GLASS NEWS

HSJKAJBSJKAJSB There will be a full programme of lectures, two poster
sessions, opportunities to visit collections both in
Glass London and elsewhere in the south-east of England
News and a full social programme. The collections visited
will include material on display in galleries and from
Number 12 January 2003 reserve collections. The visits to the latter will
naturally have constraints both on the numbers of
Published by people who can visit and the times at which the visits
can take place. As a consequence, participants will be
THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE HISTORY OF GLASS LIMITED urged to indicate which trips they are particularly
interested in when they make their bookings for the
Reg’d Charity: 275236 ISSN 1362-5195 conference.

You may notice some changes to the appearance of Draft programme
this Glass News, as it is the first issue that I have
edited having inherited the role from John Shepherd. Sunday 7th - Evening opportunity to register and
Unfortunately our computers wouldn’t cooperate with socialise
each other during the handover and as a result a Monday 8th - All day lecture sessions
slightly modified version has evolved. Tuesday 9th - Morning lecture sessions
Afternoon poster session
2003 promises to be an excellent year for conferences, Wednesday 10th - All day visit to London collections
seminars and symposiums on the subject of glass. As Thursday 11th - Morning lecture sessions
many of the deadlines or dates for these gatherings are Afternoon poster session
fast approaching, the relevant details have taken pride Friday 12th - All day lecture sessions
of place on the first pages. If you book and pay to Saturday 13th - All day visit to collections outside of
attend the AIHV2003 conference before the 1st of London
June, you are entitled to a discount so don’t miss out! A post congress tour visiting collections in the south-
west of England starting on Sunday 14th September is
Interesting articles, by Chris Welch, Hilary Cool and also being organised.
Colin Clark, are also included in this issue. You will
find other articles on window glass, related to Colin The website will be the main source of information
Clark’s piece on Window Glass Manufacture in the about the congress. If you would like to be placed on
Weald in the previous issue of Glass News (no. 11). an email mailing list that will notify you when the site
is updated, please contact [email protected]
Finally my contact details as editor are given on the Details of the congress may also be obtained by
third page and I look forward to being inundated with writing to:
material for the next issue, which is due out in the Dr H. Cool,
early summer. 16, Lady Bay Road,
West Bridgford,
AIHV 2003 Nottingham.
NG2 5BJ
The 16th Congress of the Association Internationale
pour l'Histoire du Verre will take place in London IN THIS ISSUE
from Sunday September 7th 2003 to Saturday
September 13th 2003 at the Imperial College of pages 1 to 3 - Conferences / seminars
Science and Technology in Kensington. page 4 - Window Glass Manufacture in the

Participants who book and pay for their Weald
attendance by 1st June 2003 will be entitled to a page 5 - British Glass Bibliography 2000-2002
discount on their conference fee. page 7 - York Minster Glass from

Glass News Winter 2002 / 2003 Staffordshire in the late 15th Century

Plus books and journals

1

Glass in the Islamic World:

New Discoveries, New Ideas

An all-day seminar will be held at The Wallace GLASS IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD:
Collection, Manchester Square, London W1 on 5th New Discoveries, New Ideas
March 2003 from 10.10am to 16.30pm. Manchester
Square is north of Wigmore Street and Oxford Street, to be held at The Wallace Collection, Manchester
behind Selfridges; the nearest Underground Station is Square, London W1
Bond Street (Jubilee and Central Lines). on 5th March 2003

Lunch is not included. If participants wish to lunch at I wish to attend the above meeting and enclose a
the Wallace Collection restaurant (tel. 020 7563 cheque, made payable to The Association for the
9500), they are strongly advised to book prior to the History of Glass, for the sum of £20 (or £10 with
day, and the menu should be ordered on arrival, proof of student status).
before the proceedings start. There are also
restaurants, cafes and sandwich bars in the vicinity. Name …………………………………………...

To attend the conference please complete and return Address………………………………..
the form opposite, enclosing a cheque for the ……………………………………….…
appropriate amount. …………………………………….

Programme Send this form to: The Co-Organiser, 2 Usborne
Mews, London SW8 ILR.
10.10-10.40: Registration and coffee
10.40-11.05: Welcome - Introduction by Patricia L. Museum of London
Baker
11.05-11.30: St. John Simpson - Cut & sparkle: the Archaeological Seminars
visual effect of Sasanian glass
11.30-11.55: Sally Worrell -Glass finds from Kush Museum of London Archaeological
excavations in the Gulf Seminars
11.55-12.20: Daniel Keller - Early Islamic glass from
the Finnish excavations on Jabal Harran near Petra, Held at the London Archaeological Archive and
Jordan Research Centre, Mortimer Wheeler House, Hackney.
12.20-14.00: Lunch (not included)
14.00-14.25: Margaret O’Hea - Umayyad to Fatimid The Archaeology of Glass
glass: finds at Pella
14.25-14.50: Sarah Jennings - Tyre - a major Saturday 19th April 2003, 10.30am-4pm
mediaeval glass-making site
14.50-15.15: Ian Freestone - The products of early Seminar Leaders: John Clark and John Shepherd
tank furnaces in the Levant: from composition to Fee £50, concessions £35 (includes refreshments and
technology and trade lunch).
15.15-15.40: Tea
15.40-16.05: Judith Kolbas - 12th-13th century glass To book please call the Museum of London Box
weights: the choice of colour and decorative motif Office on 020 7814 5777 (Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm)
16.05-16.30: Rachel Ward - Technical developments
in enamelled glass

The cost will be £20 (or £10 for students who provide
proof of their status), to include coffee and tea but not
lunch.

