’. Next time you see one of these
glasses take a closer look and you may be surprised

at what you may discover.

Fig.12 (above left):

A pair of sporting glasses.

Fig.13 (above right):

A pair of military glasses.

Fig.14 (left):
Gilt and silver overlay

glasses.

Fig.15 (right):
Morgantown chanticleer

glasses.

An Aussie at the AGM
Peter Nolan

E
XCITEMENT’ and ‘AGM’ are terms

that don’t sit naturally together;

at least not in my experience.

Nonetheless, there I was on a Saturday
morning, in the rain, half a world away from

home and feeling eager — if a tad nervous –
as I walked into the Ruskin Glass Centre to

attend my first Glass Association meeting,

which by chance was the AGM. Eighteen

months previously I’d known nothing about

the Association. A chance email exchange
with Richard Giles, whom GA members
know from his regular paperweights

contributions to the
Cone,
alerted me to the

Association. From the outset I’ve been
impressed by the ambit of the Association’s

interests and have enjoyed keeping up with

its activities, albeit from afar.
Having found the Ruskin Centre, getting

to the right meeting room was easy: by simply

following the crowd. I was mildly uncertain

at the prospect of stepping into a room of
people I’d never met before, each of whom

I was sure knew everything about glass,
where I know little. And I’m interested in

paperweights. Do other glass collectors

consider this something of a Cinderella

category and not ‘the real thing? So went

the banter from the leprechaun of self-doubt
on my shoulder as I made my way to the

registration desk with a tentative smile. The

brogue was stilled when, three metres from

the desk, I looked up to a friendly smile and
‘Hello. You must be Peter!’ Maurice Wimpory

knew I was coming and mine was probably

the only face he didn’t already know. He

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

immediately put me at ease and told me

about the programme ahead. That relaxed

greeting set the tone for the remainder of the
day and everyone I met thereafter was

welcoming and generous in swapping the

stories of our various glass interests and

adventures. One usually intuits the ‘feel’ of a

group very early in one’s time within it. In this

instance the enthusiasm of the gathering
and good humour of its members was

evident from the outset. There was a low
hubbub of chatter and plenty of smiles as
groups formed, fragmented and reformed;

people obviously at ease with one another

and enjoying the chance of renewing
acquaintances and catching up with news

from recent times.
The AGM itself was relatively brief, with due

thanks to departing committee members and

a welcome to new appointees. A progress

report on plans that might secure a new home

for the Broadfield House glass collection was

heartening and this ‘colonial’ was interested
to learn of the prospective coming together of

The Glass Association and The Glass Circle.
As I listened to the discussion of what is
obviously a topic with many dimensions and
some history I offered a silent wisdom-of-

Solomon-prayer for members of both Com-
mittees as they navigate the path ahead.
With the AGM completed I wiggled about in

my seat, straightened my back and tuned my
antennae for what the advance notices had

foreshadowed would be an interesting array
of topics and speakers. And the promise

was delivered, in spades. Will Farmer’s

presentation on recent auction trends in glass

sales – spanning Georgian stemware to the
works of contemporary glass artist – was

topical and interesting, especially to an

antipodean who relies heavily on auction

houses in Britain and Europe. There was even
reference to ‘us Aussies’ as good buyers at
present. Will’s presentation was augmented

with the opportunity to examine some lovely
pieces that he’d brought to illustrate each of

the periods he spoke about, including
pieces from his own collection.
Charles Hadjamach presented a personal,

fascinating and thought-provoking glimpse

into some of the history of glassmaking in

the Stourbridge region. Charles’ story began
in his own back yard (literally!) and included

a moving salute to the artisans and skilled
workers – women and men – who have

often been less acknowledged but no less

important in producing those objects of
beauty that beguile us all.
Graham Fisher, Ian Duty and Terri Co!ledge

retold their adventures in undertaking the
The Race, a cameo vase by George and Thomas

Woodall, Thomas Webb & Sons, c.1888. Ht. 12
3

4n.

One of the fascinating pieces mentioned by

Charles Hadjamach in his talk and which can

be seen at Broadfield House Glass Museum.

Portland Vase Project 2012 – which included

replication of two other famous pieces from

antiquity. I was touched to hear that the
project’s inspiration has been a commitment

to demonstrate that the knowledge and skills

for making such beautiful objects is not a thing
of the past but is very much a part of modern-
day Stourbridge. The following display of the

team’s replicas drew exclamations of admir-

ation and delight and an enthusiastic bank
of picture takers. I confess to timidly hanging
back at this point for fear that one more in

the fray might just be the tipping point that
would see history repeating itself with another

Portland Vase in shards on the floor!

