The Glass Cone_No.106 Spring 2015

The Glass Cone

ISSUE NO.106

SPRING 2015

The Glass Cone

THE MAGAZINE OF THE GLASS ASSOCIATION
Issue No:
106 – Spring 2015

Editor: John Keightley [email protected]

Editorial Board
Brian Clarke, Bob Wilcock

Address for
Glass Cone
correspondence

E-mail [email protected]

or mail to Glass, 7 The Avenue, London N3 2LB

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: 15 February – publication 1 May

Summer: 15 June – publication 1 September

Winter: 1 October – publication 1 January

Advertising rates
Full page £200; Half page £140; Third page £100;
Sixth page £70; Twelfth page £55. For inside back

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 Warners (Midlands) plc

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

charleshajdamach©btinternet.com

Chairman:
Dr Brian Clarke

[email protected]

Hon. Secretary:
Judith Gower

[email protected]

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

West Midlands, B73 6LZ

[email protected]

Committee
Nigel Benson; Paul Bishop (Vice-Chairman); Christina

Glover; Alan Gower; Mark Hill; Jordana Learmonth;

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 Gray-Stan ‘Sea Horse’ vase, No.6 Series.

An example from the Sheila Sharman collection.

Uncatalogued.

Back:
Two-handled Loving Cup by Webb Corbett

for the coronation of GVI, showing the double portrait

of George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Coat

of Arms being on the reverse. All decorated by

etching, engraving, enamelling and gilding.
Contents

I apologise to all our readers for the delay in
publishing this issue of
The Glass Cone,

which was due to a number of factors. I hope

the delay has been rewarded by the interes-

ting articles, covering a wide range of glass-

making and collecting.

The
Glass Association Journal No.10
was

published at the end of September 2014
with scholarly articles from our members.

Charles Hajdamach and Judith Vincent
wrote on the glass of Mrs Graydon Stannus

and published the complete catalogue of

‘Gray-Stan Glass. Sheila Sharman’s collection,

on display at Broadfield House at the time of

the AGM, and of great interest to many

collectors, will soon be available on our
website. James Measell’s in-depth article on

Stourbridge education and Sally Haden’s
on her relatives’ dissemination of British
glassmaking techniques to Japan completed

this fascinating issue.
The discussions, started back in the autumn

of 2012 between the Glass Circle (GC) and
ourselves on merging our two organis-

ations, initially progressed well but have now
ended without final agreement. This has
been despite the efforts of myself and GC’s
Chairman, Mr John Smith.
I have been campaigning for the merger

of the two organisations for a long time, to

ensure the survival of a single society that

celebrates glass in the UK. It makes sense,

not only from a financial and administrative

perspective, but a merged group would

strengthen our voice at a time of slow,
declining membership and changes in the
way we collect. A merger is essential and

the only way for both societies to move

forward constructively.
When we started talking with the GC, they

were experiencing financial loss, mainly due

to the cost of the London meetings. We could

not commit to a merger that constituted a

financial burden. As a charity, we held that

the activities of the group should be organ-
ised for the general good, with meetings
being self-financing. The GC were not able

to agree to this and preferred to aim at
balancing the books in whichever way

possible. We were not looking at ‘taking over’

the GC, it was to be a merging of equals.

Throughout our history all meetings have
been enjoying equal status, whether London-

based or UK wide.
We believe the GC would have benefited

more than the GA from the merger, it can
now be seen that some of our suggestions

have been taken on board: the GC con-
tracting a less expensive room at The

Artworkers Guild, meeting charges
introduced, their membership fees being

raised and by looking outside of London

for other meetings, especially to our home
at Broadfield House Glass Museum in

Stourbridge.
Our respective societies have many

individual strengths as well as many shared
ones. Though disappointed that the merger

is not presently happening, I believe in

continuing the conversation and colla-

boration with the GC, allowing us to review
the position in the not too distant future.

20th-Century Glass: ‘Art Deco to Mid-Century Modern’

4 New Zealand North and South
6 Living The Dream … or how to build a glass museum

8 Let’s Twist Again. The making of 18th-century glassware

16 We All Make Mistakes but sometimes we’re lucky!
17 British and Irish Drinking and Table Glass

20 Paperweight-related Objects

24 The glass of Mike Hunter
Book review — Beranek & Skrdlovice: Legends of Czech Glass

25 Spotlight on Manchester & Salford Glass

26 Members News
28 What’s on. Your guide to exhibitions and other events

Chairman’s message

THE GLASS
CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

20th-Century Glass

`Art Deco to Mid-Century
Modern’
Alan Gower
Stuart ‘Spider’
enamelled

cocktail shaker

with intaglio cut

spider webs.

JohnWalshWalsh
tall clear cut

tapering cylinder
vase with complex

curvilinear

cutting, designed
by Clyne

Farquharson.

left: Stevens &
Williams clear

cylindrical vase

set on an opaque
black faceted foot,

and decorated

with abstract

cutting, designed
by Hubert Silvers
Williams-Thomas.

T the 2014 Glass Association

GM, we were given three

fascinating presentations on

this important period in modern glass

making.
The day started with Nigel Benson

and his proposition; ‘Did British Glass

miss the Art Deco era?’ Well illus-
trated with photographs of examples,

he discussed whether the lack of
promotion of British glass at the time

meant that an opportunity was lost,

which to this day has led to a lack of

understanding of British Art Deco

glass. We heard that in this period,

there were a number of British
glassmakers making contemporary

glass such as Monart, Gray-Stan and

Nazeing, but this was really Art Glass
and not strictly Art Deco. For

example, true Art Deco glass was
being produced by the world famous

French maker Lalique where the
female form, or angularity, was
typical. Jobling’s opalescent glass
was similar to Lalique’s Art Deco
designs, and Sowerby and Bagley

were making coloured glass varieties.

Hailwood & Ackroyd better known
for making miner’s lamps turned to

making architectural lighting and

produced some frosted-glass pieces,
called ‘Hailware’ which includes a

rare frosted-glass nude plaque

(found in the archives at Kew).

Gordon Russell designed pieces for

Stevens & Williams, many based on

older designs, though he also
designed some bowls and vases with

subtle shallow cutting of flowers and

leaves. Nigel explained that from

about 1928 to the mid 1930s Stuart

Crystal were making enamelled
glassware,

cocktail

shakers,

decanters and glasses decorated

with spiders and webs, or flowers,

butterflies, snakes and abstract
decoration sometimes combined

with intaglio cutting. Likewise, Webb

Corbett made a variety of cocktail
shakers and James Powell utilised

architectural cutting styles during
1932-37. Nigel commented that little

of this glassware was well promoted,

as shown for example by the fact that
the V&A exhibition on the subject,
entitled ‘Art Deco 1910-1939’ held in
2003, contained no British Art Deco

glass.
The Harrods Exhibition of 1934,

‘Modern Art for the Table’ promoted

British glass of the day for the first

time. All pieces were marked with the
designer’s name, as well as the glass

maker’s. Keith Murray was one of
the first designers in Britain to be

promoted by name, working with

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

A ‘Brussels bottle

by Jaroslav Lebeda
and exhibited at
the landmark

Brussels
International

Exposition in 1958.

Stevens & Williams from 1932;

though only a small percentage of his
pieces are marked. We were then

told that another of the few designers
of true British Art Deco glass was

Clyne Farquharson working for Walsh
Walsh. Other names mentioned, to
explore later included Anna

Fogelberg who designed marked
pieces for a short period and Tom

Pitchford who produced some
architectural style pieces, both for

Thomas Webb.
Nigel concluded that this glass was

just not promoted in Britain with the
same panache as say, French or

Swedish glass. It’s as if it was ‘hidden
under the carpet’, with the result that

there was no demand in Britain. As
a result, much was exported to the

USA. British department stores were
just too nervous to buy it. They
continued to buy what they knew,

traditional English cut-glass.
For myself I aspire to own early

Lalique but make do with modern
versions, supplemented with
good quality Bagley, Sowerby

and others but I will certainly

now look out for some of the
interesting pieces that Nigel

mentioned.

* * *

Titled ‘Legends of Czech
Glass’,
Mark Hill

then gave us

an illustrated talk about what is

for him the golden age of
modern Czech glass, 1957-
1968; a period which started
with the Brussels Exposition

and ended with the ‘Prague

Spring’. He talked about his
personal ‘Magnificent Seven’

Czech designers starting with
Emanuel Beranek (1899-1972)
who founded the Skrdlovice

glassworks in 1942. Emanuel
promoted other designers and is

known for producing work not
dissimilar to ‘Orchid’ by the Finnish

designer Timo Sarpaneva; ethereal

glass forms produced by pushing

wet sticks into the glass to create

unique voids and sculptural shapes.
Parvel Hlava (1924-2003) was

known as a progressive colourist

who made award-winning tall

sculptural monoliths with finely
polished facets. Also ‘hedgehog’
vases with internal protrusions made

by inserting heated metal spikes into

the sides or bases. He also used

colloidal gold to produce a graduated

yellow-orange-red colouration.
Frantisek Vizner (1936-2011) was

a glass artist with a diversity of skills,
producing pieces using a range of

techniques ranging from fluid

shapes, ‘egg’ vases, innovative
‘whirlpool’ vases to smoothly ground

shaped bowls and vases.
Frantisek Zemek (1913-60), worked

in a range of glass factories;
Chribska, Zelezny Brod, Mstisov
and Moser. ‘Hermanova’ and
‘Rhapsody’ are some of his free-
blown glass ranges which were
described as ‘oven-moulded’;
chunky forms with curving and
asymmetric elements which were
continued in one of his press
moulded designs.
Vladimir Zahour, born in 1925,

updated traditional ‘death by
a thousand cuts’ 19th-century
cut designs using complex
techniques including slice
cuts. His production included
tableware, bowls and vases,
also decorative pieces and
was highly rated at the time
in the
Czech Glass Review.