Glass News Winter 2002 / 2003 2

History and Heritage of Glass

In association with the Delegates who wish to attend the SGT Spring
Society of Glass Technology and the British Society Meeting are welcome to attend the History &
Heritage Seminar. Delegates who wish to register for
of Master Glass Painters the Seminar only are also most welcome. The fee is
Friday 4th April, 2003 £40.00 per person, inclusive of refreshments and a
light lunch. Members of the Association for the
The Society of Glass Technology has joined forces History of Glass, the British Society of Master Glass
with the Association for the History of Glass and the Painters or of the Society of Glass Technology qualify
British Society of Master Glass Painters to mount a for a discounted fee of £35.00, and there is a special
one day Symposium on the History and Heritage of rate of £20.00 for students engaged in full time
Glass. This is to be held on Friday 4th April 2003 as education.
part of the Society of Glass Technology’s Annual
Spring Meeting, full details of which may be seen on For further details or to reserve a place on the
the website www.sgt.org or may be obtained on conference please contact:
request from the SGT Office. The Symposium will
begin at 10.00am and will end by 5.30pm. Nine Miss Sara Lindley,
invited papers will be presented during the day, but in Society of Glass Technology,
addition there will be opportunities for discussion and Don Valley House,
for Poster Presentations. The Organising Committee Savile Street East,
wishes to encourage students and younger researchers Sheffield. S4 7UQ
to submit relevant posters; past experience is that such Telephone: 01 142 634 455
presentations and the discussions, which stem from Email: [email protected]
them, considerably enrich the day. It is intended that
both the Oral Presentations and the Posters will be New Finds
published as Proceedings after the event. New Research
New Publications
Invited speakers
New Ideas
Peter Boland –Dudley MBC Conferences
Charles Hajdamach – Broadfield House
Russell Hand – Sheffield University REMEMBER
Martin Harrison – Author & Hon. Fellow of BSMGP Glass News
Joanne Howdle – Barrow Dock Museum
Neil Moat – DAC advisor for Durham & Newcastle Tell us all about your news, ideas and
Victoria Oakley – Victoria & Albert Museum discoveries.
David O’Connor –University of Manchester
Chris Welch – English Heritage Send your contributions by mid-May to:
Sarah Paynter,
Topics will include:
Fort Cumberland,
Glassmaking archaeology in Staffordshire. Fort Cumberland Road,
Glassmaking in the 18th Century.
Conservation of glassmaking skills. Eastney,
Victorian revival stained glass. Portsmouth.
Rediscovering mediaeval glass.
Glass and the arts & crafts movement. PO4 9LD
Moisture attack on glass artefacts.
Science and the durability of glasses. Tel: 02392 856782 ● Fax: 02392 856701
Conservation of glass photographic slides. e-mail: [email protected]

Glass News Winter 2002 / 2003 3

Window Glass Manufacture in the Weald

Window glass was made in the Weald from at least growing local demand for glass to glaze the houses of
the early fourteenth century, until manufacturing the ‘great rebuilding’, the largest market was London.
ceased in 1618 following the development of a viable
coal-fired furnace and the prohibition of wood fuel. At this time there were also significant developments
Although vessel glass was produced here, window in the organisation of the window glass industry.
glass manufacture assumed greater importance, Glass manufactured in the Weald was transported to
particularly in the last fifty years of the industry. the Capital by ‘glass-carriers’ and sold to merchants
from whom local glaziers obtained their supplies.
Immigrants from Normandy and Lorraine brought
with them their respective traditions of Crown and Sometimes this pattern of trade varied when, for
Broad glass manufacturing methods which appear to example, a large developer bought glass direct from
have been carried on side by side, although the manufacturer and employed local labour to carry
contemporary documents usually refer to ‘brode out the glazing. Glaziers, who had followed an
glasse’ (probably as a collective name for window itinerant trade in the Middle Ages, settled in
glass). Coloured glass was at no time produced provincial towns forming local Guilds of Glaziers.
commercially, and even in the fourteenth century,
when glass for ecclesiastical buildings was in The last fifty years of Wealden window glass
demand, Wealden glassmakers produced only ‘white’ manufacture are marked by exceptional stability in
glass, to complement coloured glass imported from prices at a time of high general inflation. This,
the Continent. combined with rising prosperity, led to an overall
increase in the demand for glass and encouraged the
Wealden glass was of the potash ‘forest glass’ type. use of larger glazed areas in buildings. Stability in
The local sand is notably ferruginous and was prices was brought about by a number of factors
responsible for producing glass having a pale yellow, including the improved skills of operatives, better
green or bluish tint. The flux was made from the ashes working methods and increased competition between
of selected plants and wood and has been found to be manufacturers.
the most variable of the ingredients used in the batch.
Analysis of glass fragments has revealed that A characteristic of glass made in the closing years of
excessive quantities of lime were often unwittingly the industry is its thinness (1mm to 1.5 mm), which
incorporated in the mix as a natural pollutant in the enabled a greater area to be made from a given
ashes, causing a lack of durability and susceptibility volume of glass, and also contributed to greater
to corrosion. As a result, the condition of surviving transparency. Thinner glass, with a greater liability to
examples of Wealden glass is extremely variable, the breakage, was of concern to property owners but for
poorest being soft and opaque and the best being hard glassmakers and glaziers it presented an opportunity
and bright with little tint. Typical symptoms of for more business.
weathering are surface pitting, a loss of transparency
due to the development of an opaque coating, and By the 1580s, the industry was expanding from the
flaking. Weald into other parts of the country, such as
Staffordshire where wood fuel was available, to
The end of the sixteenth century was a period of develop new markets. By the time the Wealden
greatly increasing demand for window glass, not only industry was brought to an end, glassmaking had
for new buildings but for extending the glazed area in become firmly established as a native industry,
existing buildings and, where it was found desirable, making the nation practically self-sufficient in
to replace earlier glass of poor quality with glass of window glass.
improved transparency. On occasions, the old glass
removed during upgrading was passed on for use in Colin Clark
previously unglazed areas. Although there was a