Victoria Scholes (Chairperson of the Con-

temporary Glass Society) confessed to nerves

in the presence of such an audience – she
wasn’t the first for the day. She went on to

impress us with an informative presentation

and impressive display of the works of current
glass artists in Britain. We saw pieces that

reflected creativity and skill and in this were

again reminded that the artistry of glass is
indeed alive and well in the UK, and very worthy
of our attention as present-day collectors.

Certainly this collector left the meeting with
a commitment to increase the number of
contemporary pieces on his own shelves.
With the presentation over, there was plenty
of fuel for enthusiastic discussion as members

started to disperse. Many went on to visit

the adjacent Webb Corbett Visitors Centre –
which tells the story of glassmaking on the

site and in the Stourbridge area – and studios
within the Ruskin Glass Centre. An hour later,

entering Broadfield House – opening beyond

its usual hours especially for the benefit of
visiting Glass Association members, and with

afternoon tea kindly provided by the Friends

of Broadfield House – I was again greeted by

the friendly smiles of GA members. Indeed,
between chats there was barely time to give

this wonderful glass collection the attention

it deserves; I did, however, make a point of
studying the paperweight corner. Thanks to
Carrie, her staff and ‘Friends’ who made us

feel so welcome.
As I drove away from Broadfield House and

back past the Ruskin Centre my mind was

racing with the sights and sounds of the
day, with the information gathered, the ideas

begun, the feelings and warm exchanges with

those I’d met. My thanks to all who shared
with me parts of that day; those conversations

will be pleasant memories and give new
colour as I resume my distant watch of

the Association, its activities and members.

I regret not meeting Richard Giles in person
and not being able to take up his kind
invitation to visit. Such was the price of my

laissez-faire
approach to ‘planning(?)’. We

spoke by ‘phone a couple of days later and

chatted easily for 30 minutes across a range

of topics. As I hung up the telephone I realised

that I hadn’t thanked him for his introduction

to the GA, nor for his encouragement of

my glass interests over the past 18 months.
Perhaps he’ll see this article.
So, the day had begun in keen anticipation.

It had run a pace and been packed with
nice people, interesting topics and rewarding
insights. Yes, ‘excitement’ had been the

right feeling.
It would be remiss of me to finish these

recollections without mention of the Ruskin

Glass Centre and its work. The Centre is one
of several services operated by the Ruskin

Mill Trust, all of which contribute to the lives

of people who might otherwise miss out on

mainstream opportunities. My eldest son has
an intellectual disability and for over thirty

years we’ve been a part of organisations
with similar aims. This coincidence was

unexpected and provided an extra dimension

to the day. I’m grateful to Leigh White,
Manager of the Centre, for taking time to
‘talk shop’. That chat and the information

gathered since will fuel some new discussions

now that I’ve returned home.

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

Vienna and Budapest

An exploration of glass. 28 August – 3 September

Mike Moir

Fig.1 (left):

First-century
Roman polychrome

ribbed glass bowl.

Fig.2: Figure
Commedia

dell’Arte; last

quarter 16th-

centuryVenice —

glass, enamel, iron
wire and wood.

Fig.3 (left):

Enamelled glass
from Conrad &

Liebsch, Johann

Oertel and

Friedrich

Pietschall from
1914
–
17.

Fig.4 (right):
Harrach

monumental

cameo vase,

c.1885.

E great thing about a trip like

this is that whether you are a

highly knowledgeable glass

generalist, a specialist or just a curious

amateur, there is an amazing amount
to see, learn and enjoy. Sometimes
it is the prize possessions of a museum

that amaze and sometimes it is
something deep in a hidden vault

that stuns. What one takes from a trip

like this is personal, depending on
individual expectations and prior
knowledge. So, no apologies, my

review is a personal one.
Before the trip, Vienna to me was a

major centre of European artistic
culture, home of the Secessionist and

the Wiener Werkstatte movements,
but as for glass manufacture, I’d have

had to scratch my head. Budapest, on
the other hand, glasswise – well, I really
wasn’t sure I could think of anything.
So our intrepid band of 20-odd

people, brilliantly lead by Attila Sik and

Zsuzsa Molnar, started out at the
Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum.

Quickly the reasons for Vienna’s artistic
significance began to unfold: while

most of Europe’s royalty was carving
out empires, Austria’s leaders
preferred to focus on art

rather than on war. The

museum included many of

the possessions of the great

Viennese royal collectors who

clearly had an eclectic interest

in important applied arts from

around the world.
Figs 1 & 2

show a colourful 1st-century

Roman bowl and, from a

royal collection, a small statue
of the Commedia dell’Arte
dating to the late 16th

century, from Venice.

In the early afternoon we

visited the MAK: the Austrian

Museum for the Applied Arts.
Although we were greeted

with the slightly ominous

‘Sorry the 20th Century is

closed’, it was still packed
with wonders. The glass

study collection, covering all
periods, has some very

superior, mostly Bohemian-made
glass, much of it designed and

commissioned by Viennese artists.