Josef Hospodka (1930-89)

used a range of techniques

to produce designs that
were eccentric but often

very commercial. His best-

known work was produced

in the 1950s and 60s but

continued to be produced

up to the 1980s. His diverse

designs ranged from common

to ultra-rare bowls, vases,

glass objects and tall and

slender shaped pieces.
Jaroslav Lebeda was the

designer of the so called

‘Brussels bottle’ from a range

shown at the 1958 exhibition in

Brussels, a very significant

exhibition. He updated traditional

Bohemian cut and cased designs,

from classic to fantastic gourd-like

forms. His pieces were white-cased
over coloured transparent glass with
driving, curving cuts. Tall, slender

vases were amongst the forms

produced for the Brussels exhibition

in limited quantities with small
enamelled panels, a selection of

which contained designs taken from

modern or abstract art; spirals,
buildings, birds, and abstract forms

in gold,red and blue.
I have to say that listening to Mark’s

enthusing and illuminating talk,
delivered with such energy just

makes one want to go out and buy
some more glass!
I
couldn’t resist

buying Robert Bevan Jones’ new

book;
Beranek and Skrdlovice:

Legends of Czech Glass,
which has

been recently published by Mark Hill

Publishing Ltd.

* * *

To complete the set of three lectures,
Charles R. Hajdamach
presented

us with an overview of ‘Sophisti-
cation in British Art Deco Glass’

which stressed the great qualities

of the very best British designers of

the period, contrasting with Nigel
Benson’s earlier approach to the sale
and promotion of British glass in the
’30s. Two events in Europe had a

major influence on British Art Deco

glass; firstly in 1916, the appointment

of two fine artists, Simon Gate and

Edward Hald, as glass designers at
Orrefors in Sweden, and then the

International Paris Exhibition of 1925
which highlighted the glass of Rene
Lalique and gave the world the title
‘Art Deco’. These influences only

became apparent in Britain in the

1930s, the 1920s were still a period
when the factories were looking back

at former glories.
Two women glass designers

began to break the mould with their

Art Glass ranges. Elizabeth Graydon-

Stannus established the Gray-Stan
Glass-Works in Battersea in 1926

and continued to operate it until

1936. This small factory of about
30 workers included master glass
blower James Manning, the grand-

father of Sheila Sharman. At this
point Charles included an intro-
duction to Sheila Sharman’s collec-

tion of Gray-Stan glass and the
unique survival of the only Gray-Stan
catalogue, all on display at Broadfield
House Glass Museum to where we

all moved after the lectures. The other

female glass designer at this period
was Isobel Moncrieff, the wife of

John Moncrieff the owner of the

THE
GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

An Emanuel

Beranek piece
made by pushing

sticks into wet

glass.

eponymous glassworks in Perth in

Scotland, who saw the potential of
the decorative glass bowls made
by the Ysart family of Spanish

glassmakers working for the family

and created the `Monart’ range.
British pressed glass of the 1930s

reflected the huge influence of
Lalique. Davidson of Gateshead

produced their ‘Cloud Glass’ range

while Bagley’s of Knottingley

employed the designer Alexander
Hardie Williamson, who had visited

the 1925 Paris Exhibition, to revive

their output. Sowerby, mostly known

for less expensive glass-wares made
inspiring pressed glass Lalique-

influenced ranges. But the factory

who could accurately be called the

British Lalique, was Joblings of

Sunderland. Charles told us that
Ernest Jobling Purser had

approached Rene Lalique to ask if
Lalique would be willing to have his

glass made under licence in

Sunderland, but when Lalique
refused, Purser and his technical
directors commissioned moulds

from the same mould maker in Paris
used by Lalique and carried out

experiments on Lalique glass to
obtain the exact recipes. As a result
they created a range known as

`Opalique’, sailing very close to the

wind of a law suit under the Trade

Descriptions Act.
The 1930s was the great age of

the designer in British glass. Clyne
Farquharson reigned supreme at
John Walsh Walsh in Birmingham

while Anna Fogelberg and
Homery Folkes produced some

stunning designs at Thomas

Webb & Sons in Stourbridge,

including glass cacti and
penguins. James Powell & Sons

at their Whitefriars works used
their own family to act as
designers and were able to

create equally important
pieces in the usual

restrained and refined

Whitefriars idioms. But
the two greatest glass
design events were to

happen in the Stour-

bridge district. Stuart &

Sons were involved in an
experiment to improve the
quality of British glass design

by working with fine artists

including Eric Ravilious,
Graham Sutherland, Paul

Nash, Dame Laura Knight,
Ernest and Dod Procter, and

Vanessa Bell. Their designs were
shown at the Harrods Exhibition in

the autumn of 1934 and now are
some of the most sought after

examples from that exciting period.

The greatest glass designer of the

period was Keith Murray who worked

for Stevens & Williams from 1932
to 1939. His innovative designs
captured the mood of the period and

when they were shown at the Milan

Triennale in 1933 they won the
factory a gold medal, making Murray
the only British glass designer to be

awarded this honour.
Charles completed his lecture by

also giving credit to the various works
designers who are less well-known

than Keith Murray and Clyne
Farquharson but who translated the

more avant-garde designs for a larger

mass audience.
* * *

What this article cannot hope to
convey is the amazing variety, styles,

techniques, colours and ranges of
glassware produced by so many

makers which we were privileged to

see in photographs on screen, many
from the speaker’s own collections.

All I can say is ‘make sure you are
there next time’. Don’t miss the

opportunity to widen your knowledge

and get the benefit of the expertise
we have available to us in the Glass
Association.

Editor’s note: The history of
Gray-Stan, Elizabeth Graydon-
Stannous and James Manning

and the entire unique Complete
Catalogue mentioned above,
including all images, along
with many pictures from
Sheila Sharman’s Gray-Stan
collection are presented
by Charles Hajdamach
and Judith Vincent in
The Journal of The

Glass Association’,

Volume 10, published in

October 2014.

A lilac vase with white
hooped banding by
Gray-Stan.

Sheila Sharman’s collection.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

New Zealand North and South

Bob Wilcock

Peter Raos

in his shop in

Devonport.

O
N our previous trips to New

Zealand (see
Cones 95 and

96) we had just flown in and

out of Auckland, and had suffered

torrential rain in the Bay of Islands, so

had been unable to appreciate its
beauty, though we had enjoyed

Angela Bowey’s fabulous collection
and the stunning
pate-de-verre
of

Sue Hawker.

On our trip for the New Zealand

summer of 2013/14 we discovered
we had been sensible to skip

Auckland; it may be the most popular
place for people to live and work in

NZ, but there is not that much for the

tourist. However, it does have one of

the best glass shops in New Zealand:

Real Aotearoa in Queen Street

(www.realaotearoa.co.nz). They also
have opened a shop in Riccarton
Post Shop in the new commercial
centre of Christchurch on South

Island, following the tragic destruc-
tion of their original shop in the
earthquake (the business is owned
by New Zealand Post). Their third

shop is in the central business district

of Wellington, and we found an even

better selection of glass on offer there

this time compared with our last visit.

By contrast, the glass in Te Papa,

the national museum in Wellington,
was a distinct disappointment this

time, with only a handful of artists

represented, notably Lynden Over
from Taupo, whose geothermal
inspired work is very attractive (see

Cone
95) (www.lavaglass.co.nz).

Back in Auckland, one of New

Zealand’s better-known glassblowers,
Garry Nash, has a studio in the

pleasant suburb of Ponsonby, just

round the corner from our b&b, but
sadly it was not open while we were

there (www.garrynash.co.nz). However,
when we took the ferry across

Auckland harbour to Devonport we
stepped literally straight off the boat

straight into the shop of Peter Raos,

renowned maker of attractive paper-

weights with floral and underwater

designs (www.peter-raos.com).
Peter started as a glassmaker in

1979, and worked with Peter Viesnik
(www.viesnik.com) as The Hot Glass

Company’. They realised their work
was somewhat rudimentary and

arranged visits by American glass

artist Dick Marquis and others, and

their inspiration transformed the
nascent New Zealand glass studio

movement. When the lease of the
workshop expired in 1989 Peter went

back to university. He graduated in
1991 with a Master of Fine Arts

degree, in which the research com-

ponent included casting techniques

for glass. At the same time he

became president of the NZ Society

of Glass (NZSAG) and obtained

funding to bring to NZ an American
glass artist, Mark Ekstrand to run a

Left: Lily
paperweight.

Right: A selection

of paperweights
by Peter Raos.

Far right: Pacific

Paperweight.

All photographs

are by the author

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

The smile on

Justin’s face says it

all: the second

shell bowl cracks

off safely from
the lehr.

workshop on furnace building. The

design that emerged was more fuel-

efficient and resulted in better-quality

glass. The design was documented

and distributed to the members of
the society. Peter and at least four or

five of the artists mentioned in this

article use this furnace.
Leaving Auckland, we headed north

towards the Bay of Islands (and were

rewarded with beautiful sunshine
when we got there). It is a long drive,

and for glass-lovers, the natural stop
is Whangarei (pronounced ‘Fangarey’).

Burning Issues Gallery, in the Town

Basin, has a hot-shop behind the glass
shop (www.burningissuesgallery.co.nz).

The shop and hot-shop were set up
by Keith Mahy, who sadly passed

away in 2013, aged 66. He graduated
with a Fine Arts Diploma in 1967 and

became Design Director for Crown

Crystal Glass in Christchurch. His
designs included the Anker range

of tumblers, a design also seen in

Europe. He left in 1975, to pioneer
studio glassmaking in New Zealand.

In 1986 he helped establish a glass
and design studio at Northland Poly-
technic in Whangarei where he tutored

and mentored many emerging glass

artists (including Peter Raos). In 1995
partner and former student Shona

Firman (see
Cone 94)
and Mahy, with

a group of local artists, established

the highly successful gallery. The
gallery has been separately owned for

the last 10 years (by Ian Twentyman),
and the hot-shop is now owned and

occupied by Keith Grinter who is a

mentor for The Learning Connexion

School of Art and Creativity and runs
glass-blowing workshops in the

studio.
Burning Issues was where we first

met Justin Culina
(Cones 94 and
98).