Glass News Winter 2002 / 2003 4

British Glass Bibliography 2000-2002

This bibliography covers works on glass that has been There is a useful review by David Whitehouse (2001)
found or made in Britain and more general books on of Rosemarie Lierke's theories about how many forms
glass that have been published within the UK. Useful of Roman glass were produced. For an alternate view
bibliographies that cover a wider geographical area of the production techniques, readers with access to
are published annually in the Journal of Glass the Internet might like to look at the Roman
Studies. A bibliography of French material is Glassmakers Newsletters produced by Mark Taylor
published in the Bulletin de l'Association Française and David Hill. These are archived on the
pour l'Archéologie du Verre. Readers are invited to Association’s website (www.historyofglass.org.uk)
send details of publications for the next bibliography
to Hilary Cool ([email protected] or 16 Medieval
Lady Bay Road, NOTTINGHAM NG2 5BJ)
Rachel Tyson (2001) has published the medieval glass
Scientific and Conservation in Salisbury Museum. This consists of approximately
18 vessels dating from the 10th to 14th centuries,
Two articles have been published in Archaeometry. mainly from the excavations at Old Sarum (1909-
Freestone et al 2002 explores 6th to 7th century AD 1915), but also including two from Clarendon Palace.
glass lamp fragments found in Cyprus by ICPMS and A small group has been found in a 13th to 14th century
energy dispersive X-ray analysis and considers the context at a farm near Gillingham (Valentin and
origins of the raw glass used to make them. This Robinson 201, 39-40).
provides a useful overview on recent work on the
origins of glass in late antiquity. Freestone (2002) has Post-medieval
also published an exploration of enamelling on
Islamic material. There are three useful new publications on 17th
century glass. Jill Turnball (2001) has published a
Roman and Early Medieval book examining the Scottish glass industry within the
social context, exploring problems of low demand, the
A summary of the vessel glass found during the shortage of skilled manpower, and changing patterns
excavations of the Lanes, Carlisle has been published of consumption. A considerable variety of glass is
(Price and Cottam 2000). The full report is promised shown to have been produced in Scotland, including
in a forthcoming fascicule, but this to my knowledge broad and crown window glass, bottles and
has not been published. A few scraps of 4th century apothecary vials, wine, beer and 'mortar' glasses and
glass have been published from the signal station at other table glasses. Most of the material is entirely
Filey, North Yorkshire (Ottaway, 2000, 126). A new and has been extracted from a wide range of
small number of mid Saxon pieces appear in the primary sources ranging from family papers to the
report on the excavations at West Hythe, Kent House of Lords. Hugh Willmott (2001) has a well-
(Gardner et al 2001, 234). illustrated paper on Anglo-Dutch drinking glasses
again setting the material within the social context.
There are three relevant articles in a volume of essays He has also produced a book (2002) on 16th and 17th
dedicated to Bill Manning and published in 2002. vessel glass, which will undoubtedly become a
Denise Allen writes on Roman window glass and standard work of reference. A slightly unusual use of
includes useful information about the experiments glass in surveying for the ordinance survey in the 18th
carried out in its production by Mark Taylor and century is discussed by Brooks (2001).
David Hill which were briefly reported on in Glass
News 9. Jennifer Price reviews the use of mosaic Modern
glass and shows that the technique remained in use for
longer than is sometimes appreciated. Hilary Cool Susan Newell has two articles in the most recent
discusses pipette unguent bottles and argues that their Journal of the Glass Association. Newell 2001a
context suggest they were an integral part of worship discusses the Regency glass services made for the 3rd
in a mystery religion. Marquis of Londonderry and his neighbour John
Lambton and provides an appendix about the Wear
Flint Glass company of Sunderland. She also has a
useful section on how such services would have been

