Posts Tagged ‘american glass’

COVERED GOBLET IN FILIGREE
Probably Venice, IiaK, laic iftthorcarly 171I1
century. III. J30 mm (13 in.)
(See also colour photograph 0)
Stangenglas in filigree glass
Germany,-lale 16th century
lit. 300-J mm (1206 in.)
Filigree glass first came into use in Venice
in the second quarter of the 16th century,
and is referred to in Hiringuccio’s De la
Piroiechnica (1540). It is still made
there today, by means of the following
method. First, a stock of glass rods con-
taining decorative (usually opaque white)
twists is prepared. Small canes of opaque
white glass are heated and laid on a gather
of clear, colourless glass. These are mar-
vered into the surface, and a fresh gather
is made, so they arc embedded in the ‘gob’.
This is reheated, swung so that it lengthens,
and another rod is attached to its other
end. One man stands and rotates his rod to
give the pattern a twist. The man holding
the other end walks quickly backwards,
until the twisting gob has stretched 20 feet
or so. I leated lengths of rod are then laid
out on a metal plate. A gather of clear,
colourless glass is flattened into a disc,
then rolled along the rods, picking them up
to form a rough cylinder.
In the next stage of making filigree glass,
the rods are bedded together by being
rolled on a flat slab. The cylinder is swung
like a pendulum, to extend the glass. The
end is then cut oft”, and the cylinder is
closed, so that when it is blown the walls
become thin and smooth. A vessel is
formed from this cylinder. Thus, by
reheating and blowing an assembly ol rods
containing opaque white twists, the Vene-
tians formed vessels having a delicate white
filigree pattern within their thin walls. To
accomplish this took years of training.
The Romans made bowls by winding a
heated rod enclosing white threads spirally
on a mould and joining it by reheating, a
technique that has been called ‘filigrane
glass’.
The technique of making filigree glass
was in widespread use, and continued long
in fashion. Note the filigree ornament on
the typically German glass form illus-
trated.
FILIGREE CANES OR STEMS
Illustration taken from Mantis uj’ Classmakmg in
All Ages, by Alexander Sauzay (London, 1870)
Filigree canes were used both in the pro-
duction of filigree vessels and for simple
use as stems of wine-glasses and the like.
The actual making of the canes themselves
demanded a high degree of craftsmanship
on the part of the workers. Georges Bon-
temps of the glass factory of Choisy-le-Roy
in 1823 published a work describing some
of the Venetian techniques in the produc-
tion of filigree glass. To produce the
filigree canes, he explained, a cylindrical
mould in cither metal or fireclay was lined
with canes of coloured glass alternating
with rods of clear colourless glass. The
glass-maker next took a gather of glass on
the end of his blow-pipe which he fash-
ioned into a cylinder shape to fit into the
mould. He inserted this into the heated
mould and pressed the cylinder against the
rods which adhered to it. After marvering,
the end of the cylinder was then heated and
held with the pincers.
The glass-maker rolled his pipe with his
left hand, which caused the rod to form a
spiral with the coloured canes on the
outside; this was cut into the desired
lengths. If an internally spiralling line was
required inside a cane, a small solid
cylinder was first prepared in clear colour-
less glass, and a coloured cane attached to
its side. A further gather of glass was taken
to cover this, to make a larger cylinder
shape to go into the mould which held the
coloured canes, as before. As the small
coloured cane was not in the centre of the
cylinder, upon being twisted it assumed a
spiral shape down the centre of the
column. The other coloured rods spiralled
on the outer surface of the column, pro-
ducing a delicate and delightful effect. The
variations on the theme of opaque twists
and colour twists can be seen particularly
well in English 18th-century wine-glass
stems.
Adding: The Glass-maker’s Skill
CHAMPAGNE GLASS WITH ENGRAVED BOWL AND
DOUBLE LOOPED STEM CONTAINING TWISTED
COLOURED THREADS
George Bacchus & Sons, England, about 1850
Hi. 127 mm (5 in.)
In the early 19th century the decorative
arts in England were looking back to past
styles for inspiration. At first, glass in
England was little affected, owing mainly
to the glass-makers’ ignorance of the
historic glass styles. By the 1840’s, how-
ever, Venetian glass was considered re-
spectable for imitation. English glass-
makers’ notions of Venetian techniques
were to begin with rather vague, although
they probably improved a little after the
exhibition of Venetian glass in the Society
of Arts exhibition of Mediaeval Art in 1850.
During the years immediately preceding
the 1851 exhibition the practice was
revived of incorporating glass canes, both
opaque white and coloured, with the body
of the vessel. This hailed back to the days
of Venetian glass and the glass of 18th-
century England. Multi-coloured filigree
canes were used for stems of wine-glasses,
and sometimes the stems themselves were
twisted in Venetian styles, as above.
COMPOTIER IN ‘VENETIAN FILIGREE’
Made by John Northwood for Stevens & Williams,
England, about 1887. Ht. 20T mm (8 in.)
The firms of George Bacchus & Sons,
Birmingham, and Apsley Pcllatt’s Falcon
Glass-house in Southwark, London, pro-
duced wine-glasses with colour twist stems
in the mid-19th century. The Venetian
influence was also felt by the firm of
W. H., B. & J. Richardson of Stourbridge,
who exhibited an item with a ‘threaded
Venetian stem’ in the Society of Arts
Exhibition in 1849. From 1849 onwards
the firm of Rice Harris & Son of Birming-
ham made threaded glass, and twisted
stems were a feature of Lloyd & Summer-
field’s display at the 1851 Exhibition.
After Antonio Salviati’s exhibition of
revived Venetian techniques in Paris in
1867 manufacturers were fully aware of
the historical methods of production.