We made a mental note of his latest
piece in the shop, a bowl with an

intriguing zig-zag design in the Maori
colours of brown red, and white on
grey, but we had an appointment

with him at his new studio. This is

a beautiful 20-minute drive to the
scenic Whangarei Heads peninsula
where his studio is on a hilltop a

stone’s throw from a very good fish

and chip shop and lovely waterside

pub — ideal for lunch after a morning’s
demonstration! Justin does not have

a website but has a Facebook page

at (https://www.facebook.com/pages/

Culina-Glass) and detailed images of
his work can be found on the Quay
Gallery, Napier website: www.quaygallery

co.nz/ the_art/justin_culina.
His plan was to make one of his

popular shell bowls
(Cone

98) before

moving on, but disaster struck—the

first bowl fell off the punty, so he had

to make another. By then it was
lunchtime, so Justin stopped for a
well-earned rest, we bought a large

spiral paperweight with internal
gilding and commissioned one of the

zig-zag bowls to be picked up at the
end of our visit to the Bay of Islands,

and we then went for a relaxing lunch
in the pub.

When we went back a few days

lafter, Justin was all apologies. New

Zealand does not have any seriously
dangerous creatures (unlike Australia),

but it does have a few nasties, and

one of them, a spider, had bitten

him in the crook of the arm, and he

had not been able to blow. Neverthe-
less, he had driven to a gallery that

had a bowl in the pattern we had

Below right

Justin’s zig-zag
‘swirl’ bowl.

Below: One of the

last pieces made by

Keith Mahy.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

commissioned. We later visited that

gallery, the Matakana Contemporary

Art Gallery, half-an-hour’s drive away,
and were impressed with the range

of glass on display (such a pity we
were flying!). (www.matakanacountrypark.

co.nz/artmatakana.html)
We also visited another gallery

recommended by Justin: ‘Just

Imagine’ in Russell, New Zealand’s

first capital, and now most easily

reached by boat across the Bay of

Islands from Paihia. This was the only

gallery we came across in New

Zealand that had glass from around

the world. The quality was out-
The quaint Art

Matakana Gallery
in a converted

stable block and

(right) the Just

Imagine Gallery

in Russell.

Part 2
of this article

will be published
in Cone 107
standing, and we would have loved

to slip a piece or two in our baggage.

All we could do though was enjoy a
lingering look round. Russell is such
a charming town in such a beautiful
location, that having

to admire was the
cake; take a look at

(www.justimagine.co.nz)
see what I mean.
quality glass

icing on the
their website

and you will

Living The Dream

… or how to build a glass museum

C
OLLECTING glass is, by

and large, something you
do because you want to,

not because you have to. So in
2009, the concern and disquiet

among glass collectors that
surrounded the future existence

of the Broadfield House Glass

Museum (BHGM) and the world-

famous Stourbridge Glass collec-
tion, led a driving force that grew,
its aim to create, build and main-

tain a new museum to house the

glass. The British Glass Foundation
www.britishglassfoundation.org.uk

was founded and became a focus

for those seeking a constructive
way forward, and it soon became

apparent the creation of a new

museum simply had to be done.
Within 18 months of its launch

at Hagley Hall in Stourbridge, the

BGF rose from non-existence to

being recognized as a facilitator

between parties. So, over four
years later, just how far down the

road have they come?
During the last few years, the

BGF charity has been campaign-
ing for its aims and objectives,

liaising with all the relevant parties

and raising awareness of the
importance of the glass collec-

tions. They have also been instru-

mental in analysing the alternatives
that would enable the collections

to be secured and celebrated for

future generations. The preferred

option was identified as a new

museum at the White House Cone
site, part of the previous Stuart
glassworks, for these reasons:
1.
It is of enormous historical

importance.

2.
It is adjacent to the Red

House Cone site, itself of
international standing.

3.
It can be developed with the

ERDF (European Regional

Development Fund).

4.
It can provide a future income

from the adjoining workshop/
office units gifted to the BGF
by the developer.
5.

It is also in the middle of the

‘Crystal Mile’ with all the

provenance that this entails.

The BGF have concentrated on
working in harmony with the

council and the developer,
Complex Development Projects

(http://www.complexdevelopment
projects.co.uk), to support the

European Regional Development

Fund (ERDF) grant application.
This has been very necessary, as

Dudley MBC, the owner of
BHGM, has to make £60million
savings over the next 3 years; we

are told that 47% of services

provided by the council will be cut,

restructured, or transferred to the
private or voluntary sector.
The BGF is confident that the

ERDF grant has formally been
approved and they are just waiting

for the signed documents from

Government Office incorporating
all the terms and conditions. The
developer, with his team of

consultants, has invested on the
basis that the grant will definitely

be approved, which means that

the actual project will be com-
pleted by 31 December 2015.

Formed by individuals with a

common interest in glass, the
BGF has settled down to a core of

trustees led by chairman Graham

Knowles, with finances looked after

by Meriel Harris. Allister Malcolm,
Broadfield House resident glass

artist, is giving an input on
contemporary glass and David

Williams-Thomas, retired chairman

and MD of Royal Brierley Crystal

(the former Stevens & Williams)
contributes a wealth of experience

based on a lifetime in glass.

Graham Fisher has the remit for

PR and Communications.
The European grant is not

enough to cover all the aims and

objectives, so the BGF has been
working with consultants to make

various grant applications including
Heritage Lottery, My Community

Rights, Growing Places and

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

BGF Chairman Graham Knowles at Hagley Hall alongside the 2012

Portland Vase on the occasion of the BGF gala afternoon on 22

August of that year. The event was kindly supported by the Glass

Association.
Source: Graham Dale Photography

/W1=014,414! Lida§ IG
,
7

Heritage Young Roots. These

grants and others are needed for
planning the transfer and display

of the Broadfield House collec-

tions. They have recently been
successful in obtaining a grant of
£10,000 towards their legal and

professional costs to become a

Museum Trust. David Williams-
Thomas and Viv Astling, the past

Chief Executive of Dudley Council,
are leading the negotiations, with

advice from the Association of

Independent Museums (AIM), to
complete the formation of the
Museum Trust in agreement with

the council. This will allow the BGF

to take responsibility for all of the

glass collections and archives, and
discuss the detailed display and the

functions of the new facility.
Graham Fisher writes:

Communications, maintaining

information-flow and keeping
events squarely in the public

eye, have been another priority.

After several initiatives exploring

ways of keeping its supporters

informed, the quarterly

Newsletter
Glass Cuts,
the

BGF’s informal
ad hoc
email

bulletin, took off. The first 50

issues are, as I write, being
printed as a commemorative

limited edition.

We aim to be transparent in our
dealings and are happy to record

that the BGF has managed thus

far to accrue a substantial sum
in its bank account with daily

running costs being met from
other sources. This makes us
self-sufficient in the event of any

immediate cash needs for the
project. The BGF is entirely
philanthropic and none of its

trustees receives a penny in

remuneration, so our funds can
be targeted where intended.

Our business plan is being

formulated and our web site at
www.britishglassfoundation.org.uk is

undergoing a substantial upgrade.

David Williams-Thomas notes:

We are working hard on the new
museum plan. It’s reaching a
crucial stage on the funding.

We will know soon. Meanwhile

Dudley are confident enough to
be talking to us in detail about
future legal arrangements.

So they mustbe reasonably

confident of the outcome. I am

fighting hard in our meetings for

proper facilities for research and

storage of the archive material.

And there you have it, straight

from the hip. Keep the faith, and
do keep it Glass.

STOP PRESS !!

Announced in Glass Cuts 57

THE PLANNING APPLICATION

FOR THE WHITE HOUSE SITE

HAS BEEN APPROVED.

Yep, you read it correctly; it all
happened at a meeting of Dudley

MBC planning committee on 20
October 2014. A moment in

history methinks. A delighted BGF

Chairman, Graham Knowles, was
heard to say: ‘This is excellent

news and is a huge step forward

in securing a world-class glass

facility at the very heart of the

Stourbridge Glass industry’.
Expect all this to be lashed

widely across the meejah over the
Announced in Glass Cuts 60

Since its inauguration as a trust in
2010, the BGF has been seeking

to appoint a person of gravitas
within the world of glass and the

wider world of commerce, who

would act as a recognized figure

for the organisation as it grew and

moved forward.

In December, David Williams-

Thomas wished to stand down as
a trustee of the British Glass

Foundation. David’s invariably
sage counsel and consistently

erudite contributions towards the

day-to-day running of BGF have

been considerable, so his fellow

trustees recognized the need to

retain his services. David accepted
the invitation to become a patron
of the BGF and assumed his

honorary role with immediate effect.

* * *

This article has been compiled
and edited by Brian Clarke from

text and information provided by

Graham Knowles and Graham

Fisher, with additional input from
David Williams-Thomas and Kari
Moodie.

The GA congratulates the BGF

on its work to date and wishes

the trustees and its new patron
well on continuing through to a

successful creation of the new

museum and becoming a

Museum Trust.
—Brian Clarke

Artist’s impression of the
proposed new museum on the

White House site.

Source: BGF website

next few days but the approved

application is viewable in the
meantime at the DMBC planning

applications website.

Y-e-e-e-e-s-s-s-s 111111

Announced in Glass Cuts 59
MONEY MATTERS
We are delighted to announce
that the BGF has been awarded a

grant of £10k by the Heritage

Lottery Fund towards a feasibility
study into transferring the assets

of the Stourbridge Glass collection

across to the BGF. Our grateful
thanks go to Andy Duncan of AJD

Regeneration www.ajdregeneration.co.uk
for steering that one through and,

of course, to HLF for their largesse.

Much obliged all round.

Speak it softly, but coming on

top of the news regarding planning
permission being granted at the

White House site, it’s fair to say

that things are really moving in a

forward direction.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

0 Mark’s basic tools

(left to right) soffietta,
metal rod, two jacks, two

shears, pincers.

0 Wooden shaping

tools, kept wet. Multi-
ribbed mould on floor to

insert opaque canes for
making a ‘carrot’ to build
pro to-stems and stems.

Let’s Twist Again

The making of 18th-century glassware
Words and photography by Brian Clarke

T
HE Glass Association’s

practical study days into

techniques that could have

been used back in the 18th century

for the manufacture of glass vessels
started in the spring of 2012.