Glass News Winter 2002 / 2003 5

used. Her second article (Newell 2001b) provides a Price, J., 2002. ‘Two vessels from Llandovery,
brief history of another Sunderland firm. Carmarthenshire and Piercebridge, County Durham:
The same journal has a survey of uranium glass A note on Flavian and later polychrome mosaic glass
(Skelcher 2001), a study of early 20th century painted in Britain’, in Aldhouse-Green and Webster, 112-31.
windows on the west coast of Scotland (MacDonald Price, J. and Cottam, S., 2000. ' The vessel glass' in
2001) and a provocative view of trends in modern McCarthy, M.R. Roman and Medieval Carlisle: The
glass (Robinson 2001). The whole journal, it should southern Lanes, (Dept. of Archaeological Sciences,
be noted, is beautifully illustrated in colour University of Bradford Research Report No 1: ISBN
throughout, and was most interesting even to an 0 9539628 0 6).
archaeologist like me with limited interest in glass Ottaway, P. 2000. ‘Excavations on the site of the
after the 5th century! Roman Signal Station at Carr Naze, Filey',
Archaeological Journal 157, 79-199.
References Robinson, M. 2001. 'Scratching the surface: a view of
contemporary surface decoration', Journal of the
Aldhouse-Green, M. and Webster, P., 2002. Artefacts Glass Association 6, 69-72.
Skelcher, B., 2001. 'Uranium glass', Journal of the
and Archaeology: Aspects of the Celtic and Roman Glass Association 6, 38-47
World (Cardiff). Turnball, J., 2001. The Scottish Glass Industry 1610-
Allen, D., 2002. ‘Roman window glass’ in Aldhouse- 1750 (Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Monograph
Green and Webster, 102-111. 18: ISBN 0 903 903 18 0)
Brooks, J., 2001. 'The ordinance survey and the use of Tyson, R., 2001. 'Glass Vessels' in Saunders, P.
glass', Journal of the Glass Association 6, 21-3.
Cool, H.E.M., 2002. ‘Bottles for Bacchus?’, in Salisbury and South Wiltshire Medieval Catalogue
Aldhouse-Green and Webster, 132-51. Part 3 (Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum: ISBN
Freestone, I.C., 2002. 'The relationship between 0 947535 21 7), 26-38.
enamelling on ceramics and on glass in the Islamic Valentin, J. and Robinson, S., 2001. 'A medieval site
world', Archaeometry 44.2, 251-5. in Gillingham, Dorset: further excavations at Chantry
Freestone, I.C., Ponting, M. and Hughes, M.J. 2002. Fields 1990', Proc. Dorset Nat Hist. and Archaeol.
'The origins of Byzantine glass from Maroni Petrera, Soc. 123, 23-49
Cyprus', Archaeometry 44.2, 257-72. Whitehouse, D., 2001. Review of Antike Glastöpferei
Gardner, M., Cross, R., MacPherson-Grant, N. and by Rosemarie Lierke. Antiquaries J. 81, 426-7.
Riddler, I., 2001. ‘Continental trade and non-urban Willmott, H., 2001. 'Anglo-Dutch drinking glasses:
ports in Mid-Anglo-Saxon England: Excavations at Comparisons of early seventeenth century material
Sandtun, West Hythe, Kent’, Archaeological Journal culture', Journal of the Glass Association 6, 7-19.
158, 161-290. Willmott, H., 2002. Early post-medieval vessel glass
MacDonald, J., 2001. 'Celtic saints, stormy seas and in England c. 1500-1670, Council for British
good shepherds: the west coast windows of Douglas Archaeology Research Report 132.
Strachan', Journal of the Glass Association 6, 57-68
Newell, S., 2001a. 'The Sunderland glass services: a Dr Hilary Cool
reappraisal', Journal of the Glass Association 6, 24-37
Newell, S., 2001b. 'The Hartley glassmaking
inheritance in Sunderland: a brief history', Journal of
the Glass Association 6, 48-56.

This is a high magnification image of a
tiny glass thread, recovered from
samples taken during excavations at the
site of a 17th-18th century glasshouse at
Silkstone, South Yorkshire. An article
on this site, by David Dungworth and
Tom Cromwell, will feature in the next
issue of Glass News.

Glass News Winter 2002 / 2003 6

York Minster Glass from Staffordshire in the late 15th Century

A total of eighteen glass furnaces are known to have (although the value is not known), together with the
operated in Bagot’s Park in Staffordshire from the sale of bracken to the works. This episode of
medieval period up to the early 17th century. All glassmaking may be associated with a known
these were largely destroyed by reclamation work in individual, Thomas Wakelen, described as a
the 1960s, although not before one was excavated by glassmaker of ‘Ruggeley’ in 1479. 6 But on both the
David Crossley in 1966.1 Sufficient remained of 1478 and the 1479 rentals that refer to the glasshouse
fifteen furnaces to allow archaeomagnetic dating, the name of Edmund Bardall occurs, who is paying
which has been carried out by the author and Paul 18s for a field called the Horsecroft.7
Linford of English Heritage over three years. There
are possibly two late-13th century dates, but there The Edmund ‘Bardale de Bramleybutt’ of the York
seems to have been a fairly intense period from the Minster accounts may have had no connection with
middle of the fourteenth century until the mid- the Wolseley rentpayer Bardall, and the latter need
sixteenth century over which thirteen furnaces were in have had no connection with the Glashows there. But
use.2 Concurrently with this work documentary an Edmund Bardell is a witness to both a deed and a
research has been carried out to complement the quitclaim of 1489 which relates to lands in Bagot’s
fieldwork, and it is intended that the results be Park, along with Ralph Wolseley, the lord of the
published in the near future. A group of documentary manor of Wolseley. In 1501 Edmund Bardell ‘de
references are of particular interest, as they potentially Bromley abbotis’ witnessed a deed by which land was
link a glassmaking area with its market. It has long granted to Thomas Harve (Harvey) ‘glasmaker’.8 And
been known that a John Glasman of Rugeley supplied it seems reasonable to suggest also that the
glass to York Minster in 1418-19.3 Rugeley lies a few ‘Bramleybutt’ of the York accounts might be a scribal
kilometres from Bagot’s Park, and John could have mistake for Bromley Abbatis, or Abbots Bromley, the
been selling glass from there or from the adjacent village between Rugeley and Bagot’s Park, which was
manor of Wolseley where glass was made over a associated with the glassmakers throughout this
similar period.4 period. The evidence is circumstantial, but strong, that
glass from the Staffordshire industry was being
Of interest here, however, is the Edmund ‘Bardale de supplied to York Minster in 1478. It would be
Bramleybutt’, who was paid 14s 8d for sixteen fascinating to know more of the relationship of
‘tables’ of English glass for York Minster between Edmund Bardall with the glassmaking industry. There
November 1478 and November 1479.5 It is known is no evidence that he was himself a glassmaker, but
that a glasshouse was in use in Wolseley at precisely as a witness to the documents he was evidently of
this period; a rental dating from November 1478 some standing locally, known to both landowners and
records the rent of le Glashows as £7 6s 8d, and the glassmakers, and sufficiently involved to handle the
following year rent for a glasshouse is again recorded sale of glass.