Fig.3
shows a collection of enamelled

glass from Conrad & Liebsch, Johann

Oertel and Friedrich Pietschall from
1914 to 1917. For me, though, the

finest gem was in their vaults (an area
to which few are allowed access) –
a monumental, nearly 2ft-tall Harrach

cameo vase circa 1885. It was in too
difficult a location to photograph well,

but I did manage to get a close-up
of some of the ‘orientalist’
detail
(fig.4).
A special com-

mission, it is possibly one of
the most impressive pieces
of Bohemian glass that I

have ever seen.

Our next stop was the

almost surreal shop and

museum of J. & L. Lobmeyr.

Untouched for over 150
years, it is a marvel of old and
new, not least because of the
impressive modern ‘Venus

Comb Light Sculpture’

(2005-10) by Jack Ink, in the

main body of the shop
(fig.5).

Here we met the remarkable

Peter Rath, retired supremo

of the very successful
Lobmeyr empire. Lobmeyr,

for many years, have

designed and commissioned

great glass. Early pieces are

highly prized in the collectors’

market and modern pieces

include some of the best drinking

glasses available. Peter Rath showed

us some of the gems of the museum

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

Fig.8: Ajka Cameo

glass vase, 2000.

Fig.9: Drinking

glasses designed by

Koloman Moser
(Meteor: top shelf

c.1900) and Otto
Prutscher (lower

shelf c.1907).

collection, including a mouth-

watering group of Ena Rottenberg

enamel pieces, circa 1928-30
(fig.6).

Rather typical of the choice items
on this trip, Rottenberg was born
Hungarian and lived in Vienna, but

the glass was made in Bohemia.
After showing us his shop, Mr

Rath, ever generous with his
own time, took us on a tour of

his workshops and archives. It is
a literal time capsule; he showed

us around and explained his

personal philosophy, amplifying

the ‘Austrian’ predilection for prizing
design over production and the

importance of separating the activi-

ties. Perhaps the most tantalising

moment of the trip was when he took
us to his records archive and randomly
pulled original designs from drawers;

fig.
7 shows him finding and displaying

an original Josef Hoffman design for

a drinking glass.
Our second day took us to the

Leopold Museum and we were in

Vienna Secession and Wiener Werk-
statte heaven. It sometimes takes a
collection like this to really make sense

of the totality of an artistic movement.

The driving forces behind both
movements were the two Viennese
super-stars: Koloman Moser and
Josef Hoffmann. Great polymaths,

their designs included some fantastic

glass.
Fig.9
shows a wonderful display

of drinking glasses designed by
Koloman Moser (Meteor, top shelf,

circa 1900) and his student Otto
Prutscher (lower shelf, circa 1907),

commissioned by the Austrian com-
pany of E. Bakalowitz and made in

Bohemia by Meyr’sNeffe.
The afternoon took us to the

excellent Sikabonyi Gallery, our first

real taste of modern glass design,
followed by a visit to the Hofburg
Museum, full of incredible Josef

Hoffmann silverware, and finally,

a necessary walk past the truly

magnificent Secessionist hall.
Day three took us on to Budapest

with some interesting stops on our
way. The first was the Pannon-

halma Hefter Gallery, owned
by a stained-glass artist and

restorer, introducing us to the

surprising world of modern

Hungarian Art Glass.

Then we visited Ajka. Shop,

museum and glassworks, Ajka is

a large, quality, ‘high lead’ crystal

glassworks and has thrived for

much of its existence effectively as a

‘ghost glass house’, making wares

exclusively for other manufacturers.

In the postwar period this included a
lot of familiar British and Irish names,

Fig.5 (left):

‘Venus Comb Light

Sculpture’
(2005-10)

bylackInk.

Fig.6 (right):

Ena Rottenberg

enamel pieces,

c.1928-30, for
Lobmeyr.

Fig.7 (far right):

Josef Hoffman

Glass design for
Lobmeyr –

displayed by

Peter Rath.

such as Waterford, Dartington and

Edinburgh Crystal. Today they make

for many of the big ‘world’ high street
brand names; they also dabble in their

own markets producing an interesting

take on modern cameo glass
(fig.8).

Having arrived in Budapest, day four

took us back to the Hungarian
countryside and the Domsod Julia
Bathory Museum. Run by Julia’s family

it is dedicated to her impressive
yet neglected work. She thrived in

Paris in the 1930s as a top glass
designer. Interestingly some of her

best designs were used for the glass

fronts of radios
(fig.14).