The gaffer — Mark Taylor and his
servitor — David Hill, well known as

the Georgian Glassmakers, working
in their glassmaking studio in Quarley,

Hampshire, have presented a

number of well attended days,
teaching and demonstrating the

creation of stems, bowls and feet to

an enthusiastic audience. Over the

years, they have increased their

knowledge and understanding of

the manufacturing methods of the
different styles of glasses and added

them to their range of production.
0 Participants overlooking Mark gathering glass from the furnace.

During our study day in November 2014, they described
and introduced the newly learnt ways of making:

1.
The flatter style of 18th-century folded feet,

with both wide and narrow folds.

2.
Baluster stem knops, refining the acorn knop style.

3.
Bowls with gadrooning and nipt-diamond-waies.

4.
The technique of making and placing incised strap handles.

5.
The making of tankards.

6.
The terraced foot.

7.
The creation of ogee and pan-topped bowl shapes.

As time allowed, Mark and David also went through the making
of stems with fine air twists and mercury twists, multi-spiral
stems and opaque and coloured twist stems, Lynn bowls,
cordial bowls and Mead glasses, incised twist stems and
drawn trumpet bowls (refer to ‘Let’s Twist Again’ article in the

Glass Cone,
issue no.99).

It was in fact a
tour de force,
with Mark now being so comfortable

with his making ability that he was able to lecture to the gathered

onlookers at the same time as working with glass
(fig.1);

this was

of course helped with David knowing exactly when to assist with

a gather of glass on a punty rod or blowing iron, for additions to

the glass under creation. The standard tools used, kept

alongside the gaffer’s chair are shown in
figs 2 and 3.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

Making an Acorn Knopped

Baluster wine glass, with blown

and folded foot

The first glass to be made was a Baluster

Wine. With a solid base to the trumpet bowl,
a merese before the well-made acorn knop

and a blown, narrow folded foot (not now

made with the soffietta), this glass was an
excellent start to the day
(figs 4 to 11).

®
Bowl opened up and shaped with jacks

into a drawn trumpet.

Reheating blown foot in the glory hole.

0 Flattening the blown and folded foot

with a wooden batten.
0 Tapping completed glass off the Aunty iron’

before taking to the lehr.

Punty iron now attached to foot and centering

the bowl with jacks prior to opening it up.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015
0 Team happy with result. David showing his ‘split broom

handle’ for taking finished glass to the lehr

® Opening up a blown foot with the jacks.

0 Checking

completed baluster

glass with solid-based
drawn trumpet bowl,

merese, acorn knop

and blown folded foot.

0 Gather and bowl

reheated in glory

hole.

3
Damp wood

batten being used to
shape second glass
gather over base
of the bowl.

0 Shaping gather
with jacks 1.

C) Shaping gather
with jacks 2.

Cti Reheated bowl put vertically

into 12-ribbed mould and given

a firm push to shape in mould.

0 Checking the glass ribs
from the mould.

19
Adding hot glass

to base of rotating bowl
to form a merese.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

Making a Gadrooned Goblet

Mark then showed the technique for making the
gadroon design on a goblet. This required adding a

second layer of glass to the lower area of the bowl to

be styled and then dipping the hot bowl into a ribbed
mould and giving a firm push to form the design.

With various journeys to and from the glory hole to

keep the glass heated to the right temperature and

continuously rotating the glass as it was being made,

it became neatly finished
(figs 12 to 28).

(3 Second gather of glass being added to base

of initial blown bubble of bowl.

Adding hot glass to

base of merese, to form
two blown knops for the

stem.

blown glass bubble
onto stem to form
folded foot.

@ Reheating foot

in the glory hole.

Using jacks to
finally shape

the foot, folded

and opened from

the blown bubble.

e Punty iron

attached to foot.

0 Bowl reheated
in the glory hole.

® Glass being continuously rotated by © Final adjustments to bowl and stem C) Completed gadrooned goblet

the gaffer and the bowl partly opened

using the jacks.

before being taken to the Lehr.

with jacks.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

0 Trial piece.

One clear handle already
placed. Incised handle

being applied from rim

down to bowl base.

0 Trial piece.

Shaping of hot handle
being completed
with jacks.

Handle making

Handle making was shown next, both
a plain handle and a ribbed or incised

handle. The ‘grooves’ were made with
jacks before the piece of glass to make

the handle was re-heated and then fixed

to the rim end of the bowl first. The length
of glass was then deftly turned over and

looped back on itself to fit against the

lower part of the bowl
(figs 29 to 31).
Above: air twist

pro to-stem;

Below: glass incised
with pincers to be

stretched into

a handle.

CO Hot

glass gather
being
placed over

base of
initially

blown bowl.

0 Base of bowl with gather reheated

in glory hole, alongside the panty.
`A single-handled Tankard with

Nipt-diamond-waies

Nipt-diamond-waies’ was the term used by the English
glassmaker George Ravenscroft (1632-83) in a 1677

advertisement for his new lead glass and referred to the
technique of manipulating adjacent vertical glass ribs with
pincers to form a diamond pattern. It transpired that the

method involved modifying an already gadrooned bowl, using
pincers or jacks to pull the glass ribs together at intervals.

To show all of the new ideas, Mark finished the glass off with
a tankard shaped bowl, spiral trailing of clear glass around
the bowl rim and then the addition of a single incised handle.

We all applauded this creative tankard, which de-mystified
for most of us the way it was done’
(figs 32 to 42).

0) Dip mould prepared for

gadrooning the gather

0 Gadrooned pillars

being pincered together

to form Nipt-diamond-waies.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

0 Nipt-diamond-waies

partly completed with

pincers.

® Nipt-diamond-waies
almost completed,
using pincers.

C) Excess glass

being sheared off

0 Hot glass being

shaped into a ‘ball’
before a short

mouth-blow creates

a spherical bubble to

make the folded foot.

0 Bubble being attached for the conical folded foot.

0 Tankard bowl opened up and finished with clear trailing

at the rim, after punty iron transferred to conical folded foot.
Handle being applied from the rim side of the bowl.

Completed tankard

before removal to the lehr

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

A Terraced foot

on a Lynn wine glass

The final piece to record, was
the making of a terraced foot.

Most often seen supporting
candlesticks and tapersticks,
Mark made this as the foot

of a Lynn wine glass with an

opaque twist stem. Somewhat

unusual, nonetheless the
finished glass was handsome.

The secret here was to
circumferentially incise the

hot glass gather with its small
blown air bubble, before

opening up the bubble and
quickly rotating the glass to

form the terraced foot.

So obvious once you’ve seen
it done once!!
(figs 43 to 52).

If you haven’t seen the magic
of 18th-century glassmaking,
then do come to our next

event at Quarley, which will
be on 3 October this year.

The booking form will be
on the website.

Added in to the cost of the

day, is a CD showing many

of the making techniques
discussed here and in the

Glass Cone, issue 99.

The Glassmaker’s wished to
confirm that `Gadrooning’ is a
traditional technique, seen for

example in Renaissance

Venetian glassworking and is
not something that they have
invented or re-discovered.

They and other craftspeople
will be having an ‘Open

Weekend’ on 16 and 17 May,
when Mark will be demon-
strating glassblowing all day.

Details at

www.project-workshop.co.uk
@ Small

gather of glass

with a bubble of air, being

incised with jacks.

3 Incised foot bubble

firmly attached to stem

(opaque) and incision

lines finely demarcated

using shears.

0 Checking all is in
place.

0 Opening up the

bubble in the foot.

the glass. It spreads out

and forms the terraced

foot. Punty iron attached

to foot and broken off

the bowl.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

@ Adjusting

the stem alignment.

@ Bowl bubble attached

and opened up.
Bowl incised to make

a Lynn style bowl.

0 Finished three-part
wine glass. Terraced foot,

opaque twist stem, round
funnel Lynn bowl.

Q
The gaffer is

content with the

day’s work.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015
15

We All Make Mistakes

but sometimes we’re lucky!

I’VE been collecting for around 38 years
now and you’d think that I wouldn’t be

prone to making mistakes, but you’d be

wrong — we ALL make them — the novice

and the seasoned collector alike.

Here’s a short story that’ll make my point.

have long been interested in the more

obscure twentieth-century glass factories
— probably this is an extension of the

fascination with unmarked items that have
to be diagnosed in order to decide who they
were made or designed by, such is the draw

of glass.
One such factory is Bermondsey Glass

with it’s designer Guy Underwood, an artist

and sculptor who can be found in
British

Glass 1880-1940.
Not much is known

about him, except that it is indeed this Guy

Underwood who was the designer behind
items of glass produced prior to the Second

World War at Bermondsey Glass in South

London. This is proven through matching

signatures on Guy Underwood etchings
with facsimile signatures found embossed

on a number of recorded pieces of glass.
According to David Watts’s website,

www.glassmaking-in-london.co.uk, there was …

An archaeological excavation at the Igloo

Bermondsey Sq. Regeneration Project
[that] found evidence of what was
described as a bottle

factory at the NE corner of
the site. This is exactly the
junction of Long Lane and

Tower Bridge Road.

The name of the factory is
not known but this must

be the site of what we call

Bermondsey Glass,

So, to the point of my story.

In early July, I was saved
from getting up on my
workshop roof by the bad

weather. Unfortunately, my

alternative task was the
exciting prospect
of

merging the upgraded
Nigel Benson

computer my son had given me with my

external hard drive, items from the old com-

puter, and even more from a shared

computer. I was in for a great day!!!
Well, while re-filing photos, I came across

an image I had downloaded in April 2013.

It was of a pair of bookends with cast-glass
fish set into very stylish wave-motif bases in

metal; each was cold-painted a pastel
green, and each was embossed along the

edge of the base with the facsimile signature
of Guy Underwood. I had tried to buy them,
but they went for an Art Deco price rather

than that which one might reasonably

associate with an obscure glassworks of
which little is known.
Deeply frustrating; but worse, about a

month before this filing exercise, I had seen
a fish on a sloping wooden block base
painted in pastel green, for which my

memory said the glass part was identical!