However, exact reproductions of Venetian
w;ork were rarely attempted in England for
the general market, probably because of
the unsuitability of the English lead-
crystal glass. An exception is this ‘Venetian
filigree’ compotier made by John North-
wood for Stevens & Williams
most popular designs
was the so-called ‘folded handkerchief,
where a square of glass decorated with
filigree was loosely ‘folded’ into the shape
of a vase. Vcnini, who died in 1959, was
one of the most important artists in glass
in recent times. In 1921 he entered a
partnership with Giacomo Cappcllin and
established the firm of ‘Vctri Soffiati,
Muranesi (lappellin-Venini & G’ pro-
ducing glass based on old Venetian pic-
tures. After a successful showing at the
Paris Exhibition in 1925 Vcnini estab-
lished his own factory, ‘Vcnini and C.\ in
Murano, discarded his earlier purism and
began to exploit the effects of colour and
texture in glass. He revived old Venetian
techniques, such as filigree and mosaic
work. At the time of his death his factory
consisted ol mure than .1 hundred glass-
blowers, who were experienced in most of
the ancient techniques. It was his aim to
join the old glass-making techniques with
modern Italian taste.
ewe* in millejiori oi ass with sii.VFJt-Gll.t mounts
Venice, Italy, 10th century, lit. 126 mm (495 in.)
Millefiori Glass: The name ‘millejiori1 (a
thousand flowers) was first given to mosaic
glass when the technique was taken up at
Venice in Renaissance times. The first
chapter covers the technique of mosaic
glass, in which vessels were produced by
fusing cut sections of glass rods held on to
a core with an outer mould, and then
ground and polished on both sides. The
term millejiori has, however, been applied
in retrospect to some of those Roman
mosaic glasses, where the fragments were
of rosette-like design. Egyptian craftsmen,
who for centuries were so skilled in the
mosaic technique, were later attracted to
the courts of tbe early Islamic rulers. It is
reasonably certain they were practising
1 heir technique in the 9th century A.D. at
the Abbasid court at Samarra, where finds
of mosaic glass (probably used as wall
decoration) were discovered by German
archaeologists in 1912 14.
vase in millefiori glass
E. Barovicr, Venice, Italy, late, ioth century
Ht. 203 mm (8 in.)
(See also colour photograph 10)
The millefiori glass of the Venetians, which
closely resembles Roman mosaic glass, was
produced by a different method. The
sections of glass rod were made in the
usual way, but were then embedded in a
gather of clear colourless or clear pale blue
glass, which was then blown to its final
shape. The difference in technique can be
seen more clearly in the vase illustrated,
made at the Barovier glass-house in
Murano in the late 19th century. The
simple floral decoration, in green, blue and
red glass sections, is set into a background
of sections of turquoise encircling clear
colourless glass, the whole embedded in
clear colourless glass. The general effect is
of a network of glass, rather than of
individual sections floating in a clear
colourless background. The vase is signed
‘E. Barovier, Murano’, so is presumably
the work of Ercolc Barovier (b.1889), who
helped to create the modern style of Italian
glass-making together with Paolo Venini
(1895-1959).
vase in millefiori glass
Clichy, France, c. 1845-50. Ht. 245 mm (9-63 in.)
The making of millefiori glass was not con-
fined to Italy. There is evidence that such
vessels were made in Silesia and other
areas of Central Europe in the 18th
century. The Hoffhungstal Works in
Silesia were producing millefiori vessels in
1833, and later they were made at Schone-
beck near Magdeburg. The French crafts-
men of Clichy, St. Louis and Baccarat
produced excellent millefiori glass in the
19th century; the articles included paper-
weights, inkstands, pen-rests, wafer-stands
and rulers. The vase illustrated is a rare
and beautiful example of Clichy millefiori
glass, having the name ‘Clichy’ enclosed in
a tiny cane within the design. This French
glass is notable for the quality of work-
manship, harmony of colour and beauty of
design. France’s superiority in the making
of vessel glass was a comparatively late
development. Her craftsmen had been
pre-eminent in the making of stained and
painted window glass, and later of mirror
glass, but it was only in the 19th century
that they matched their achievements in
vessel glass..
PAPERWEIGHT
Probably Rice Harris & Son, England, about 1850
Diam. 70 mm (275 in.)
DISH IN GLASS
by Antonio Salviali, Italy, f.1880
Diam. 178 mm (7 in.)
Of all the novelties in glass of mid-iQth
century England, the best remembered is
the millejiori paperweight. At the time they
were made they, were considered to be of
little importance, and were more likely to
be sold in a stationers’ shop than at a glass-
dealers’. Probably the firms that made
filigree or threaded stems experimented
with paperweights, but it is known that the
firm of George Bacchus & Sons of Birm-
ingham were making millejiori paper-
weights in 1848 and 1849. From a reference
in the An Journal in 1849 it seems that the
firm of Rice, Harris & Son of Birmingham
were also producing them at this time. As
the Rice Harris works were also known as
the Islington Glass Works, it seems reason-
able that weights found with canes lettered
IGW came from this factory, as in the
example illustrated. The fashion for paper-
weights came from France, whence they
were imported to England in great num-
bers.
In the 19th century, Renaissance styles of
glass-making were revived in Italy. The
old Venetian colour techniques were re-
vived about 1830, and by i860 Antonio
Salviati (1816-1900) had started a large-
scale commercial production of glass in
traditional styles. Much extravagant and
sentimental work was done, Salviati’s
forms being gaudy in colour and over-
elaborate. Most of the other Muranese
glass-makers followed him in making
pastiches of i6th-and 17th-century Vene-
tian glass, aimed at the tourist market. At
the same time there was a small production
of simpler glass wares in Venice, with
Salviati producing plain shapes in clear
colourless glass with applied decoration.
He was also known for his straightforward
copies of the old classic colour techniques
of Venice, such as the millejiori dish
illustrated. After the First World War,
Functionalist ideas gave a new stimulus to
the traditionalism of Venetian glass-mak-
ing and a truly modern style was estab-
lished, notably by Paolo Vcnini and
Ercole Barovier.
IRIDESCENT millefiori VASE PAPERWEIGHT VASE WITH CROCUS DESIGN
By Tiffany, U.S.A., late 19th century/early 20th By Tiffany, U.S.A. Ht. 16; mm (0-5 in.)
century. Ht. 279 mm (11 in.)
Louis Comfort Tiffany at his works in
Corona, Long Island, U.S.A., produced
many kinds of glassware between 1.1885
to 1924. Among these was millefiori glass
of a style not seen before. Tiffany’s love of
natural floral effects can be seen in this
work. Millefiori rods as intricately and
beautifully made as any on the Continent
were produced at his works and put to use-
in many different ways by Tiffany crafts-
men. The size of the rods ranged from \
inch to 4-5 inches in diameter. Small
white millefiori florets with red, green,
yellow or blue centres were embedded in
the outer surface of glass vases and bowls,
and were marvered-in to a smooth finish.