1 D. W. Crossley ‘Glassmaking in Bagot’s Park, The York Minster sale can be added to the only other
Staffordshire, in the sixteenth century’ Post-medieval known destination of Staffordshire glass at this time,
Archaeology 1 (1967), 44-83 the church at Tattershall in Lincolnshire, and supports
2 P. Linford Bagot’s Park, Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire. the impression from investigation of sites in both
Archaeomagnetic Dating Report, 2001 (English Heritage, Wolseley and Bagot’s Park that the principal output9
Centre for Archaeology Report 17/2001); P. Linford and C. of the industry was window glass. Given the evidence
Welch Bagot’s Park, Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire, II. from the archaeomagnetic dating of a period of
Archaeomagnetic Dating Report, 2001 (English Heritage,
Centre for Archaeology Report 87/2001); P. Linford and C. 6 Welch, op.cit., 2
Welch, forthcoming. 7 Staffordshire Record Office D(W)1781/6/3/2 (1478) and
3 J. A. Knowles. Essays in the History of the York School of 6/3/4 (1479)
Glass Painting (London, 1936), 199 8 Staffordshire Record Office D(W)1721/3/5/3; Wrottesley,
4 C. M. Welch ‘Glass-making in Wolseley, Staffordshire’ G. Collections for a History of Staffordshire vol xi, 1908,
Post-Medieval Archaeology 31 (1997), 1-60 63; Staffordshire Record Office D(W)1721/3/5/8; I am
5 York Minster Archives E 3/28; I am extremely grateful to grateful to the members of the Ranulf Higden Society who
Nigel Tringham for investigating this source. Saltzman translated the deed and quitclaim.
thought the local surname might have been ‘Bramley 9 C. Welch, ibid., 35.
buttes’ (English Industries of the Middle Ages (1923), 187)

Glass News Winter 2002 / 2003 7

regular, if not continuous, output from the local The Journal of Stained Glass
industry from the fourteenth century until the mid-
sixteenth, glass must have been supplied in quantity Volume XXIV 2000
over a large area to a variety of glazing projects, but
only the two at York and that at Tattershall have so The Journal of the British Society of Master
far come to light. Glass Painters

Christopher Welch, A special offer, available now as an introduction to
Inspector of Ancient Monuments, English Heritage. the British Society of Master Glass Painters and a
wealth of stained glass. 200 pages and 72 illustrations,
Books and Journals most in colour.

L’Atelier De Verriers D’Avenches Price, including postage and packing, £17.

L’Artisant du Verre au Milieu du 1er Siècle après Send details of your name and address, along with a
J.-C. cheque made payable to BSMGP, to:

Heidi Amrein The Editor,
Journal of Stained Glass,
Cahiers D’Archéologie Romande No 87 Aventicum British Society of Master Glass Painters,
XI. 6, Queen Square,
London. WC1N 3AR
The study of a glass workshop excavated at
Avenches-Aventicum (Switzerland) in 1989 and 1990. www.bsmgp.org.uk
The workshop was active between 40 and 70 A.D.
Circular hearths and a large number of fragments of Early post-medieval vessel glass in
coloured glass were discovered. The research England c.1500–1670
investigated the nature of local production, the diverse
techniques of glass production and also reconstructed Hugh Willmott
the hearths and spatial organisation of the workshop.
Council for British Archaeology Research Report
Price: SFr. 60.-, postage abroad: SFr. 15.-, Total: SFr. Number 132
75.-
This illustrated guide is a comprehensive
Contact: Cahiers D’Archéologie Romande classification of vessel glass found in England
Tel: +41 (0)21 316 34 30 between 1500 and 1670. It provides clear and
Fax: +41 (0)21 316 34 31 accessible coverage of vessel forms and individual
E-mail: [email protected] types, with an indication of their date range,
provenance and a description. Each form is illustrated
The Art of Glass with an excavated example and there is a general
summary of the types with reconstruction drawings at
“The World’s Most Famous Book on Glassmaking”. the end. The Research Report also addresses how
post-medieval glass should be studied, summarises
Edited by Michael Cable. current information on the production and importation
of vessels in England and provides a social context for
A reprint of Christopher Merret’s 1662 translation of glass use.
Antonio Neri’s L’Arte Vetraria of 1612.
Price £30, available from:
Published by the Society of Glass Technology.
Price: Society members and ICG Affiliate members York Publishing Services Ltd,
£12.50, non-members: £15.00. 64 Hallfield Road,
Layerthorpe,
Contact: The Society of Glass Technology York.
Tel: 0114 263 4455, YO31 7ZQ
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.sgt.org 8

Glass News Winter 2002 / 2003

HSJKAJBSJKAJSB study-days, meetings and conferences in London,
Edinburgh and regional centres in Britain, produce
Glass occasional monographs, and publish a newsletter,
News Glass News. In 2000 changes were made to the
articles of association of AHG to permit wider
Number 13 June 2003 membership, and subscribers to Glass News have
been invited to become members, propose themselves
Published by or others for election to the board, and play a fuller
part in the activities of AHG. At the present time we
THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE HISTORY OF GLASS LIMITED have around 110 members, mostly from Britain but
also abroad. If you would like to become a member,
Reg’d Charity: 275236 ISSN 1362-5195 or convert your subscription to Glass News into
membership of AHG, please fill in the form on the
www.historyofglass.org.uk back page.