Where had I seen it? On one of my few
forays to boot fairs about a month prior.
Drat!! I knew that I should have followed

my intuition and bought the one that I’d
seen. There were no marks, and the chap

selling it said he had another somewhere,
but it was broken — I was successfully put off
the idea. Only one bookend and another
somewhere: could be in a box, in the car, or

at home. Oh well! I left it.

Imagine how stupid I felt when I was
confronted with the images that I’d taken off

the Internet?

I decided to get up early the following day

to visit the same boot fair in the rather futile

hope that the piece was still there, so that

I could record an obscure piece of glass
history by buying and photographing it.
Yay! It was there and, amazingly, so too

was its partner — believe it or not, both in
good order! I was delighted to be able to
buy them at an advantageous price,

although higher than one might expect at

a boot fair!
Just like the Madonna head they are cast

glass and have the furred edges of the

casting polished away to finish them off.

There are no identification marks and the
bases are rather plain, but when one of

the fish is placed in front of the computer
screen showing those recorded images,

they are all but identical. The shape is spot-
on, as are the fins, tail and their delineation,

or markings. The only noticeable difference

is the fin along the body behind the gills

which is singular instead of doubled.
Currently, even though they are rather

lowly in the collecting hierarchy, these are

among my favourite pieces, particularly as
they are a mistake made good.

NOTE: Broadfield House currently has three
pieces, having added a lamp base with
fittings to their collection and

there have been some eight

Madonna heads recorded.

I have been informed of,
or recorded, another nine

items and have a small

collection of my own.

To my knowledge, the total

number of recorded items
now amounts to some
twenty-five items.

If you have, or know of, any
other Bermondsey glass,
please contact Nigel

with details so that
they also can be recorded

([email protected]).

Thank you.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

British and Irish

Drinking and
Table

Glass

Harriette Moore and Brian Clarke

A
L

ONGSIDE the other appealing

antique collections, Dreweatts
Bloomsbury Auctions treated

buyers to the sale of a quality glass
collection from Northern Ireland, held

at their Donnington Priory premises

in Newbury, Berkshire on Thursday
28 August 2014.
This important single-owner

collection of quality 18th- and early
19th-century glass, from County

Antrim in the north east of Ireland,
was begun in the mid-1980s with a

focus on Dutch engraved and Irish
glass. It boasted decanters from the

celebrated Bushmills Irish Distillery

[Lot 437, sold for 2682], and rare

stipple engraved and diamond point

engraved drinking glasses.
Leading the collection was a Dutch

engraved armorial commemorative
goblet for the House of Orange-

Nassau, signed and dated by Jacob
Sang [Lot 409 sold for £5,580].
Lot 437:

Cut and engraved

spirit decanters
from Bushmills.

Lot 409:

Light Baluster

engraved by

J. Sang, whose
inscription on the

foot can be seen

below.
Although born in Germany, Jacob

Sang was known to be working in

Amsterdam by 1748 and selling his
glass at the ‘English Glass Shop’.

The goblet is engraved with the
crowned arms of William V, Prince

of Orange (1748-1806). The last

Stadholder of the Dutch Republic,

William V was forced to flee to

England in 1795 after the Flanders

Campaign. With the defeat of France,

the Batavian Republic seemed
unwilling to accept the return of
William V, but his son, William I,

became the first King of the

Netherlands. There has been some
discussion over the authenticity of

the signature of Sang on the foot

of this glass.
Lot 402 was a Dutch commem-

orative light baluster marriage goblet
signed and delightfully diamond-

engraved and dated by A.F.

Schurman 1757; the glass was
formally in the collection of the Earl of

Bradford. With world-wide political

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

Far left, Lot 402:

Light Baluster of

Barthold Douma

van Burmania.

Lot 420:

Stipple-engraved

facet stem glass.

Lot 414: Incise
twist stem glass

enamelled by
Beilby.

and religious concerns these days, it
is of particular interest as the round

funnel bowl is engraved with the

arms of Berthold Douma Van
Burmania (1695-1766). A Dutch

statesman and at one time an

ambassador to the court of the
Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, he

is most noted for his efforts — with
mixed success — to prevent the

expulsion of Jews from Bohemia and
other parts of the empire. (Adam

Frederik van Schurman (1730-83),
was an amateur engraver related to

the famous engraver Anna Maria van

Schurman (1607-78). Eleven signed
glasses are known by his hand).

Estimated at £6,000 to £8,000, the
glass was sold post sale.
Lot 420 is one of the two

wonderfully stipple-engraved facet-

stemmed ‘Friendship’ goblets that
were on offer. Both were attributed

to David Wolff, circa 1785. This glass’s

ogee bowl is decorated with two
putti and a hound, companionably

sharing a drink beneath the

inscription VRIENDSCHAP. The glass

has a hexagonally-faceted stem with

a conical foot, 18.5cm high. [Ex-lot

78, Christie’s Amsterdam Sept.

1985]. Sold post sale.
Lot 414 was a round funnel bowl

glass, attractively enamelled by
Beilby in the style of an obelisk in

a landscape. The interest here of
this 120mm-tall example, is that
unusually the stem has an incised

twist. The glass sold for £1,860.
The group of four blueish-green

coloured early 19th-century ‘short

ales’ in Lot 426 were estimated at
£80 to £120. With their interesting

mix of styles and colour, these

received enough interest to sell at

£558. Short ales, coloured and clear,

have been available at low prices for
some years; this sale suggests that

it’s time to look at them again!
Due to its interesting size and style,

I’ll complete this sale review with
Lot 441. A large clear and opaque-

white late 19th-century
facon de

Venise
goblet, the round funnel bowl

with trailed opaque white ornament

and the knopped stem applied with

a pair of auricular handles (some
damage). The 315mm tall goblet sold

for just £596. This goblet could be
attributed to the production of

Salviati.

There are many other glasses from

this sale, engraved and stipple-
engraved worthy of viewing. The
catalogue and full sale results are

available to view online at

www.dreweatts.com.
The next Dreweatts sale, Fine &

Important Furniture, Paintings & Works
of Art, will be held on 15 April 2015.

Already consigned is a pair of Varnish
& Co. pale-ruby flashed, silvered and
clear-glass overlay goblets
(illustrated

opposite),
mid-19th century, the bell

bowls cut with a diamond band

above a fluted and waisted baluster
stem and circular foot, 22.5cm tall,

the feet set with a patent disc.

Provenance: Peter Petrou. (Ex:

Parkington Collection Part II, Lot 250

Christie’s April 1998.)
Hale Thomson and Edward

Varnish first took out a patent for
silvered glass in 1849 (see the patent
disc in the foot of each goblet) and

exhibited their wares at the Great
Exhibition in London in 1851. They
were retailers and much of their glass

was manufactured for them by the

Whitefriars Glassworks. Perhaps as a
result of the patent, silvered glass of

this type is rare. Est. £3,000-4,000.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

Lot 441: Late 19th century facon-de-venise goblet.

A pair ofVamish & Co. glass goblets

to be included at the next Dreweatt’s sale on 15 April.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015
Lot 426:

A group of coloured short ales. Late 19th century.

With a history dating back to 1759,

Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions

are one of the best known

auctioneers in the UK today of Art,

Antiques and Antiquarian Books. The

following explains the amalgamation
of several known groups:

2010
Dreweatts acquires Bloomsbury
Auctions.

2012
Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions

acquired by Noble Investments UK

PLC (joining A.H. Baldwin & Sons –
coins, and Apex Philatelics – stamps).
2013

Noble Investments acquired by the

Stanley Gibbons Group plc.
2014

Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions

acquires Mallett Antiques.

The opening and closing text of this
review has been contributed by

Harriette Moore, PR & Marketing

Executive, of Dreweatts & Bloomsbury

Auctions. Further text has been added

by Brian Clarke. The catalogue was
used for additional information.

All the photographs are with the kind
permission of Dreweatts & Bloomsbury

and were supplied by Harriette Moore.

Paperweight-related Objects

Richard Giles

W
HEN glass paperweights

containing cameo incrus-

tations or to give them

their more usual name of sulphides
were introduced around the mid

1820s other diverse items such

as decanters, tumblers and plaques
containing sulphides had already
been produced for some years. The

inclusions were generally head and
shoulder portraits of popular con-

temporary personalities or people

from history but did also include
such things as coins and medals, in

fact anything that could be made

from a metal mould. With all castings
the real skill is that of the person
who makes the original mould from

which many identical objects can
be produced.

The move to include such items

in paperweights was a natural

progression along with the industrial

revolution that was gathering pace

and more and more ordinary people
were learning to read and write.

The steel pen nib had been invented
in the late 1700s and paper was
becoming more freely available

so not surprisingly the shops
began to be filled with all sorts of
writing accessories which included

paperweights.
When millefiori and lampwork

paperweights appearanced around
1845 the opposite scenario

happened. The weights came first
but it wasn’t long before other

paperweight related items made

their appearance. Pietro Bigaglia is
generally credited with making the

first millefiori paperweights which

often included silhouette canes

made by the Franchini family and

similar canes are also found in other
such items as scent bottles.
Paperweight-related glass items

including such objects as inkwells,

tazzas, candlesticks, mantelpiece
ornaments and the like were
produced by the three main

factories, Baccarat, St. Louis and

Clichy. Either few were made or only

a few have survived the passage
of time, so examples from these

factories remain highly sought after

and are therefore very expensive.

When the period of classic
paperweight production ended

around 1860 and glassmakers
generally lost interest in millefiori

glass, the production of such items

continued in cut glass which had
been around since the 17th century

but was always expensive. The
advent of the industrial revolution

had seen the introduction of press-

moulded glass around 1840 and
with the cheapness of production

linked to the automated process it
was to fulfil the needs of the Victorian

working classes for similar items

to those that had previously been

made by hand.

Although not strictly a paper-

weight-related item, my only

example of glass from these three

factories is a Clichy flask made using
alternate blue and white ribbons
in a spiral pattern and readers can

see the similarity with the swirl
paperweight from that factory in

fig.2.
A typical Victorian era writing

accessory is the paperweight pen

holder employing the two layers of
coloured chips with the top layer

pushed downwards towards the

lower layer in several places and
inside an elongated bubble
(fig. 1).