Green glass leaves and tendrils were added
as decoration to create the illusion of
flowering vines. The natural fluidity of his
work can be seen in the example illustrated.
A variation, and a most beautiful one, on
the technique of millefiori was Tiffany’s
so-called ‘Paperweight glass’. Lengths of
millefiori rod were used to simulate coral
growths, aquatic plants, morning glories,
narcissus, daffodils. Queen Anne’s lace,
animals and a host of other motifs. These
coloured decorative glass designs were
laid upon and embedded in an inner layer
of glass, with another gather of clear glass
coating over the original decorated piece.
Sometimes the inner layer of glass was
made iridescent before it received its outer
layer, which caused a lovely mirror-like
shimmering effect. The outer layer of glass
was also frequently made slightly irides-
cent. Occasionally patterns were engraved
into paperweight glass, giving striking
depth to the piece. The predominant
motifs in the paperweight technique are
floral and under-water marine life. They
are probably the rarest of the Tiffany
techniques, and the most difficult to find.
Aventurine Glass: The Venetians are
credited with the invention of Aventurine
glass. In appearance it is generally yellow-
ish, with a sparkle to it suggestive of
sprinkled gold dust. No one knows exactly
how the Venetians made this attractive
glassware, but the results of more recent
experiments may throw some light on
their methods. In i860 the French chemist
Hautefeuille made Aventurine glass by
adding iron or fine brass turnings enclosed
in paper to the hot glass. The glass turned
red and opaque, and then became milky
and full of bubbles. The furnace draught
was cut off and the covered crucible
containing the glass covered with ashes.
After being slowly cooled, the pot was
broken and the Aventurine glass taken out.
In 1865 another chemist, Pelouze, made
Aventurine equal to that of the Venetians
by using 250 parts of sand, 100 of carbonate
of soda, 50 of carbonate of lime and 40 of
bichromate of potash.
Aventurine glass was sold in rods or large
pieces to foreign factories by Venetian
glass-makers. These were broken down
and crushed into various sizes for use as a
decorative material. Green (chrome), pink
(chrome in the presence of tin) and bronze
Aventurine can be found in English,
Continental and American glassware of
the 19th century. More recently, the
Fostoria Glass Company of Moundsville,
West Virginia, made green Aventurine
glass by supersaturating a high lead glass
with chrome oxide. The chrome oxide
dissolved into the glass during the melt,
but as the glass cooled it could not hold all
the chrome oxide in solution so that crys-
tals formed in the glass; these were large
enough to reflect light and so gave the
Aventurine appearance. Aventurine is also
supposed to have been made by the addi-
tion of copper to the mix. Aventurine has
been called ‘Glass of the Golden Star’ by
the Chinese, and is also known as ‘Gold-
stone’.
JUG with trailed decoration
Egypt, second quarter of the 15th century B.C.
Ht. 88′mm (3-45 in.)
Only a skilled glass-maker could have pro-
duced the decorative effects described in the
last chapter, but much added decoration
found on glass vessels is the result of I he art
of the decorator, and owes little to actual
glass-making technology. The expertise of
the decorator in the ornamentation oj glass
vessels can be seen in the enamelling, painting
and gilding techniques, in their various
forms. Indeed, the decorator has been
involved in the ornamentation oj glass from
earliest times; it was an enameller’s hand
that decorated one of I he oldest known glass
vessels of Egypt. A purist might consider the
decoration of glass by the actual glass-maker
more valid than by the decorator, but as these
two chapters show, there has been a place for
both through the ages.
Enamelled Class: The art of enamelling
glass is a technique which can be dated
definitely back to the 15th century B.C.
The small Egyptian jug illustrated, bear-
ing the name of the Egyptian Pharaoh
Tuthmosis III, is the earliest enamelled
glass known to us. It is in opaque light blue
glass with yellow, white and dark blue
opaque trails and with white and yellow
powdered glass fired on in the manner of
enamel. It has been core-formed, with a
ground and polished surface on the rim
and underneath the base. The hieroglyphic
inscription on the shoulder, part of which
can be seen, translated, reads: ‘The good
god Men-Kheper—Re, given life’. Tuth-
mosis III (c. 1504-1450 B.C.) was one of
the most powerful of the Pharaohs of the
1 Si h I )ynasty and under him flourished all
cultural activities, including glass-making.
Enamel is in essence a low-firing glass
crushed to powder, which can be painted
on to a vessel, with the aid of a bonding
agent like honey. It can be fused to the
vessel at a lower temperature than will
cause the vessel to warp or sag in the
furnace. Enamelling appeared to be an
isolated phenomenon of the Egyptian 18th
Dynasty and fell into disuse at the end of
the period. It was certainly practised in
Roman times, and one or two different
types of work can be picked out, possibly
belonging to different schools within the
Roman Empire. Motifs include birds,
vines, pygmies, cranes, animals, hunting
scenes and figural subjects. There is no
exact knowledge of how the Romans did
their enamelling, and one can only guess
that they followed later methods of which
something is known. From earliest an-
tiquity there was a trade in cakes or ingots
of glass enamel for the use of less special-
ised glass-makers. Certain colours, notably
turquoise, sealing-wax red and white,
were traded round the world from the
earliest times of glass-making.
EWER, ‘DAPHNE’, IN OPAQUE WHITE GLASS WITH
ENAMELLING AND GILDING
Possibly Antioch, Syria, late 2nd to early 3rd
century A.D. III. 222 mm (875 in.)