One question we are often asked is, What is the The current AHG Board comprises:
relationship between AHG and AIHV? With President: Jennifer Price
apologies to those of you who already know, the Hon Secretary: Justine Bayley*
following provides the answer, and summarises the Hon Treasurer: David Crossley
history of the two bodies. Ordinary members: Patricia Baker*, John Clark,
Hilary Cool, Ian Freestone*, Charles Hajdamach*,
The Association for the History of Glass [AHG] is the Suzanne Higgott, Reino Liefkes, David Martlew,
British National Committee of the International Juanita Navarro*, Martine Newby, Ray Notley, Julia
Association for the History of Glass/Association Poole, Rachel Russell, John Shepherd and Veronica
Internationale pour l’Histoire du Verre [AIHV]. Tatton-Brown.

AIHV was established in Belgium in 1957, and its Those members elected at the AGM in November
objective is to promote the knowledge of the history 2002 are marked with an asterisk.
of glass in its widest sense. It has a board of
management composed of elected officers and IN THIS ISSUE
members, an executive committee composed of
elected members and representatives of national page 1- AHG, Glass News and AIHV
committees, and the general assembly of ordinary page 2- Meetings, conferences and study
members. The membership of around 400 is drawn
from more than 30 countries worldwide. The chief days
activities of AIHV are to hold a major congress on the page 3- Glass in the Islamic world, meeting
history of glass at approximately 3-year intervals at
the invitation of one of the national committees, and report
then to publish the proceedings in the Annales. page 4- Symposium on the History and

The British national committee invited the 8th Heritage of Glass, meeting report
Congress to London and Liverpool in 1979, and page 6- Excavations and science at the site of
became a company limited by guarantee and an
educational charity, with elected officers and a board Silkstone Glasshouse
of directors, in order to organise the event effectively. page 7- Speculating on spectacles
The company was called the Association for the
History of Glass Ltd [AHG]. Since 1980, AHG has - British Glass Biliography 2002-2003
continued to be the British national committee, but as page 10- The Bear Garden Glasshouse
the board represents a wide range of interests in the page 11- A brief history of M’dina &
history of glass it has also been possible to organise
some other contemporaneous
Maltese glass firms
page 12- Recent work on early glass
production in Egypt
page 14- Roy Newton
page 15- Books

Glass News June 2003 1

AIHV 2003 papers given at the Congress in New York and
Corning in October 2001 considering topics from the
The 16th Congress of the Association Internationale 15th century BC to the present day around the world.
pour l'Histoire du Verre will take place in London It costs £24 (including postage in the UK) if paid for
from Sunday September 7th 2003 to Saturday by sterling cheque.
September 13th 2003 at Imperial College in London.
There will be a full programme of lectures, two poster Exhibition and study days at
sessions, opportunities to visit collections (including the Wallace Collection
material on display in galleries and from reserve
collections) and a full social programme including A stunning exhibition, curated by the Glass Circle, is
evening receptions. Over 170 delegates have already being mounted at the Wallace Collection from 21st
booked so if you have not done so, hurry to make sure August to 26th October 2003. 'From Palace to Parlour:
there is still a place available. It is possible to register A Celebration of 19th-Century British Glass' includes
for single days or for the whole week. Details and sumptuous Regency cut glass tableware made for the
registration forms are available on the AHG website Prince of Wales and even a section about glass
(www.historyofglass.org.uk) or from the Congress associated with Richard Wallace. The multitude of
organiser, Martine Newby, 17 Steeles Road, London new manufacturing and decorative techniques
NW3 4SH; email: [email protected] pioneered in Stourbridge, London and the North East
are represented, from the rediscovery of cameo
Congress programme engraving to the introduction of mould-pressed glass
Sunday 7th - Evening opportunity to register and for the masses. A colour catalogue will accompany
socialise. the exhibition and introductory talks will be given on
Monday 8th - All day lecture sessions. the 28th August and the 4th and 25th September (all
Tuesday 9th - Morning lecture sessions, afternoon Thursdays) at 1p.m. Further details are available from
poster session. The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester
Wednesday 10th - All day visit to London collections. Square, London, W1U 3BN, phone +44(0)20 7563
Thursday 11th - Morning lecture sessions, afternoon 9500 or on the website www.wallacecollection.org
poster session. Three related study days are also being held, which
Friday 12th - All day lecture sessions. can be booked via the website or by phoning 020
Saturday 13th - All day visit to collections outside of 7563 9551. Prices for the days in October will be
London. announced nearer the time.

Post-Congress Tour Diamonds, drills and wheels!
A 5-day tour has been organised visiting collections Tuesday 30th September. £45 incl. morning coffee and
in the south-west of England starting on Sunday 14th all materials. Admire the skills of 19th-century British
September. The packed proposed itinerary includes glassmakers and engravers on a tour of ‘From Palace
the workshops of Mark Taylor and David Hill, makers to Parlour’ with exhibition curator Martine Newby.
of reproduction 1st-century mould-blown glass, Discover the contemporary glass engraving scene and
Mompesson House, the House of Marbles, Dartington engrave your own glass blank in Victorian style with
Crystal factory, the Roman Baths and Assembly eminent glass engraver Katharine Coleman.
Rooms at Bath, Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery,
Caerleon Roman fortress, Red House Glass Cone, From Palace to Parlour: Aspects of 19th-century
Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery and British Glass.
Waddesdon Manor. Details are available on the Saturday 18th October. A fascinating and wide-
website or from Martine Newby on 020 75866702. ranging study day, arranged in conjunction with the
The tour is also open to AHG members not attending Glass Circle, with a distinguished panel of speakers.
the Congress but let Martine know before the end of
July if you would like to go. From celebration to demonstration – glass then
and now!
The Annales of the 15th AIHV Congress have just Tuesday 21st October. Tours of the permanent glass
been published. Copies are available from Hilary collection and special exhibition at the Wallace
Cool, 16 Lady Bay Road, West Bridgford, Collection & a visit to Peter Layton’s studio, London
Nottingham NG2 5BJ. E-mail: Hilary.Cool@ Glassblowing, for a glassblowing demonstration and
btinternet.com. The 268-page volume contains 55 exhibition combining Haiku and contemporary glass.