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

In the afternoon we had a trip to the

newly-renovated Parliament Building
which has some impressive, if maybe

strange, restored stain-glass windows
by Roth Miksa, followed by a visit to

the Roth Miksa Museum with a great

array of his work
(fig.11).

The evening was a particular treat:

a feast of modern Hungarian glass.

At the Ponton Gallery, Lajos Barabas
displayed not only a wide selection

of stunning glass, but also the

artists. Innovative, dramatic and
technically adroit we were
shown a mind-blowing array of
work, all made without any

facility to blow glass. We all had
our favourites; personally I loved

the work of Gyorgy Gaspar
(fig.13).

We were truly spoilt for choice.

Our last day started at the Museum

of Applied Arts – a true jewel in itself,

this museum held a great and un-
expected surprise: a large collection,
bought almost entirely from the great

European World Fairs and the famous
‘Bing’ shop in Paris (originator of the

term Art Nouveau).
Fig.12
shows a

marvellous boxed presentation ‘Spice’
set c.1900, purchased directly from

the Bing shop, containing L.C. Tiffany

Favrile footed salts with silver spoons
from Edouard Colonna, Paris. We
were also shown the true origins,

indeed the Hungarian origins, of

iridised glass by Valentin Leo

Pantocsek. We were then treated to a
brief view of their slightly disorganised

store where more treasures were to
be found. This included a superior
‘unattributed’ vase – a stunning

example by Carl Goldberg of Haida
Bohemia, surprise award winner at

the 1900 Paris exhibition, and almost
certainly bought there
(fig.15).

Our last museum of the trip was the

Hungarian National Museum, where

we saw many first-rate examples of

glass from all periods and again we

were allowed into the private store

where we found great glass in cabinets

more impressive than most museums.
Next stop was a kind of glass soirée:
an auction put on

solely for our benefit,

with an exhibition and a chance to talk

to local collectors. Finally we had our

last supper and a chance to chat with
guests from our whole Hungarian trip.

Vienna proved indeed the home

of some of the all-time great glass
designers and Budapest, for me, now

has a great glass presence, modern
and historical.
A fantastic trip; we owe many

thanks to all the generous
museum curators, translators

and other people that helped the

Glass Association (GA), especially

Gaby Marcon, organise such an

interesting, educational programme.

We also thank the true and tireless

heroes of the expedition, our leaders

Attila Sik and Zsuzsa Molnar, GA

members whose knowledge and
contacts helped to create this special
event. A final thanks to the GA and

the Glass Circle members, without
whom the trip could not have gone

ahead.
Pig.11

(left):

Roth Miksa’

Pomegranates’

Mosaic, 1898.

Fig.12 (above):
Spice’ set, c.1900.

LC. Tiffany favrile
footed salts with

silver spoons,

Edouaud Colonna,

Paris in original

Bing shop box.

Fig.13 (left):
Alien Eye’ Gyorgy

Gaspar; c.2010

Fig.14 (below left):

Julia Bathory
original design

drawing and radio
cover, 1930-39.

Fig.15 (below):
Vase by Carl

Goldberg of Haida

c.1900.

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

A Celebration of the Work

of the Ysart Family

Himley Hall and Broadfield House — 15/16 June 2013

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tribute weights made by

Peter Holmes of Scottish

Borders Art Glass using a

genuine PY signature cane
which along with his PH

signature cane can be seen

in the gap between the 2nd

and 3rd rings of millefiori.

Fig.2: Part of the paperweight
cane collection belonging to

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N my opinion, the Ysart Family Glass weekend,

comprising a day of talks based at the Himley

Country Hotel followed by an exhibition of

paperweights and art glass the next day at

Broadfield House Glass Museum, lived up to
its title in every way.
The hotel was offering an extra night’s b&b

at a very reasonable price, so quite a few of
the 85-plus participants in the weekend

activities decided to take up the offer as the
talks were starting at 10am on the Saturday. For

some guests there were a few problems with the

time taken to get food in the hotel on the Friday night
and some people had problems in their rooms; we were
obviously lucky on both counts and we felt that in most

other respects the package offered for the Saturday
was excellent value. Loaning both weights and glass

for the exhibition meant spending time on the Friday
afternoon, Saturday early evening and an early start
on Sunday morning to help a small band of PCC

members, aided by the staff at Broadfield House

Museum, set up the display of some 400 items covering

around 50-plus years of weight production from

Salvador Ysart and his four sons: Paul, Augustine,

Vincent and Antoine, plus Monart and Vasart art glass

from the same period.
After a brief welcome from Angela

Faulkner, chairman of the Paper-
weight Collectors Circle, who along

with other committee members

organised the weekend, the first
speakers were Derek Carter, PCC

secretary and archivist who has

a keen interest in Scottish
paperweights, with a brief history

of the Ysart family. This was

followed by Dave Moir who gave
us his reminiscences of joining
Ysart Brothers Glass in 1954

and going on to work for both

Vasart and Strathearn. With the
closure of Strathearn in 1980

Dave became an HGV driver,
but after a break of over 20

years is now back working
with glass alongside John

and Craig Deacons at their
studio in Crieff.
Next up, with a more personal view of the Ysart

family, was Fiona Rae, granddaughter of Vincent
Ysart and great granddaughter of Salvador.
She had brought a selection of family-related
glass and other ephemera for the exhibition,
some of which she had with her for the talk,
plus she showed the audience some family

photographs that hadn’t been seen before.