Perhaps the most remarkable example of
Roman enamelling and gilding is the so-
called ‘Daphne’ ewer, now in The Corning
Museum of Glass, New York. It was
probably made in Antioch on the Orontes
in Syria. Antioch was a large city and a
centre for culture and wealth for many
hundreds of years, and the vase could have
been one of the luxury items the city
produced. The vase itself is made of opaque
white glass, richly enamelled and gilded
with a scene that depicts the story of
Daphne, who was turned by her protecting
father into a tree when the pursuing love-
sick Apollo tried to touch her. The
inscription on the shoulder, translated,
reads: ‘The Beautiful’, referring to the
lovely Daphne. The earliest written men-
tion of the techniques of enamelling comes
in the work De Diversis Artibus (Concern-
ing Divers Arts), compiled by the monk
Theophilus, probably in the first half of
the 12th century A.D. (Continued)

Mould-blown glass
Mould blowing, a technique that dates back to Roman times, became fashionable when it was used to make Irish and Anglo-Irish glass in the late 18th century. However, its popularity in the USA, where it is known as “blown-three-mould” glass after the three-part mould in which it was produced, declined with the growth of pressed glass in the 1820s.
EARLY GLASS
Mould blowing was first introduced by the Romans C.AD 25 and was one of the most important developments in the production of glass. The simple technique involves blowing a molten, sometimes partly formed, gather of glass (paraison) into a mould. Once shaped by the mould, the piece can be removed and finished, perhaps by reheating and further blowing to enlarge it. The mould, which gives the object both shape and decoration in one operation, was typically made of a non-combustible material such as pearwood, clay, or metal. It was usually made in two or more parts to enable the glass, which does not shrink as it cools, to be removed without damage. Wares made include plain unguentaria, bottles, beakers, and drinking cups, as well as more decorative wares such as inverted bell-shaped “lotus-bud” beakers, hexagonal flasks with decoration showing scenes from the Roman circus, and “mythological” beakers, decorated with events and characters from Roman mythology.
EUROPEAN GLASS
Glassmakers in northern Europe continued to produce mould-blown glass after the Romans left the region. The type of unsophisticated glassware, which included cone and claw beakers, was made of green-tinted soda-lime glass in the forested regions in the Rhineland, France, and Belgium between C.AD 400 and C.AD 700. The most common wares were simple drinking vessels decorated with trailing.
In the 18th century mould blowing was popularly used in Ireland to mass-produce wares such as glasses and decanters, with decoration in imitation of cut-glass designs. Most wares were part rather than fully mould blown; this involved blowing a gather of glass into a shallow patterned mould to form the base of the ware – the bowl of a glass or the base of a decanter. The mould enabled the glassblower to produce a range of wares with a uniform shape and the moulded pattern (typically fluted on Irish decanters) helped to hide flaws in the surface of the glass or unsightly sediment from wine settled at the bottom. By the late 18th century Irish glassmakers were also working their factory marks into the base of the mould.
NORTH AMERICAN GLASS
Large quantities and many varieties of blown-threemould glass, often imitating Anglo-Irish cut glass, were manufactured in Western Pennsylvania,
Ohio, West Virginia, and Indiana from c.1815. The full-size hinged moulds had two, three, or more parts – the name is slightly misleading – and were used to produce pieces with patterns imitating cut glass;
wares, which were usually clear, included punch-bowls, decanters, tumblers, and even toy wine glasses decorated with a range of motifs from sunbursts and vertical and horizontal ribs to plumes and scrolls. Very popular at the time were flasks decorated with presidential portraits, the American eagle, or other political symbols, and portraits of celebrities. They were produced from c.1815 in a variety of sizes and colours – most common are clear or bottle-green examples, but wares in amethyst, blue, and various shades of green are also known.
Vast quantities of mould-blown glass were manufactured in North America during the 19th century for wine and spirit bottles, patent medicine bottles, and home preserving jars. However, in
the 1820s with the development of mould-pressing machinery they were able to mass-produce imitation cut glass.
General
• DECORATION unlike that on cut or mould-pressed glass, the design may be felt on the inside of the piece; as the glass stretches when blown, patterns are often contorted; mould-seams may be visible down the piece’s side
Early glass
• WARES flasks, beakers, cups, bottles, and bowls
• COLLECTING many domestic wares can be commonly found; unusual, coloured, or highly decorated items are very collectable and command high prices
European glass
• COLLECTING part-mould-blown Irish decanters (always of clear glass) are particularly sought after
American glass
• TECHNIQUE mould blowing mostly used in North America between c.1820 and 1870
• WARES much used for the production of inexpensive bottles, although other wares, including vases, punchbowls, and drinking glasses, were also produced

Art Deco Glass
After a decline at the end of the Art Nouveau period, art glass became popular once again during the inter-war years. France was the leader in design and innovation, with the prolific Rene Lalique being the foremost glassmaker in the Art Deco style. Functional pieces were very often turned to purely decorative purposes, and Lalique’s moulded, opalescent, or frosted glass,
ranging from vases to architectural panels, spawned a gre many imitators. In the USA the Steuben Glass Works produce fine engraved stemware. Moulded glass was usually max produced and sometimes hand-finished; makers also used such techniques as enamelling and engraving to embellish glass -will the fashionable stylized motifs of the era.
Lalique, Daum, and Marinot Glass
European industrial decorative-glass manufacturers of the Art Deco period, most of which operated in France or Bohemia, were primarily influenced by the work of Rene Lalique ( 1860-1945). Many chose to copy his style and techniques, making clear or opalescent glass vessels and statuary with a frosted finish. The wealth of output provides a wide range of choice for collectors, and many focus on only one category, or even on one colour or motif. The present-day market is similarly led by Lalique prices, and most glass by other manufacturers, found throughout Europe, North America, and beyond, rarely rises above decorative value.
RENE LALIQUE Glass
Lalique began glassmaking in 1910, having already established a successful career as the leading jeweller of the Art Nouveau period, and in 1921 took over a large glassworks at Wingen-sur-Moder in Alsace to produce his designs. He was a prolific designer, and made an enormous variety of items, ranging from , and tablewares to clocks, lighting, and architectural panels. Most of his work was machine-made to a high standard. Lalique relied on metal moulds for casting or mould-blowing glass, and many items, particularly panels and larger vessels, show evidence of “chill marks”, or ripples, on the surface. Mould seams were often left, or only partially polished off. Certain objects, including vases, were made by Lalique himself (rather than by the workshop) using the cire perdue (lost-wax) technique. Since the mould has to be broken in order to retrieve the glass, each cire perdue cast is unique, and such items are highly collectable.