Glass News June 2003 2

AHG meeting Meeting report

The replication of early glass making Glass in the Islamic world:
and glass working techniques new discoveries, new ideas

The autumn meeting of the Association for the The meeting, held at the Wallace Collection, London,
History of Glass will include the AGM of the March 5th, 2003, was introduced by Patricia Baker,
company, which has to elect a new President (Jennifer who drew attention to the "cinderella status" of glass
Price is not eligible for re-election) as well as a in the field of Islamic Art. She also noted the
Treasurer and 5 oridinary board members. It is hoped existence of around a dozen significant assemblages
to hold this meeting in late November/early December of excavated glass from the period that remain to be
at the Wallace Collection. A programme is being written up. The first paper was presented by Michael
compiled by Ian Freestone and full details will follow Rogers (SOAS) who introduced the audience to a
in the next issue of Glass News. Provisional speakers group of glass discs from Central Asia. In deeply
include Paul Nicholson (Cardiff) on Egyptian Glass coloured glass with moulded figurative decoration,
making, Caroline Jackson (Sheffield) on Medieval they are found associated with stucco work and
glass making, Pamela Vandiver (Smithsonian appear to have been used in dados.
Institution, Washington) on selection of plant ashes
and William Gudenrath (Corning Museum, New St John Simpson (British Museum) then provided an
York) on glass working. Offers of contributions enlightening overview of Sasanian glass. Important
should be sent to [email protected] assemblages are known from 19th century excavations
at Nineveh, Kish and Babylon, the Italian excavations
18th meeting of AFAV at Choche and recent work at Kush and Merv. Large
amounts of Sasanian glass are found on urban sites;
The 18th meeting of l’Association Française typically mould blown, naturally coloured and
d’Archéologie du Verre will take place on the 14th and commonly bubbly. Deliberately coloured glass is rare
15th November in Berck-sur-Mer. The meeting will and decoration was commonly by pinching (cf.
feature 10-20 minute presentations on glass research "nipped diamond waies") or by partially inflating a
and discoveries as well as visits to museums at Berck gather in a mould, withdrawing it and further
and Amiens. The cost is Euro 60 before the end of inflating. From the mid-4th century, cold-working was
June and details are available from George Dilly, used to decorate more expensive types of vessels,
CRADC, BP 6, 62601 Berck-Sur-Mer cedex 01. notably the classic faceted hemispherical bowls. High
Phone: 03 21 84 07 80, e-mail: musee@berck-sur- quality Sasanian glass emulated semi-precious stones
mer.com and was valued for its reflective properties.

Workshop and conference: Daniel Keller (Basle) discussed glass finds from the
monastic site Jabal Harun, near Petra in Jordan
Inspirational awakening excavated by Helsinki University. He described the
marked differences in the quality of the glass found
The Glass Society of Ireland and Contemporary before and after the mid-7th century, and related these
Makers are holding a conference and workshops on to the Sasanian invasion of the early 7th century,
historical and contemporary glass topics. These will which reduced the volume of East-West trade in the
be held in Waterford, between the 19th and 21st of region and ended the importance of Petra as a trading
September. More information is available from the city. In the early Islamic period, North-South trade
website: www.glassartireland.com, or by e-mail: routes became more important. Jabal Harun remained
[email protected], or by phone: 00 353 (0)51 a holy place, and some high quality glass vessels were
845 488. brought there by pilgrims.

Glass News June 2003 Sally Worrall (UCL) described the glass assemblage
from Kush, Ras al Khaimah in the United Arab
Emirates, excavated by Derek Kennet. The substantial
glass assemblage falls into three chronological
groups, imperial Roman (including fragments of two