She continued with something of her family

connections and her interest in collecting

glass made by the family members and

explained that, because of the falling-out

between Paul and his father, her side of the family

had little or no contact with Paul and his family, so her
knowledge of them was very limited.
The Glass Association was well represented among

the speakers with two former chairmen making
contributions. First up after the coffee break was

Charles Hajdamach who gave the audience an insight
into what was going on in terms of glass design and

manufacture elsewhere in Europe and the UK at the
time that the Ysart family were making Monart Glass

at the Moncrieff factory in Perth and later as Ysart
Brothers Glass and Vasart. He was followed by Ian

Turner – a well-known authority on and in the past an
avid collector of Monart Glass – with
his recollection of various meetings

that he had with Paul Ysart in his
latter years when he was research-

ing information on Monart Glass
for his section of the book on Ysart
Glass published in 1990.
The variety of talks continued

after a very nice buffet lunch with a
pre-recorded video link-up with
Professor Alison Clarke in Vienna

where she holds the position of
Professor of Design History at
the University of Applied Arts.

Along with Ian Turner and Frank

Andrews she was a co-author of
the book on Ysart Glass and
again gave us information on

her interviews with Paul Ysart,
the last surviving member of the

glassmaking Ysart family.
After the more general talks

on the Ysart family and their

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

glassmaking activities we moved on to more

paperweight-related subjects with a short talk

by Roy Brown on his vast collection of canes

and lampwork from most past and present
paperweight makers, put together over a

period of some thirty years
(fig.1 ).
This was

followed by Kevin Holt talking about the

paperweights produced by Salvador Ysart and

the Ysart brothers. Since 1994, when he

decided to concentrate on paperweights,

Kevin has spent a huge amount of time

investigating, researching and analysing

both the canes and glass produced by the

members of the Ysart family over the various
periods of the 50-plus years’ production. He

made it clear that although the research had

answered many questions, it also confirmed
that nothing is certain when it comes to
Fig.3: Selection of concentric millefiori weights

made by PaulYsart but without Signature canes.

identifying Ysart family glass. With the help
of signature canes, paper labels and glass
analysis, attribution to a particular maker/

period is possible, but there remain some

items which will always be unattributable due

to lack of confirmation by any living person.
During the Moncrieff years, prior to the

second world war, all five of the family

members worked together and canes from
both Salvador and Paul would have been

available to all of them. After the war, when

Salvador, Augustine and Vincent left Moncrieff

Fig.4: Selection of weights made by PaulYsart,

some with PY signature canes and others with

H signature canes signifying that they were
made in the later period at Harland.
to set up Ysart Brothers Glass, they would

have taken supplies of canes, made before
the war, with them and therefore it is not too

surprising to find items turning up containing
canes made by both Salvador and Paul.
The final speakers were Peter Holmes

and Willie Manson with stories of their time

as apprentices to Paul Ysart when he was

Training Officer at the Caithness Glass factory
at Wick. Peter was recruited by Paul and
singled out to help him with the production

of the paperweights that he was allowed to

make outside of his official duties within the

company. Peter finally left Caithness in 1977

to set up Selkirk Glass and since 2002 has
been operating with son Andrew at Scottish
Borders Art Glass in Hawick. Peter also

announced that, with the co-operation of Ian

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

Fig.5: The main display case containing examples

of Monart andVasart glass plus weights and
inkwells made by Salvador Ysart and Ysart

Brothers with the Ysart family items in the centre.

Turner, who had been given a selection of PY
signature canes by Paul Ysart, he would, as

a tribute to Paul Ysart, be producing a small

number of Ysart-style weights containing
both PH and PY signature canes and

examples were available for inspection by

anyone interested
(fig.2).