The majority of Lalique wares, and virtually all architectural panels, lighting, and table glass, are clear with a frosted or partially frosted surface. Opalescent glass was also used. Some vases were produced in colours, including amber, electric blue, and black, and these command
premium prices. Lalique created various forms of lighting, often in inventive shapes or containing geometric or figural decoration. Clear or opalescent light bowls are generally more desirable than those of a Yellow colour. Lalique designed several hundred perfume bottles, the rarest and best of which are as valuable as some coloured vases. Other categories of collectable interest include the range of 27 automobile-hood ornaments (car mascots), made from 1925 to 1932, boxes, inkwells, ashtrays, and letter seals.
THE INFLUENCE OF LALIQUE GLASS
Marius-Ernest Sabino (1878-1961) produced a wide range of vases, statuary, and lighting from c.1923 until the closure of his glassworks in 1939. Much of his work clearl displays the influence of Lalique; however, few examples are as finely executed as Lalique wares, nor were Sabino’s designs as imaginative. The best examples are in deep, opalescent glass of milky blue. Most popular are the highly stylized figures of women, while coloured vases, mostly black or smoky topaz, have a limited following. Sabino also
produced car mascots, often copies of designs by Lalique. Reproductions of Sabino’s wares using the Original moulds have been made since the 1960x.
Edmond Etling &- Cie (active 1920x-1930x) commissioned moulded opalescent glass, comparable in standards of design and manufacture to Sabino. Figures of draped female nudes produced during the mid-1920s, often in a pale-bluish tint, are especially collectable, with values rivalling Sabino and lesser Lalique. Other typical subjects were animals and ships, and some vases were also produced.
Other French glassmakers in Lalique style include the firm of Verlys, which operated in France and the USA; Andre Hunebelle, who specialized in lighting and frosted vases of geometric design; and the firm of Genet & Michon, makers of innovative lighting, frosted architectural panels, and vases. A large variety of frosted glass, geometric-patterned
glass geometric-patte lampshades, and hanging lights is reproduced today and can be found at reasonable cost.
DAUM GLASS
The factory operated by the Daum family in Nancy from 1875 to the present day produced some of the best and most distinctive French Art Deco glass of the late 1920s and early 1930s. Daum Specialized in artistic Art Nouveau overlay and etched glass until the
1920s, but introduced new lines in the Art Deco style before 1930, mostly under the direction of Paul Daum. The two most characteristic types of Art Deco Daum glass are the mottled and the acid-etched lines.
Mottled glass was usually of amber colour, often with golden metallic inclusions, and was used for vases and some lamps (which are far more desirable than vessels), blown into heavy metal armatures. The typical wrought-iron metalwork may be signed “Edgar Brandt” or attributable to the firm of Louis Majorelle 1859-1926) in Nancy. Daum glass of this type is relatively low in value as pieces tend to be cumbersome and a little sombre.
Vases, bowls, and table-lamps in heavy, thick-walled, vividly coloured glass with deeply acid-etched decoration are the most collectable Art Deco Daum. Colours include green, amethyst, amber, turquoise, and grey; monumental vases in “electric” colours, particularly bright blue and vibrant yellow, are highly sought after. Matt and polished surfaces were sometimes combined. Value is directly in proportion to the depth and complexity of the etched decoration; vessels with shallow, sparse decoration tend to be of later origin and are relatively inexpensive. Pale colours and a smoky grey arc also indicative of late origin (possibly post-World War II). Table-lamps are usually in thick, clear glass with a frosted or grainy surface texture and vertically etched grooves forming a geometric, abstract pattern. Lampshades are bullet-shaped (the more popular) or mushroom-shaped. Any authentic Daum etched table-lamp is of considerable value, particularly if it is of large scale. A few- shades of similar style were also made, but are generally less popular than lamps.
MAURICE MARINOT GLASS
Maurice Marinot (1882-1960) was a painter and glass artist who worked largely independently from c.1911. This glass was not mass-produced and is rarely found on the market; however, it is easily identifiable and widely collected, particularly in Europe. Marinot created mostly functional pieces such as vases, jugs, and bowls, often of abstract, sculptural form, and experimented with decorative techniques such as trapping bubbles or metal foil within thick, heavy walls of glass. Between c.1915 and 1918 Marinot made enamelled glass, which is somewhat less collectable than his later work and consists mainly of pale-coloured or bubbly vases and decanters painted with Art Deco-style flora, fauna, or figures in bright polychrome enamel. Later, internally decorated pieces are often in the form of stoppered bottles (the stopper may be a glass sphere), free-blown in thick, clear glass decorated with bubbling, inclusions, and streaks of colour, and sometimes deeply etched with geometric or figural patterns.
Rene Lalique
• TYPES before 1930: clear glass with partially frosted finish is most common; after 1930: almost all frosted and clear; some pale opalescent and pale yellow/amber colour; designs remained in production after Lalique’s death, when a new crystal glass N as used
• ALTERATIONS authentic but altered pieces of Lalique include vases with ground necks, perfume bottles with “married” stoppers, and opaque vases with “plugged” bases; all designs are recorded in a catalogue raisonne
• FAKES mostly inferior and of poor quality with signatures added; beware of post-war Lalique with the pre-war signature added
Marius-Ernst Sabino
• TYPES opalescent glass using typical Art Deco motifs
• REPRODUCTIONS since the 1960s old moulds have been used to make certain items; the opalescence is more intense than on the originals and map appear “oily-
• COLLECTING large, stylized female figures are the most popular
Etling & Cie
• TYPES most pieces are in opalescent glass, comparable in standard to Sabino
• COLLECTING figures of draped female nudes produced during the mid-1920s 920s are especially collectable; values rival Sabino and lesser Lalique; reproductions in frosted glass were made in France in the 1970s
Marks
Opalescent glass is marked with the name, usually with “France” or “Paris” added
Daum
• TYPES most characteristic are mottled and acid-etched
• FAKES these exist as similar but ulterior pieces, including table-lamps, that appear to be acid-etched hut can be identified as moulded on close inspection
• COLLECTING monumental vases in “electric” colours
with deeply acid-etched decoration are preferred; metal armatures are often cracked and should be inspected
carefully;depth, quality,and complexity of decoration Lire vital for determining value – vessels with shallow, sparse decoration tend to be of later origin and have little value; pale colours and a smoky grey are indicative of later origin (possibly post-World War II)
Maurice Marinot
• TYPES handmade, small-scale items with heavy, thick-walled glass arc most typical; much of Marinot’s work is internally decorated or enamelled
• COLLECTING work is rare and consequently expensive
Marks
All pieces are engraved with the Marinot signature
Other French makers
ARGY-ROUSSEAU AND DECORCHEMONT
The style of the pate-de-verre (glass paste) specialists Gabriel Argy-Rousseau (1885-1953) and Francois-Emile Decorchemont (1880-1971) evolved from the Art Nouveau to the Art Deco during the 1920s. Argy-Rousseau produced vases decorated with stylized figures or geometric patterns in rich colours, together with table-lamps (the most valuable of all Art Deco pate-de-verre), plaques, and some translucent pate-de-cristal vessels. Popular Argy-Rousseau Vases were produced in large numbers, each one being hand-finished; motifs included Egyptian and mythological subjects. The output of Decorchemont, whose work is less collectable than that of Argy-Rousseau, is mainly in pate-de-cristal, often of bluish tone. Small vessels of Neo-classical form are typical. External decoration is subtle, and may be in the form of geometric engraving.