In modern terms such paperweights

are known as a harlequin design but
in Victorian times and the early
20th century this style of paper-
weight making was popular

throughout Europe so it can be
difficult to say exactly from where it

might have come. My guess is that

my example is probably a frigger

made in the United Kingdom by a
glassworker during his spare time at

lunchtime or at the end of the day
on completion of his production
schedule.
When the Ysart family came to the

UK and the four sons learnt their

fig 1:Victorian era

paperweight pen

holder, unknown
maker,

c.188011900.

fig.2: Blue and
white swirl flask

and paperweight

from Clichy

factory, France,

c.1845/50.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING
2015

fig.5 (below left):

Millefiori inkwell
by Salvador Ysart

atYsart Brothers
Glass Factory,

Perth, c.1946/50.

fig.6: Millefiori
paperweight

candle holder,

Vasart factory,

Perth, c.1956/64.

fig. 7.: Miniature
millefiori

paperweight bar

accessories, Vasart

factory, Perth,

c.1956/64.

glassmaking skills from their father

Salvador, they started using tech-
niques that with a few exceptions

had not been seen since the classic
period of paperweight production.

As well as being very skilled glass-

makers who were initially employed
to make technical glass items, they
went on to produce the large range

of Monart Glass which included a

range of millefiori paperweights
generally made by Paul Ysart, the

first to be seen in the United
Kingdom since mid-Victorian times.

After the war Salvador and the two

other surviving sons left Paul making

Monart Glass to set up Ysart
Brothers Glass which later became

Vasart Glass. As well as Monart-style
glassware and simple style paper-
weights they went onto produce

some paperweight related items
such as pin dishes
(fig.3).
More

complex paperweights and inkwells
were made by Salvador
(fig.5).

After the deaths of Salvador and

Augustine, Vasart Glass began to
struggle, so in 1960 Stuart Drysdale

was brought in as manager and

by 1963 the company was back

in profit. Work including making

squashed whisky bottle ashtrays for

Teachers Whisky meant that bigger
premises were needed so in 1964

the company was involved intro-

ducing a change of name to

Strathearn Glass and and moved
to a new purpose-built factory in
Crieff. Spanning the period around

the change of name, a range of
glassware including paperweights

and related items were produced
which included single flower vases

(fig.4),
miniature candlesticks
(fig.6),

and the sought-after bar sets
comprising corkscrews, bottle

openers, pourers and stoppers

(fig.7).
A typical Strathearn pin dish

is shown in
fig.8.

By the time these changes were

taking place at Vasart Glass, Paul
had left Monart to join Caithness

Glass as training manager with the

authority to continue making paper
-weights, which he did in great

secrecy. When chief designer Colin

Terris saw the complexity of some of
the canes being used, he came up

Millefiori pin

dish, Vasart
factory, Perth,

c.1956/64.

fig.4 (right): Single

flower millefiori

glass vase, Vasart

factory, Perth,

c.1956/64.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

fig.8: Millefiori

paperweight pin

dish, Strathearn

factory, Crieff

c.1964180.

fig.9: Miniature
millefiori silver

jewellery,
Caithness Glass,
Wick, c.1970/72.

fig.10: Millefiori

inkwell/stopper,

Perthshire

Paperweights,
Grief f, c.1985190.

fig.11: Millefiori

scent bottles,
Perthshire

Paperweights,

Crieff c.1973/96.

fig.12: Millefiori
water jug

Perthshire

Paperweights,
Crieff c.1970/75.

with the idea for a range of silver

jewellery using miniature paper-

weight stones
(fig.9)
and they made

their appearance in 1970 shortly

after the first paperweights and just
before Paul retired in 1972.
In 1968, Stuart Drysdale the

Strathearn general manager and
several of the most talented

glassmakers left to set up the

specialist paperweight making
company Perthshire Paperweights,

which also went on to make limited

numbers of paperweight related

items such as inkwells
(fig.10),
scent

bottles
(fig.11),

pin dishes, shot

glasses and small water jugs to go

with your whisky
(fig.12),

generally

containing millefiori but occasionally

lampwork designs. Both at

Strathearn and Perthshire it is said
that such items as pin dishes were

made from paperweights that went
slightly wrong during the production
process and converting them to a
dish which could be sold became

a way of cutting down the amount
of glassware that was scrapped.

Certainly some examples from

Strathearn are far from being perfect
but that also can be said of some of

the paperweights. The two examples
of Perthshire pin dishes shown in

fig.13
show no signs of something

that may have gone wrong.

Perthshire had a strict policy on
quality and they never sold seconds

so I think that it is probably more

likely to be a case of having spare

lampwork or millefiori set-ups,
especially if they were from limited

edition weights whose production

run had been completed.

Other long-established glass

factories known to have produced
items containing millefiori canework

are Walsh Walsh and Whitefriars.
Both paperweights and inkwells

containing 1848 date canes are now
known to have been made by

Walsh Walsh in the 1930s alongside

undated weights and glasses and
bowls containing millefiori canes

(fig.14).
Whitefriars introduced the

use of millefiori in paperweights in

the 1950s but it wasn’t until the

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

fig.17 (left): Millefiori dish on ribbon

cane paperweight, John Deacons,

Crieff, 2003.

fig.18 (right): Spiral ribbon dish on
millefiori paperweight, John Deacons,

Crieff c.2003.

1970s that these pieces became

major production items and along with
them came articles such as inkwells,

tumblers
(fig.15)

and as everyone

else produced, pin dishes
(fig.16).

A more recent paperweight

maker, following the tradition of

making paperweight-related items
is John Deacons who started at

Strathearn and then moved to

Perthshire before eventually setting

up on his own. He continues to do
so today, working alongside his

eldest son Craig and with another

ex-Strathearn employee, Dave Moir,
who lent a hand now and again.

In the past John produced such
novelty items as miniature teapots,

dishes and swans containing mille-

fiori canework as well as inkwells.
After retirement from Caithness
Glass Italian master glassmaker

Franco Tuffolo was a visitor passing
on advice on the use of techniques

to create spiral torsades and spiral

ribbon glassware. Examples of those

techniques can be seen in the
paperweight based dishes made by
John in
figs 17 and 18.

Over the years we have been

collecting paperweights and related

items, we have sadly seen the
demise of nearly all the companies

mentioned above, leaving only John
Deacons, Willie Manson, Peter

Holmes and Mike Hunter to make

traditional style paperweights, in

many cases in fairly small numbers

so the future of paperweight related

items looks as though it is well

and truly over. Perhaps now is the
time to start searching for these
items and adding them to our

collections.

fig.13 (above left):

Paperweight pin

dishes, Perthshire
Paperweights,

Crieff c.1975/85.

fig. 14 (above right):

Glass bowl with
millefiori base,

Walsh Walsh,

Birmingham

c.1930.

fig.15 (left): Glass

tumbler with

millefiori base,

Whitefriars Glass,

Wealdstone

c.1960170.

fig.16 (right):

Millefiori

paperweight pin

dish, Whitefriars

Glass, Wealdstone

c.196.5170.

THE GLASS
CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

Beranek&

Skrdlovice
Legends

Robert Bevan Jones
& Jindfich Mik
General Editor:

Mark Hill
Zanfirico

Owls.

The glass of MIKE HUNTER
Mike will be collaborating and demonstrating
with Colin Richardson at the Tacoma

Museum of Glass, USA on 1 May 2015.

For those of you that may be there, Dante
Marioni will also be demonstrating along
with David Graeber, Damon MacNaught,

and Mayauel Ward.

Michael’s work is currently on exhibition at

the Tacoma Murano Hotel until May 2015,

he’s one of seventeen artists exhibiting as
part of the PCA Convention 2015.

WE’RE pleased to know that resident in the

Scottish border town of Selkirk, Mike and

Sue Hunter are still creating wonderful pieces of glass. The Wedge is a sculptural

vessel in the Merletto technique; the close,

fine canework gives the impression of silk
threads woven into the glass. The owls,
ducks and fruit are both exacting and

charming, using complex canework.

All can be produced in various colours.

To contact them, use their email:

[email protected]
Merletto

Wedge.

All four photos
are with thanks to

and copyright of
Simon Bruntnell.

Zanfirico Duck.

BOOK

Beranek &

Skrdlovice:

Legends
of Czech Glass
by glass collectors and

historians, Robert Bevan

Jones and Jindrich Parik,

edited by Mark Hill.

A limited edition hardback.
128 pages

ISBN: 978-0-9552865-9-9

Price: £45:00

Available from Mark Hill

Publications, online at
www.markhillpublishing.com
Zanfirico Fruit.

REVIEW
THIS book is a delightful and
fascinating celebration of Czech

glass design in the mid-20th century

and in many ways that isn’t

surprising given the pedigree of the

individuals involved. Jindrich Parik is

a Czech glass collector with both a
passion and a great eye for his

subject. Robert Bevan Jones, an

author of historical books, shares

this passion for Czech glass. Mark

Hill is the perfect editor for this

extremely ambitious task and

Graham Rae is an outstanding glass

photographer.
The Skrdlovice factory was

undoubtedly the best example of

the combination of craft, innovation,
creative design and technical skill in

glassmaking in the Czech Republic
during a period when the industry

was at the top of its game. The

factory had enough political support

to be given an unusually high level of
artistic freedom and was used to

design and produce many of the

special one-off items that travelled

to international exhibitions. These

designs were subsequently trans-

formed into serial production items

for export.
Uniquely, the book also charts the

lives of the highly talented glass
designers employed in the
Skrdlovice factory who, in the post-

war period, could not be acknowl-

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

fig.3: A selection of wares made by Thomas Kidd.

fig.4: A couple of Landseer Lions manufactured by John

Derbyshire.

fig.1: A blue bust of Queen Victoria.

Made by Thomas Kidd at the Holt
Town Glass Works in Manchester.

Suggested date c.1890.

fig.2: Two shoes by Burtles Tate,

Manchester. This design is reg.no

65455, dated 17 January 1887.
THE North West members group organised a

successful meeting at St Mark’s Church Hall Worsley

on 29 November, attracting 40 glass enthusiasts.