Willie Manson was to work under Paul

Ysart before being approached by a director

of Caithness Glass with a proposal to join

him and Paul in a new paperweight-making
venture at Harland, which lasted until 1975,

after which he was to return to Caithness

Glass. Another short-lived venture followed
in 1979, after which he returned to work as

a freelance at Caithness until 1997 when he
left to set up his own studio (lasting until
2004). After a break he has recently returned

to paperweight making in Perth.
The final event of the afternoon was a

question and answer session with all the

speakers. The majority of attendees stayed

for the dinner in the evening when, after the

food and drink, there was an informal session
when Ian Turner and Willie Manson regaled

us with amusing stories that Ian discovered
during his research and, in Willie’s case, when

working closely with Paul Ysart at Harland.
The exhibition at Broadfield House Museum

on the Sunday, with over 400 items on display

in various cabinets around the room, was a
wonderful sight for anyone with an interest in
Ysart family glass. I would guess that it was

probably the largest number of Ysart family

paperweights that have or are ever likely to be
displayed in one place. Weights made by Paul

Ysart were displayed under various themes

in the freestanding display cases
(figs 3 & 4).

Those by Salvador, Augustine and Vincent,
made after their departure from Moncrieff

Glass in 1948 (when they operated firstly as
Ysart Brothers and later as Vasart Glass),
were in the large display case, along with

examples of Monart and Vasart glass
(fig.5).

Family-related items provided by Vincent’s

Fig.6:Ysart family items provided byVincent’s
grand-daughter Fiona Rae. The blue glass

dressing table set was made by Salvador as

a wedding present for his wife Enriqueta who
owned the Spanish fan and both of whom

are shown in the photographs enclosed
within the two large weights.
granddaughter Fiona Rae (including the

dressing-table set made by Salvador for his

wife on the occasion of their marriage) were

also in that case
(fig.6).
In another cabinet

was a display of the jewellery produced by

Caithness Glass with millefiori buttons made

by Paul Ysart incorporated into the designs.
A well-produced catalogue and photo-

graphic record of the items displayed in the

exhibition was produced by the PCC —free to

members, it was also available for purchase
on the day by visitors. It will no doubt become

a wonderful reference document for both
current and future collectors. My thanks and

congratulations go all those involved in

organising and setting up the weekend’s

activities; sadly, with all the work involved,
such events don’t happen very often and

therefore become even more enjoyable
when they do.

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

MEMBERS NEWS

John Luxton, 1920-2013

JOHN Luxton was born in August 1920 in Old

Hill, Worcestershire, and went to school in
Halesowen. At the age of sixteen he went on to

study at Stourbridge School of Art where he
became interested in glass and later won a

scholarship to the Royal College of Art in London.

However, during his first term, study was
interrupted by war. John was called up to join the

army where he served in Egypt, Iraq and Italy

before being demobbed in Germany, in 1946.
On his return he rejoined his studies at the

Royal College and in 1949 he began his

employment with Stuart Crystal where he
remained until his retirement in 1985. His career

as a designer meant that John Luxton met many
different people, including a Pope and the actress

Grace Kelly.
Whilst at Stuart’s, he had to design all types

and styles of cut glass from the quality traditional
lines through to modern, restrained designs that
appealed particularly to export countries. He also

designed lead crystal trophies and commem-

oratives, including one for the ultimate body-
building competition – the Mr Universe contest

run by the National Amateur Bodybuilding

Association (NABBA) – which resulted in his
works of art adorning the mantlepieces of some
of the world’s top musclemen.

He retired in 1985 continuing to live in Hagley

and giving spare time, along with his wife Betty, to

help ‘meals on wheels’, also manning the local
community helpline and worked for it giving lifts to

those who needed transport to doctors, dentists
and in fact anywhere in the locale.
Naturally, John also supported his much loved

wife, Betty, in her role as chairperson of the WI,

and spent 25 years as the floor manager and host
of the local Hagley Players Group. Sadly Betty
died aged 86, but John took much comfort in his

loving family.

During his retirement, such was the interest in

his designs, that he was enticed back to work
in his 70s to develop a new range that was based
on a single piece which he designed in the 1950s

for Stuart Crystal. Originally these were marketed
by Stuart Crystal, and then under the Waterford

Wedgwood brand, which took over the Stuart
name, it was known as the
Luxton Collection
and

proved a successful seller.

John was a deeply self-effacing man who,

although quietly pleased that people praised his

work, could not quite seem to believe it. Indeed,

the President of the Glass Association and former

Keeper at Broadfield House Glass Museum,
Charles Hajdamach, said of John that he was
a ‘lovely personable character’ and continued,
‘He was a true gentleman, very polite and well-

mannered and very self-effacing’.
The re-introduction of designs after his retire-

ment stood testament to John Luxton’s enduring
quality as a glass designer along with his ability

to create designs well ahead of the vagaries
of fashion. It was also a pleasure for him to
John Luxton holding a vase

undertake and must have gone some way to let

him realise that others truly appreciated him and

his designs.
John sadly passed away peacefully on 29

September 2013 at the age of 93 and will be

much missed by his family, especially by his two
sons, Martin and Peter. The world of glass and

design is the richer for John Luxton’s lifelong

efforts and we should all be grateful to him

for that.