GOUPY AND HEILIGENSTEIN
Working from his Paris studio between 1918 and c.1936, Marcel Goupy (1886-1954) designed glass and ceramics sold mostly through the gallery of Georges Rouard in Paris. Goupy glass includes thin-walled vases, decanters, and goblets in clear or pale monochrome glass, painted with stylized flora, fauna, or figural decoration in semi-matt polychrome enamels. Auguste-Claude Heiligenstein (1891-1976) was an assistant to Goupy at Rouard from 1919 until 1926; he produced enamelled glass for several firms and independent commissions until the mid-1930s. Heiligenstein specialized in figural decoration, often featuring Neo-classical women in translucent enamels. Colours are naturalistic, often predominantly bluish and sometimes edged in gilt. Forms include vases, decanters, and pendants.
Other French Art Deco glass artists who used enamel decoration include Andre Delatte, who worked near Nancy in the 1920s and made mostly vases in opaque, bright colours. In his best pieces the decoration combines etching overlay with polychrome enamel painting. The firm of Muller Freres (est. 1895) in Luneville made speckled glass comparable to Daum c.1930, which may be fixed with metal armatures. The most valuable glass of this type was used for a series of lamps in the form of animals.
LESSER-KNOWN MAKERS
French Art Deco glass by small or lesser-known makers is widely available and varies greatly in quality. The unique, deeply acid-etched sculptural work of Aristide Colotte (1885-1959) in clear crystal ranks among the highest achievements in Art Deco decorative glass, but not widely collected. Similarly, the strikingly Modernists geometric glass desk items designed by Jean Luce (1895-1964) arc not greatly sought after, despite the practicality. Luce also designed glass for the ocean liners of the Compagnie Generale Transatlantique
(C.G.T.). Other Art Deco glass includes the
popular range of vases, lamps, and other wares
produced by Charles Schneider (1881-1953) from
c.1918 until the early 1930s. Most is of mottled.
bubbly glass mould-blown into heavily walled
vases and bowls. Vessels of this type, which may have applied feet or handles of contrasting colour, are common and of relatively little value. Schneider produced vases and a few table-lamps as “Lc Verre Francais”, typically in overlay glass etched with Art Deco decoration.
Argy-Rousseau and Decorchement
• WARES before c.1920: mostly small, Art Nouveau pieces, including jewellery and ashtrays; after c. 1920: larger items, including vases, in a more symmetrical style
• CONVERSIONS attention should be paid to large vases,
which may have been drilled for lamp attachments
• RESTORATION this may be visible on heavy, opaque pieces through transmitted light, and reduces value
• COLLECTING rich, deep colours and well-defined decoration are most desirable; heavier vases are popular
Goupy and Heiligenstein
• DECORATION polychrome enamelling
• COLLECTING Goupy: large-scale works and figural work are his most collectable pieces
Marks
Goupy: enamel or gilt script in the design or on underside of foot; Heiligenstein: most have an enamel or gilt signature, dates, and title of decoration
Lesser-known makers
• COLLECTING Luce: desk items arc popular with Art Deco collectors; Schneider: mould-blown vessels are common and of relatively little value; large pieces, geometric forms, lamps, and pieces with applied elements are the more valuable Schneider wares

Most American glass made during the inter-war years was in traditional style and of press-moulded manufacture, but inexpensive interpretations of French glass, particularly that of Rene Lalique (1860-1945), were popular during the early 1930x. American glass of this period is rarely found outside the USA, as it was not exported; a thriving network of American-glass collectors exists, but there is virtually no interest in this type of Art Deco glass elsewhere in the world.
STEUBEN GLASS
Steuben Glassworks (est. 1903) was founded in Corning, New York, by the Englishman Frederick Carder (1864-1963). Steuben is the most prestigious and highly regarded American glassmaker, partly owing to its elegant and distinctive work in the Art Deco style.
Before 1933 Carder designed much of Steuben’s ware himself; after that date most Steuben Art Deco glass was designed by John Monteith Gates (6.1905) or
Sidney Waugh (1904-63), who worked almost exclusively in clear crystal. Steuben glass is not Modernist or avant-garde; vase forms are typically restrained, often of Neo-classical or Chinese inspiration. Engraved decoration is impressive, comparable to that of contemporary glass made by the Swedish firm of Orrefors (est. 1898). Much of the engraving is figural, featuring slender forms with subtle, geometric stylization. During the late 1930s and 1940s Steuben also produced a range of heavy, cast, clear crystal animals, some in geometric Art Deco designs, for use as bookends and paperweights; these are highly collectable today. Decanters, often with air-trapped stoppers, are also common.
Stemware, bar items, and a few elegant vases designed for Steuben by the leading industrial designer Walter Dorwin Teague ( 1883-1960) in the early 1930s are considered among the most innovative American Art Deco glass. Teague’s slender, elegant Art Deco cocktail and wineglasses are comparable in value to the best Lalique pieces.