An extensive exhibition was mounted of over 200
pieces of glass made by several companies in the
Manchester and Salford area between 1820 and

1930
(fig.2).
Highlights of the exhibition included a

large collection, approaching 50 pieces, of locally-

made tumblers and goblets, thus demonstrating

that Manchester is home to discerning drinkers!

The small company of Thomas Kidd also featured

prominently with possibly the largest ever display

of its wares
(figs 1 and 3);
itself a bold claim as

the company never used any form of marking.
Local manufacturer John Derbyshire was also a

particular focus of interest with the opportunity
to see two rare blue Landseer lions
(fig.4).

Lastly, several unusual examples of Percival

Vickers cut-and-engraved ware also demon-
strated the supreme quality of workmanship and

well-balanced design available in the region that is

not generally known or appreciated.

To accompany the exhibition there was ‘a show
and tell session’ of glass, with a number of the
pieces that had been brought in, being

successfully identified.

Two talks were presented, one by David Willars
entitled ‘The Identification of Manchester and

Salford Glass’ in which he concentrated on trying
to identify glass that was neither featured in a
brochure nor had a registered design number.

The second talk by Jackie Fairburn was a short
history of the pressed glass made in Sunderland
by Greener & Jobling.

Those attending thoroughly enjoyed the day and
the profits from the meeting were donated to the

Manchester branch of Ataxia UK.

Spotlight on

Manchester & Salford Glass
A report by David Willars and Maurice Wimpory

BOOK REVIEW

rv
r

01
1

edged in their own country for fear
of succumbing to ‘the cult of the
individual’. However, although the

Communist Government of the time

often stifled innovation in the arts

and enforced a tight control of
creativity, the glassblowers were

looked upon as craftsmen not
designers, so in the government’s

eyes they could be left alone to

practice their art without interference.
The book is very well researched

and is crammed with new inform-

ation that cannot be found in any

other publication unless you speak

Czech and have a couple of years to
spare which was exactly what was

required to produce this compre-
hensive work. Most publications on

glass, regurgitate information which

is reasonably accessible. This
groundbreaking publication has a

wealth of original research content.
The book also draws upon

information embodied in the objects

themselves. It reads
from

as well as

into
the objects. This in my view is a

fundamental point and is the reason

why seminal works such as this one,

always have a great collection of

objects standing behind them.
The illustrations are superb, so

although appreciated mainly by the
glass collectors, they will fascinate

many of those unfamiliar with the

elegance and beauty of these pieces.
As a glass collector myself, I am

always excited by the launch of a

new publication such as this one
and having collaborated with its

editor Mark Hill many times in recent

years, I have always found the
experience a great pleasure.

Mark is precise and thorough. In

consequence, readers can rely on

him for editorial accuracy.

I was also delighted to note that in

April 2014, over 100 examples of
Skrdlovice glass, dating from

c.1945 to 2008 and including some

unique pieces, were the main

exhibition at the prestigious ‘Antiques

For Everyone Fair’ at the NEC in
Birmingham where they were
exhibited for the first time in the UK.

Books are important additions to

knowledge but when they are

combined with new visual

information presented in exhibitions,

the subject springs to life.
This is an important work about

a fantastic subject which has
been thoroughly and accurately

researched and compiled by a great

team. Published in a strictly limited

edition of 1,000 individually num-
bered copies, the book itself will no

doubt become a collector’s item.

Dr Graham Cooley

20th-century Design Collector

Life Member of the Glass Association

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

A few

memories of

Christopher

Sheppard
MEMBERS NEWS

IT is very sad that we have had to say goodbye to
Christopher, who passed away on 3 January
2014.

He was an important part of our lives for many

years, captivating us all with his with his vast,
enthusiastic knowledge, together with his

charming, witty and humorous personality.
There were many passions in his life, with his

family always coming first. His passion for glass
came a close second, followed by the love of

shooting and fishing.

Chris was never one to miss an opportunity.

He realised, when he was still at school, that

there were two glass dealers in the Kensington

Antiques Market and that the old fashioned
one could not bring himself to be seen buying

from the glamorous young female dealer,

Maureen Thompson. So Chris would buy
from Maureen, replacing her immaculate tissue

packing with newspaper from the bin outside,

then make a profit by selling the items to the
other dealer. The rest is history.

As collectors, we first met him in 1978/9,

which led to our long friendship. In 1984 our lives
changed, when from his shop he sold us two
glasses designed by Philip Webb for James

Powell, which led to our passion for this style of
glass. Over the years, there were many long

discussions about glass dating and attributions.

When he moved to Kensington Church Street it
was a delight to see him so often during quiet

times; though maybe not after he had been for an

indulgent lunch — he was known to fall asleep just

as it was time for us to close up and go home.

Over the years, we had some great days out

and about, talking about glass all of the time and

doing a lot of dealing, especially when he was
IN MEMORY

Dr Winston Murray Lesley Turner

10 October 1914 – 29 July 2010

WINSTON was born in Hackney London, the
only boy with four sisters. He was educated

at and won a scholarship to study medicine at

University College London. He qualified in 1938.
As a civilian doctor he examined Douglas Bader

and declared him fit to fly. Winston was called up
in 1939 but rejected as his eyesight was too

poor; however he was finally accepted by the air

force in 1940. Among his postings, which were
all in Great Britain, he was billeted in Weston

Super Mare with a retired headmaster of Bristol

Grammar School, Mr Barton. The Bartons had
an interesting antiques collection, in particular,
early glass including Georgian wine glasses.

short of cash. The hairiest deal was when we

received a call asking us if we would like a half
share in a very good collection; thank goodness

we had some money at the time, as he was as

usual short of funds. But the glass was so good it
did not matter. We both did well although I had to

keep hold of the purse strings!
The last sort of social gathering was at the

vetting day lunch at the November Olympia fair.

That morning, we had been told of the sad death
of both Ward and Jo Lloyd, so we had an extra

bottle of wine and celebrated their long and
exciting lives. Let’s hope we can all get together

and do the same for Christopher in the near

future.
Unfortunately, on the Friday of Olympia, he

was taken into hospital and never recovered.

Even though he was very poorly, many of his

friends and colleagues managed to talk to him
just before Christmas; by that stage he did not
want visitors, but still wanted to talk about glass.

Chris was great company, a great gentleman

and often too generous with his alcoholic

hospitality. Many of us will remember the

hangovers!
We will miss him dearly. There is a large hole in

his family’s and all of our lives, luckily we have so

many memories, he will never be forgotten.

— Jeanette and Malcolm Hayhurst

Christopher Sheppard with the Cavour vase
Following Winston’s marriage to Helen in

1953, they discovered they had a shared interest

in glass, which she had acquired from her father.

They began collecting glass. Their collection,

which was gathered together over 60 years, is

wide ranging consisting mainly of wine glasses,
salts and pressed moulded glass.
Winston and Helen were very early and

enthusiastic members of the Glass Association

and have passed their passion for glass on to

two out of their three children. Helen is still an
enthusiastic supporter of the Glass Association

and attends as many events as possible.

After Winston died the family gave a very

generous donation of £5,000 which was used

to fund the last issue of the
Glass Association

Journal.

—
Judith Gower (daughter)

New owners of Waterford Glass

THE American private equity owners of
Waterford Wedgwood, one of Britain’s best-

known brands, are selling the historic ceramics
and glassware maker, six years after the

company’s debts sank it into receivership.
KPS Capital Partners has appointed Goldman

Sachs to auction WWRD, the Anglo-Irish owner

of the Waterford, Wedgwood, Royal Albert and

Royal Doulton porcelain and crystal brands.

The group hopes to cash in on its heritage and

royal warrants after recently opening tea rooms in

Shanghai and Hong Kong to appeal to affluent

Chinese consumers; it also plans to diversify
from manufacturing.

The collapse of Waterford Wedgwood in 2009

spelt financial disaster for Sir Anthony O’Reilly,
who then owned the company and was once

one of Ireland’s wealthiest businessmen. At the

time, Waterford Wedgwood was one of several

British ceramics manufacturers struggling

against cheap imports from Asia, but it was also
criticised for a dated image and for failing to

adapt to changing consumer tastes.

KPS Capital Partners, based in New York,

specialises in acquiring lossmaking businesses; it

bought Waterford Wedgwood from the receivers

in 2009 for £82m after the group collapsed with

€800m of debts and pension liabilities.
Since KPS took over, the number of

employees has shrunk 44 per cent — the result

of centralising the group’s sales and marketing

operations, and moving about half of production
to lower-cost overseas countries, including

Slovakia and Indonesia.
VVWRD has since swung into the black, with

operating profits last year of £36m.
The group still makes its most expensive china

and crystal domestically. Last year, KPS invested

£34m in a new manufacturing plant in Barlaston,

Staffordshire, where the company has its HQ.

CORRECTION

IN the latest
Glass Association Journal
no.10,

on page 4, we inadvertently referred to Charles

J. Hajdamach as being ‘President for many

years’. This should have read ‘Chairman for
many years’. We apologise for the error.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

WHAT’S ON

MEMBERS NEWS

Bristol Blue Glass Bedminster cease trading

BRISTOL Blue Glass Bedminster (BBGB), the
Company that has been making the city’s

famous blue glass, has sadly gone out of
business, months after it opened a new shop

in central Bristol with the idea of selling its glass

to a wider audience. BBGB, not to be confused
with The Original Bristol Blue Glass on Bath

Road, was based on the site of the historic
Bedminster Glass Works founded in 1716. It was
owned by Francis Burroughes, an avid collector

and expert in glass, who bought it eight years

ago with the determination to keep it not only

alive, but to give it a future. Unfortunately this was

not to be the case.

Bernard Cavelot

SADNESS, Bernard Cavelot has passed away.
He was a consummate member of the Glass

Message Board (GMB) and always wanted
accuracy with anything to do with glass history

and identification; he also had an in depth
knowledge of publishing that he shared when

helpful to others.
I often had lively discussions with him about

glass, sometimes on the GMB and occasionally

via email which enhanced our mutual respect.