—

Nigel

Benson, January 2014

Project Director appointed
for £2m Arts Scheme in Sunderland
and South Tyneside

A scheme to bring major arts and performance
events to the doorsteps of ten communities in

Sunderland and South Tyneside has appointed
a Project Director.
The Cultural Spring,
a £2m project financed

over three years by Arts Council England’s

‘Creative People and Places Programme’, will be

led by Rebecca Ball – one of the North East’s

most experienced cultural managers.

Rebecca, who is currently general manager

of Newcastle-based theatre company Zendeh,

has also worked in London, Wales and the South

East. She has an MA in Cultural Policy and is a
fellow of the prestigious Clore Cultural Leadership

Programme.
‘The Cultural Spring
is a massive opportunity

for Sunderland and South Tyneside’, said Rebecca.

‘We want to make sure everybody has the

opportunity to get involved in amazing arts and
cultural projects on their doorsteps. Essentially

our ambition is to redress the balance and ensure

that the ten wards in which we are working will

benefit from significant new cultural investment.
There are some really exciting plans developing

with some fantastic partners, and I can’t wait to
get going on this visionary project.’
Arts Council England allocated £2m to the

project in May 2013, subject to completion and

approval of a detailed business and delivery plan.
Graeme Thompson, Dean of Arts, Design and

Media at the University of Sunderland and chair of

The Cultural Spring
project board, said: ‘Rebecca

is one of the most experienced and highly

regarded arts professionals in the North East. We
couldn’t be more pleased to have someone of

Rebecca’s calibre leading delivery of this uniquely
transformational project’.
The Cultural Spring
is due to launch in Easter

2014 following submission of a detailed business

plan to the Arts Council. The project has high-

level support from leading figures including film

producer Lord David Puttnam, choreographer

Wayne McGregor and musicians such as ‘The

Futureheads’. It has also attracted support from
the two local authorities along with organisations

such as Live Theatre, New Writing North and

the BBC.
The project sets out to engage local

communities in commissioning and producing

arts events and performances from areas which
don’t have a history of active participation in

theatre, music, arts and culture.

Stained Glass Museum
successfully

raises £15,000

AFTER launching an appeal in May 2013, the
Stained Glass Museum has successfully raised
£15,000 to purchase four unique modern

stained-glass panels from the studio of Geoffrey

Clarke RA (b.1924). Geoffrey Clarke was one of

the most innovative British artists of the 20th
century, working in stained glass, sculpture and

printmaking. Amongst his commissions for

stained glass, were three of the pioneering

modern windows at the new Coventry Cathedral
built to the designs of Sir Basil Spence in

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

MEMBERS NEWS

1957-62, after the medieval building was

bombed in the Second World War.
The four panels acquired by the Museum

in January 2014 were made in the 1940s and
1950s as exhibition or experimental pieces. They
demonstrate how Clarke combined stained glass,

mosaic and sculptural techniques to produce
unique artworks. St Anthony, Saint Sebastian,

and Priest (all made in 1949) are all modern
abstract compositions inspired by religious
devotion and torment. The fourth panel
Fragment

(1956-59),
pictured below,
is an innovative three-

dimensional panel which reveals Clarke’s interest

in abstract sculptural forms.

These panels were purchased with the
assistance of the V&A Purchase Grant Fund and

The Art Fund, The Headley Trust, The Matthew

Wrightson Charitable Trust, The Decorative Arts
Society and several individual donors.

New members

WE welcome the following new members who
have recently joined the GA: Mr A Regan,
Mr D Glick, Mrs J Marriott, Mrs P Yeldham.
Is it MINE?

Roger Dodsworth writes:
I was intrigued to see the photo of the Thomas

Webb cameo fleur vase on the front cover of

Glass Cone 102.
Is that the piece that was sold

by Fieldings at their glass auction on 23 March

this year because if so I was the lucky purchaser!

Hammer price was £280, which seemed very
reasonable and I don’t think is much more than
one would have had to pay 10 or 20 years ago.
When I arrived in Dudley in 1978 (two years

before Broadfield House opened), this type of

glass was referred to, by authors such as Cyril

Manley and Herbert Woodward, as ‘pseudo

cameo’. The implication was that it was a pale

and rather poor imitation of the well-known
hand-carved Stourbridge cameo from the late
19th century.
This hardly does the glass justice. Victorian

style cameo had fallen out of fashion after the

First World War, and cameo fleur was, in

my opinion, a very successful attempt to refresh

and update the cameo tradition and create a

more modern looking type of cameo glass in
keeping with the taste of the inter-war years.