VERLYS AND CACIQUE-STYLE GLASS
The trademark “Verlys” derives from “Venetic d’Andelys”, a French glassworks (est. 1920) in Les Andelys, Lure, founded by the American Holophane Glass Co. However, from c.1933 until 1955 most decorative Verlys wares were made in the USA, and pieces are often found on the market there today. Verlys ware is growing in popularity in the USA and also has some market in Europe. Typical of the factory’s output arc press-moulded vases and bowls, mostly with symmetrical patterns evocative of Lalique, in deep-bluish Opalescent glass. Smoky-grey, blue, and pink are rare and generally less popular; even the best designs have values comparable only to those of the plainest Lalique. From 1926 the Consolidated Lamp & Glass Co. of
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, produced an inexpensive range of mould-blown vases and some figural plates in the style of Lalique under the direction of Reuben Haley. Production continued on the same site – trading as the Phoenix Glassworks – until the 1940s, under Reuben’s son, Kenneth Haley.
“RUBA RHOMBIC” AND DEPRESSION GLASS Between 1928 and 1933 the Consolidated Lamp & Glass Co. produced a stylish line of vases and table glass called “Ruba Rhombic”. Examples are highly collectable, although the line was relatively inexpensive when first produced. Liqueur sets and small vases in smoky grey are most common. Collectors focus on vibrant or rare colours such as green, yellow, lavender, and black. It is estimated that fewer than 1,500 pieces exist today.
Ruba Rhombic is the finest of the so-called “Depression” glass that was produced by scores of regional firms, and consisted mostly of heavily moulded kitchen- or tableware in pale monochrome, sometimes in the Art Deco style. Depression glass is collectable in the USA but remains very affordable.
Steuben Glassworks
• FORMS Neo-classical or Chinese-style vases, clear crystal animals,decanters with air-trapped stoppers; Art Deco stemware, vases, and barware by Teague
• ORNAMENT engraved, stylized figures or fauna
• COLLECTING elegant Art Deco cocktail and wineglasses are most valuable
Verlys
• FORMS press-moulded vases and bowls, with Lalique style symmetrical patterns
• COLLECTING becoming increasingly popular; opalescent colours are more desirable than smoky grey, blue, or pink
Phoenix Glassworks
• STYLE some copies of, or attempts to emulate, Lalique are found, but they can be distinguished by their light weight, poor definition, poorly finished rims, sugary frosted texture, and use of matt, pastel staining, sometimes in two colours
• COLLECTING as yet of no significant value

Ruba Rhombic glass
• FORMS angular, heavily moulded vases and tableware, mostly= pale monochrome
• COLLECTING angular “Ruba Rhombic” pieces in vibrant or rare colours such as green, yellow, lavender, and black are most desirable

Dresser Accessories
Assorted grooming tools can be grouped under the category of dresser accessories simply because the dressing table or vanity is where they were usually kept. This category offers not only variety but also a plentiful supply of Art Deco collectibles. Like dress accessories, men’s dresser items are few in number compared to women’s. Comb and brush sets, cuff link boxes and shaving mugs may be found, however.
During Victorian times, the dresser “set” was in vogue. A set basically consisted of a tray with a matching powder box and hair receiver. Other pieces such as a “Patch” box, pin box, ring tree, talcum shaker and even a chamber stick were sometimes included. The sets were usually made of porcelain, glass or silver. Their popularity carried over into the Deco era, although ring trees and hair receivers seem to have diminished popularity during the latter years.
Shapes and decoration of dresser sets gradually began to reflect the changing trends in designs. The floral and fanciful Art Nouveau decor of the late 1890’s gave way to streamlined and geometric stylized designs in glass and silver. Porcelain sets began to have more vivid handpainted decoration, often with sharply contrasting colors. Deco dresser sets were also made in celluloid, or French ivory, as it was sometimes called. Hand mirrors, manicure tools and even perfume bottles were made to complement the celluloid sets.
Powder boxes, which might also double as small
trinket boxes, are the most collectible items from the complete dresser sets. While it may be difficult to find all the matching pieces of an original set, surviving boxes are quite numerous. They were made in so many different sizes and with such diverse decorations that the search for a “different” one does not become boring. Collections can be easily and attractively displayed. Some of the boxes made during the Deco years were decorates with a nude or semi-nude figure on the lid. Others were even shaped as a figural box as shown in one example here. Powder boxes, like figural bookends, offer an opportunity to acquire a Deco figure for considerably less than a statue or figurine.
Other dresser accessories include combs, clothes brushes, hair brushes, jewelry boxes and perfume bottles. Collector interest in perfume bottles rivals or surpasses interest in powder boxes. Some of the famous European glass manufacturers of the period such as Lalique, Baccarat and Moser designed bottles with sharp Deco styles for perfumes and colognes made by various cosmetic firms. Today those original bottles are quite expensive, but others made by American glass companies, often unmarked and thus not attributable to a certain firm, are affordable. Even colognes sold in dime stores at the time which were bottled in Deco style containers or in dark blue, green or red glass are snapped up by collectors today.

Art Deco Table Wares
Companies engaged in manufacturing products for preparing and serving food found it necessary to accommodate the new trends in modern design. Streamlined and angular shapes can be found not only in sets of china but in kitchen equipment as well. In this section, table wares are not confined to dishes but include other utilitarian and decorative pieces. Because of the great diversity of this category, it is possible to show only a sample of items, but the pieces illustrated should alert collectors to the many possibilities table wares offer. Photographs are arranged approximately in alphabetical order according to the function of the item, ranging from candle holders, centerpieces and crumbers, to pitchers and a toaster!
Table wares basically are made of pottery, glass or metal. Ceramics include earthenware or semi-china, stoneware and porcelain. Simplified decoration distinguishes Deco china from that produced during the Victorian years. Floral transfer patterns covering the entire surface of china gave way to colored line borders or abstract geometric patterns. Sometimes china was left undecorated with the shape or mold drawing attention to a modern image. Geometric shapes other than the usual circular form are seen here in the rectangular bowl and the triangular shaped cup and saucer.