I amongst many will miss him, both on these

boards and meeting up at fairs.
A few fairs back he came up to me with a

parcel and said You seem to be the Hailware

man, so here’s something that may help your

research’. He handed me the parcel which

contained a Hailware lampshade. How very kind,
but typical of the man. He would do anything to

help forward knowledge about glass.
I am very pleased that or last conversation was

positive and will be a lasting memory of a well

thought of glass man.

— Nigel Benson

With Memories of Harvey Ferry.
‘The Country Seat’,

near
Henley-on-Thames

ANOTHER great character of the antiques trade,
and glass in particular, Harvey Ferry, has passed

away.

‘It is with great sadness that we announce the

sudden death of Harvey Ferry on 27 February

2015. Our thoughts are with his family – Willie &

Sally Clegg’.
Harvey and his partner, Willie Clegg, came to

deal in James Powell & Sons, Whitefriars under

their trading name ‘The Country Seat’, having

staged an exhibition on the designer W.A.S.

Benson. They became fascinated by the quality of

the glass lamp shades used by Benson on his

domestic lamps, so progressed into the world of

glass having dealt in ‘Signed and Designed’

furniture of the Victorian and later periods; in itself
this was a progression from their beginnings in

fine Georgian furniture in 1971.
Their enthusiasm for glass was self-evident

and both were infectious in their own way. Indeed

they became synonymous with the subject of

Powell and Whitefriars through the many
exhibitions and meetings they held about the
subject, publishing well-researched catalogues

for all the exhibitions they held.
My thoughts about Harvey converge around

him being an old school antique dealer with a
deep feeling for the process of antique dealing as

well as the items he bought and sold. He was a

natural host to all who visited their base at

Huntercombe Barn, near Henley in Oxfordshire,

making everyone welcome to the wonderful
surroundings. It was he who managed the task of

getting a brown sign indicating the barn from the

main road – both a clever and shrewd move to
have their base highlighted to anyone searching

them out before the advent of sat-nay.

Harvey was charming and a real gentleman

who loved his glass (whether full or empty!). Even

though it was part of a long journey through

various fields in the antique world, you knew he

felt glass was a bit special. I’ll miss him being

around and hope he’s found a bit of peace.
— Nigel Benson

Touring Exhibition of contemporary
Hungarian artists

Spring/Summer 2015

A touring exhibition, titled ‘Cutting Edge’, show-
casing the most recent works of 17 contemporary

Hungarian artists has been organized by Prisma
Gallery (www.prisma-gallery.com).

The tour kicks off in Edinburgh (The Scottish
Gallery, 1-28 April ) and will then continue in

Stourbridge (Broadfield House Glass Museum
8-31 May, to coincide with the International

Festival of Glass) before moving on to London
Contemporary Glass Society (CGS)

announces New Chair

THE CGS Board announced that Julia
Stephenson is to take over from Victoria Scholes
as Chair of the Contemporary Glass Society from

May 2015. Julia works as Head of Arts at

National Glass Centre at the University of

Sunderland where she manages the exhibition,

learning and engagement programme. The

recent exhibition programme has included
shows ranging from a retrospective of the work

of Erwin Eisch to new work in glass by ceramist

Magdalene Odundo. The learning and engage-
ment programme offers opportunities for artists

to work within participatory arts projects and for

people of all ages to explore the potential of

working in glass. Julia joined the National Glass

Centre three years ago after working as Assistant

Director of MIMA (Middlesbrough Institute of
Modern Art). www.cgs.org.uk

Japanese
by Sipos.

at the Olympia Fair (18-28 June).

Additional locations are being planned.

For further information please contact

Zsuzsanna Molnar or Attila Sik at their gallery

[email protected].
Attila and Zsusza led the very successful Glass

Association group visit to Budapest and Vienna

in 2013.

Works representing three generations of artists,

will be exhibited at these selling exhibitions; two
of the pieces that will be on show are by the

artists Balazs Sipos and Laszlo Lukacsi.

Fan
by Lukacsi.

THE GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

CGS and the National Glass Centre

launch second annual showcase
of contemporary glass

A special display case in the lower foyer

entrance at the National Glass Centre will be
dedicated to a year-long display of a wide

variety of glass made by members of the

Contemporary Glass Society.

From spring 2015 to spring 2016, the work of
fourteen artists, CGS members, will be put on

show in a prominent area of the National Glass

Centre. Each artist will be showcasing their

work for a six-week period. There will be a

vibrant and varied range of sculptural,
decorative and functional pieces, all available

for sale from March 2015
(figs above and below).

www.nationalglasscentre.com

CGS and Pyramid Gallery’s forthcoming Exhibition
RIPPLES
–

Glass Inspired by Nature

Pyramid Gallery, York. 14 March to 5 May 2015

THIS exhibition will showcase the work of 26
glass artists chosen by the CGS from all over

the world, whose works are inspired by nature.
Glass has the ability to emulate forms,

patterns and structures found in nature.

RIPPLES will highlight the breadth of
inspiration that nature provides to many
practicing glass artists
(figs above and below).
Glass

Engraving

Network

Exhibition

FROM 18 May through to 26 June 2015, starting
at the Red House Glass Cone in Stourbridge as
guests of the Guild of Glass Engravers, the

exhibition
GRAVUR ON TOUR – Modern

European Glass Engraving
will begin its tour

across Europe.

Representing the diversity of contemporary

glass engraving both artistically and technically,

31 artists will then visit seven museums in

seven EU countries outside of the UK, their

work ranging from experimental to work relating

to traditional classic glass engraving and glass
cutting.

The exhibition has been organised by the Glass
Engraving Network. The Network was founded
during a weekend in September 2013, when

some 30 engravers from all over Europe met at

Bildwerk, Frauenau, in South East Germany.

There we established our new network,
set up our administered website,

www.glassengravingnetwork.com, and set in
progress plans for another meeting.

The completion of this 18 month-long touring

exhibition project will come after visiting

Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech

Republic, Estonia and Finland before arriving

again at the Glasmuseum Frauenau in August

and September 2016. There will be an
illustrated catalogue with full information on sale

at the exhibition venues.
Fig.1 (above)
is by

Nancy Sutcliffe from Stourbridge and
fig.2

(below)
is by Franz Xavier Holler from Germany

– Katharine Coleman

More information on the Glass Engraving

Network Exhibition will be available from

Katharine Coleman MBE at
www.katharinecoleman.co.uk

or email [email protected]

THE Glass Association is working on arranging
a visit to Glasmuseum Frauenau at the end of
summer 2016, to see the exhibition, the

museum’s glass collection and the glass school

at Bildwerk, Frauenau.

AS part of the International Festival of Glass
(IFG) events in Stourbridge, Katharine Coleman
MBE
will be giving the Guild of Glass Engravers’

annual Spring Lecture ‘A Future for Glass

Engraving’ at 2.30pm, Saturday 30 May at the

Red House Glass Cone. Contact
www.gge.org.uk or email [email protected]

WHAT’S ON

Association for The History of Glass (AHG)

Spring Study Day: Glass for Eating,
Drinking and Making Merry

15 June 2015, 10am-5pm

at The Wallace Collection, London W1U 3BN

THIS study day on the use of table glass of all
periods is being planned in conjunction with the

Glass Association (GA) and the Glass Circle (GC).

Glass has always been made because people

wanted to buy and use it. Without customers who

wanted to use glass, there would have been no
glass industries. Yet much more work has been

done on production than use. Why did people

choose glass instead of ceramics or pewter?

Was the table glass used in homes, inns and

taverns the same, or different? What difference
was there between city and country; upstairs and

downstairs? Such questions are often asked, but

less frequently answered so it is hoped to use this

opportunity to study how, why, where and when

table glass was used in different eras.

The cost of the day will be £12 (€15) for students;

£24 (€30) for members of the AHG, GA, GC or

Friends of the Wallace Collection; and £34 (€45)
for non-members.

Lunch is not provided, but is available locally.

The booking form will be available on the Glass

Association website, meanwhile, please note your
interest to ‘GA-CRYSTAL: [email protected]

Glass Association Events 2015

12 June:
Study Day at the V&A

15 June:
Day event with the Association of

History of Glass

4 July:
Visit to Station Glass at Shenton,

Leicestershire

September
(date tbc):

Visit to St Nicholas’

church at Moreton, Dorset, to see engraved

glass windows by Laurence Whistler

3 October:
Let’s Twist Again at Quarley with

The Georgian Glassmakers

17 October:
GA AGM

(date tbc)

Other events

16-19 April: Delomosne showing their glass.
Dealers Fair at Blenheim, Woodstock

12-21 May:
Glass Circle visit to the USA

25-31 May:
International Festival of Glass and

Biennale in Stourbridge

16-19 July:
Art in Action 2015. At Waterperry

Gardens, nr Oxford. Glassmakers.

Glass Fairs

The two National fairs for 2015 will be held on

10 May
and
22 November

at the National Motor-

cycle Museum nr Birmingham. glassfairs.co.uk

11 October: ‘Cambridge’
Glass Fair at

Knebworth, Stevenage, Herts

Abroad in 2016

Dates to be confirmed

21-24 April:
Barcelona in Spain

August
(prob w/e 20/21):

Glasmuseum

Frauenau, Germany

UK in 2016

Mid June:
V&A study day
(date tbc)

Please check our website for full information and booking
forms where required www.glassassociation.co.uk

THE
GLASS CONE NO.106 SPRING 2015

1111 CANNY

Col
FOR

•

MARK HILL •

MY SHOP IN CENTRAL LONDON
IS NOW OPEN

A range of my groundbreaking books is also available to buy:
Caithness Glass

Loch. Heather

&
Peat

Shop only two minutes walk from Oxford Street and Bond St tube station
Open Wednesday to Friday I Oam-6pm & Saturday I I am-5pm

Stand G23 • Grays Mews Antiques Centre • 1-7 Davies Mews • London •W1K 5AB
or visit www.markhill.net

The Glass Cone

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

PROMOTING THE UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF GLASS

Join

Search

Member

Join

Search

Member

Join

Search

Member

The Glass Cone_No.106 Spring 2015

Recent Posts

Address

Email

Instagram

Facebook