Techniques such as mould blowing and acid
etching were used to speed up the decorating
process, without which it would not have been a

commercial proposition.
I think I may have been the person respon-

sible for re-instating the original name ‘cameo

fleur’. In 1987, while researching the ‘British Glass
between the Wars’ exhibition, I used to go up

to Hanley Library in Stoke-on-Trent to plough

through copies of
Pottery Gazette,

and it was on

one of those visits that I came across a Webb

advert for cameo fleur, which was dated April

1931 (see
British Glass Between The
Wars

exhibition catalogue no.265).

Obituary
Harvey Littleton
(1922
–
2013)

REGARDED as one of the fathers of the Studio
Glass movement, Harvey died on 13 December

at his home in North Carolina at the age of 91
(an article will follow in a later issue of the

Glass Cone).

Glass Association events

Visit
to Quarley

A day with the ‘Georgian Glassmakers’

Saturday 5 April 2014. 10-16.30
Project Workshop, Quarley, Hampshire

SP11 8PX

THIS event has proven to be very popular with

our members. The day will centre on practical
demonstrations of Georgian glassmaking

techniques, such as making air and opaque

twist stems and will provide opportunities to

discuss evidence for how these vessels were

made. Cost £49.
Please contact [email protected]

Other events
‘The Study – Obstruction!
Ned Cantrell’

Ned Cantrell Solo Exhibition
Until 16 March 2014; Glasmuseet,

Strandvejen 8, 8400 Ebeltoft, Denmark

THE Study exhibition ‘Obstruction’ opened
at Glasmuseet Ebeltoft on 15 November with

an exciting look into Ned Cantrell’s artistic
working process. The exhibition will show the

whole process from idea stage to finished

artwork and provide a glimpse into Ned
Cantrell’s creative universe.
Ned Cantrell (b.1975, UK) studied at the Surrey

Institute of Art and Design, Farnham, England.
During and after his studies he worked at
Hadeland Glassworks, Norway, where he
produced Santas for two summers in a row.
WHAT’S ON

Subsequently he went to Sweden to work for

Richard Rackham and rediscovered his love
of working with glass, and came to Denmark

15 years ago to work with Finn Lynggaard.

He then worked for Tobias Mehl, Ebeltoft and
various other places in Germany, Norway

and Sweden. Since 2004, he has had his own

workshop, ‘Nyholm Cantrell Glass’ in Aarhus

with his wife Karen Nyholm, whom he met at the

Glass and Ceramic School on Bornholm.

Ebeltoft Glasmuseet. Ebeltoft. DK: Tel: 00 45 86
34 17 99 Email: [email protected]
Website: www.glasmuseet.dk

Hot Stuff at Station Glass

Saturday 22 March 2014
Station Glass, Shenton Station, Dadlington

Lane, Shenton, CV13 6DJ.
http://www.stationglass.com

THE 2014 season at Station Glass kicks off on
22 March when Richard Golding and Tim Harris,

Isle of Wight Glass, get together to make magic.
Each year Richard invites one of the best
glassmakers in the UK to join him at the Station

to have a play with glass. This will be the first time

since 1978, when Tim and Richard learnt glass-

making skills together at the Glass College in

Brierly Hill, that they have made glass together.

Individually, Richard and Timothy represent two
of this country’s finest glassmaking talents –

neither of them is ever short of new and exciting

design ideas or hot glass processes. To watch

them work together will be a mouth-watering
opportunity not to be missed!
Come and join us for a cupcake or two and

watch Richard and Tim create history.

GA former treasurer sells important
collection

BRIAN Currie, former treasurer of the GA, is
selling a large part of his collection at Fieldings

Auctioneers in the Centuries of Glass auction
on 8 March.

Fieldings Auctioneers Ltd, Mill Race Lane,

Stourbridge DY8 lJN

http://fleldingsauctioneers.co.uk

International Festival of Glass and launch
of the British Glass Biennale

25 and 31 May 2015
(rather than August 2014)

THE postponement is due to further
development at Ruskin Mill Trust’s Glasshouse

College site in Stourbridge during 2014, in
partnership with ERDF and Heritage Lottery.

This will enable the provision of more workshops
and business units, a reception and visitor area

and a redeveloped car park.

Cambridge Glass Fair,

Sunday 23 February 2014
at Linton Village

College, Cambridge Road, Linton CB21 4JB.

THE fair will be open from 10.30am until 4pm.

Tickets can also be bought in advance through
Ebay. www.cambridgeglassfair.com

National Glass Fair,

11 May 2014
at the National Motorcycle

Museum, Solihull, B92 OEJ.

[email protected]

THE GLASS CONE NO.104 WINTER 2014

The Glass Cone

THE MAGAZINE OF THE GLASS ASSOCIATION
www.glassassociation.org.uk

PROMOTING THE UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF GLASS

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The Glass Cone_No.104 Winter 2014

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