Ceramic table wares can be found at all price levels. Pieces designed and handpainted by Clarice Cliff for the Royal Staffordshire Pottery during the late 1920’s and early 1930’s are highly regarded by advanced collectors. Price can reach several hundred to several thousand dollars for some examples, especially those with floral and landscape decor. “Bizarre,” “Geometric,” — and “Fantasque” were some of the pattern names. The English artist’s signature was included on most of her work. Pieces which do not have her name or signature as part of the mark are usually considerably lower in price. “The Biarritz” soup bowl shown here is one such example. Although the pattern is quite simple, it also merits consideration as a form of Deco table ware. Deco patterns by other English potters are also quite collectible. Many good examples in the moderate price ranges are surfacing. These may be found mixed in with other miscellaneous dishes by dealers who do not specialize in Art Deco.
“American Modern, ” designed by Russel Wright for the Ohio based Steubenville Pottery is also quite collec
tible and much lower in price. This line was made from about 1939 through the late 1950’s. Solid colored surfaces without other added decoration implied a modern concept. Many other European and American pottery and porcelain factories produced their own renditions of “modern” style. Japanese table ware companies used similar interpretations to reach the large American market. Deco patterned china made by the Noritake firm has been attracting many collectors during the last few years. Prices are still affordable but not inconsequential. Table china, however, is probably the largest source of Art Deco “sleepers” and possible bargains today.
Angular shapes or stylized designs cut or molded into glass table wares were made to grace the dining tables of the period. Art glass by French manufacturers is usually too expensive for moderate collectors. The large blue centerpiece bowl made by Daum and the smoke glass bowl by Verlys are two such examples. These would fall into the “investment” rather than the “fun” class of Deco collectibles. But, like ceramics, many types of inexpensive table glass were made during the 1930’s and 1940’s by American factories. Depression era glass collectors began to salvage pieces during the 1960’s. A number of the patterns have unmistakable Deco characteristics. “Manhattan,” a clear glass pattern made by Anchor Hocking is just one type finding its way into Deco collections. The ruby red, cobalt blue and deep green colored glass made by other American glass companies also qualifies as Deco. Quite a few pieces are very attractive, some are even elegant and others are just amusing.
Flatware, serving pieces and decorative table articles can be found in silver, brass, copper, chrome and plated metals. Chrome and plated metals are the least expensive. Nude or semi-nude figures were made into metal centerpieces or candle holders. Prices are competitive with other figural items and examples are just as much in demand. A number of metal Deco items were originally silverplated. Because the plating wears off, items become ugly and lose much of their value. Dealers have found it lucrative to have such objects stripped to the base metal which was usually copper or brass. The copper centerpiece with a pot metal nude is an example which was once silver plated. Do not automatically disregard badly worn plated pieces which have obvious Deco signs. It may be wise to have them stripped and polished by a commercial firm which specializes in that kind of work.

Vases
Vases are designed for displaying floral arrangements, but as solitary objects they enhance a room’s decor. Instead of being merely flower containers, they are considered art objects or decorative accessories, depending on their price. Like table wares, Deco vases were made of either pottery, porcelain, glass or metal. The photographs in this section are arranged in that order.
French art glass vases are the most expensive. Examples shown here include pieces by Legras, Schneider and Verlys. Other French manufacturers such as Baccarat, Lalique and Galld perhaps are more famous. But as their creations have become scarce and very costly, other factories’ products have gained recognition. Consequently, most French art glass has moved entirely out of the range of the moderate collector.
For Deco image, however, less expensive vases made by European and American factories are quite pleasing. Much of this glass is unmarked and not attributable to any one factory. Lack of identification may serve the collector well when Deco shape rather than company or artist is the major concern. Czechoslovakian glass made between 1918 and 1939 has been gaining interest among Deco collectors for several years. Most of the pieces are marked “Czechoslovakia” or “Made in Czechoslovakia.  The shapes and vivid colors of this good quality glass are quite representative of the Deco era. Prices usually remain moderate. Black milk glass or black amethyst glass made during the 1920’s and 1930’s is another type of relatively inexpensive glass with Deco overtones. Black glass was made by several American factories, but most pieces are unmarked.
American glass makers such as Cambridge, Fostoria, Heisey and New Martinsville, to name a few, are noted for stemware and serving dishes, but vases and other decorative items also were produced by these factories. Clear and colored glass vases were sometimes made to match the modern table ware patterns. Fan shapes, blocked geometric forms and even etched nude designs project a Deco theme. Although this type of glass is avidly collected by Depression glass collectors, prices are far less than those for French art glass.
The most expensive ceramic vases are those made by European art potteries. Art pottery, however, usually is priced lower than art glass. This is apparent when prices are compared for the Amphora and Boch Freres ceramic vases with those for the Legras and Verlys glass examples. American art pottery is generally lower in price than European. Among American Art potteries, attention is being paid to the Deco production made by companies such as Roseville. Less expensive vases are Japanese or American pottery varieties which were sold by dime stores or florists’ shops. The angular white glazed Japanese vase shown here was originally cheap, but the striking Deco shape has caused its current value to increase sharply.
Porcelain vases are medium priced with few being either bargains or exorbitantly high. Porcelain is superior to simple pottery because it is stronger and translucent, but those qualities are not always reflected in prices. Most European porcelain vases are less expensive than European art pottery. The reason is because many decorative items such as urns, vases and jardinieres were produced in quantity by porcelain factories. Moreover, they were often decorated with transfer designs or exported as undecorated vases. The latter were purchased by aspiring amateur china painters, and thus the decoration is not as creative or professional as that of art potteries.
Metal adapts well to angular shapes. Although glass and ceramic vases are more common, those made of brass, bronze, copper or chrome often evoke the Deco image in a more eye-catching way. The chrome vases pictured here are priced at the low end of the scale, but the Deco features are quite obvious. Brass and copper vases vary in price depending on size, but most are over $ 100. The sterling on bronze vases were made by the Heintz Art Metal Company. Such pieces are rarely less than $100 or more than $300. French bronze vases may be out of an affordable price range for moderate collectors. But an urn like the one shown, or similar vases, is usually considerably less than a bronze statue would cost. If French bronze would lend a note of prestige to one’s collection, such vases are a good choice.