3

mosaic vessels), Sasanian (mostly faceted Rachel Ward (independent scholar) discussed the
hemispherical bowls) and Islamic, covering the 7/8- dating of the gilded and enamelled glass of the 13-14th
13th centuries but mostly 9/10th. The Islamic glass has centuries. Her chronology differs by up to a century
been categorised as: open bowls/drinking vessels, from that assumed by most other workers. Using the
flasks/large closed vessels, small closed vessels and a small number of dated mosque lamps as milestones,
distinctive group of plain shallow bowls with a she proposed a technical development of gilded and
horizontal tooled groove beneath the rim. The range enamelled glass, incorporating a number of
of forms seems to relate to Iran and Mesopotamia. innovations, such as the enamelling of one colour
over another, underdrawing in fluid gold and the use
Margaret O'Hea (Adelaide) discussed the glass from of fluid enamelled grounds behind the glass. The
Pella in Jordan. She noted that the glass typology meeting was closed by Jenny Price, AHG Chair, who
showed continuity from the Byzantine period into the thanked Patricia Baker for convening a successful
Umayyed. An earthquake that destroyed Pella in the meeting and Suzanne Higgott and the Wallace
middle of the 8th century has allowed a clear Collection for providing an excellent venue.
separation of the late Umayyed glass and the forms of
the early Abassid dynasty which, with its centre in Ian Freestone
Damascus, led to influences from the Persian
tradition. The finds on the site included lustre-painted Meeting report
and gilded fragments of Umayyed date in near-surface
pits. Margaret considers that the lustre-painted wares Symposium on the History and
were "elite" in that they were more expensive in terms Heritage of Glass
of greater labour input than the undecorated vessels.
On Friday 4th April 2003 a one-day symposium on
Sarah Jennings (English Heritage) reported her the History and Heritage of Glass was held by the
discovery of staggeringly large tank furnaces from Society of Glass Technology, in collaboration with
Tyre, Lebanon thought to date to the 10th-12th the Association for the History of Glass and the
centuries. Here vast quantities of glass were melted British Society of Master Glass Painters. SGT
from raw materials in furnaces with capacities of up President Professor Adrian Wright welcomed about
to 37 tonnes. The furnaces appear to have 100 delegates. The first session, on the theme of
incorporated pre-existing structures when built. archaeology, began with Christopher Welch (English
Rectangular in size, they had a double firing chamber Heritage) on the Archaeology of Glassmaking in
at one end and a loading platform at the other. Among Staffordshire. Over three years, eighteen glassmaking
the statistics presented, we learned that the largest sites in Bagot's Park, near Abbots Bromley,
furnaces would have produced the equivalent of a Staffordshire, had been studied. Archaeomagnetic
minimum of 500 000 Coke bottles. techniques were used to date the sites to between
1300 and 1615. Although the sites were largely
Ian Freestone (British Museum) discussed the destroyed in the 1960’s, when the area was converted
composition of glass produced in tank furnaces at Bet to arable farming, the distribution of glassmaking
Eli'ezer, near Hadera, Israel. Although apparently debris discovered during fieldwalking in some of the
working in the Roman tradition, the glass strongly areas provided considerable information about the
resembles vessel glass from Ramla, the early Islamic workings and the development of glassmaking
administrative capital of Palestine, which was technology in this region through time.
founded early in the 8th century. Thus it seems likely
that the furnaces are Umayyed. A comparison David Martlew then presented a paper about Victorian
between the technologies used at Bet Eli'ezer and Glassmaking in St Helens, where industrial
Tyre, a few centuries later showed that although archaeology revealed the surprisingly complete
superficially similar, the approach used differed in remains of an early Siemens continuous regenerative
many respects. Judith Kolbas (Independent scholar) glass furnace. Only the substructure remained, but this
discussed the colours of the glass coin weights of revealed much about what was perhaps the first
Egypt, which can be precisely dated from the 8th to conscious attempt to create a differentiated flat glass
15th centuries by the names of officials that they bear. manufactory. Very few records survive from this
Some 10 000 such weights are to be found in public period, but the application of modern furnace design
collections world-wide. Remarkably abrupt changes techniques to the interpretation of what had been
in colour occur over time, reflecting changes in taste.
4
Glass News June 2003

found showed the site’s importance to the evolution & Crafts Stained Glass’. Definitions are important
of glassmaking technology. and necessary, but in this debate definitions are not
the precise delineations beloved by the world of
Peter Boland (Dudley MBC) completed the session science, but those more fluid concepts commonly
with The Archaeology of Stourbridge Glass. Dudley’s accepted in the arts. William Morris and Edward
Historic Environment Team started to research the Burne-Jones were founding fathers of the Arts &
‘lost’ glassmaking sites of the Borough's glass Crafts Movement, but should their stained glass be
industry in the 1980's in response to a national truly referred to as “Arts & Crafts”? Much as Lewis
initiative by English Heritage. The concept that the Carroll ventured in ‘The Hunting of the Snark’, the
story of glassmaking could be studied by reference to author of this paper enjoined his audience to risk the
its physical remnants, preserved below ground, as hunt for that most illusive of creatures, the true “Arts
well as by the study of its people and products was & Crafts” spirit in stained glass.
quite a new one. The team identified over 50
previously unrecognised sites where archaeological The final session was on conservation. Victoria
remains may survive and this paper presented the Oakley (Victoria and Albert Museum) was able to
results of archaeological excavations recently speak with authority about Moisture Attack on
undertaken on a number of these. A wealth of Historical Glass Objects. Glass deterioration in
information regarding glassmaking, its techniques and museum collections is a widespread phenomenon and
evolving technology does indeed survive, offering a source of concern for those involved in its care. It is
major potential for future study. known that the rate of deterioration can potentially be
slowed down by preventive and interventive
The second session began with Martin Harrison conservation. For a number of years conservators at
(author of a definitive text on Victorian stained glass) the Victoria and Albert Museum have been
who discussed Pugin’s emergence as a propagandist collaborating with scientists at Imperial College
for the revival of the 'true principles' of stained glass investigating the problem. The current phase of the
and how, through his merging of morality, religion research, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, is
and aesthetics, these became identified with 14th- emphasising the value and importance of establishing
century Gothic. By contrast, Charles Winston common ground and an active dialogue between
advocated the involvement of academically trained curators, conservators, scientists and craftsmen.
artists. These influential figures stimulated the glass
technology of their day; Winston devoted Russell Hand (Sheffield University) brought a
considerable energy to the analysis of medieval glass, different perspective to the problem of Water Attack
while Pugin frequently expressed his dissatisfaction on Glass: from Archaeology to Vitrified Radioactive
with the commercial glass at his disposal. Waste. We are used to thinking of glass as a durable
material, and vitrification is the preferred solution for
Peter Cormack (William Morris Gallery) considered immobilising high level radioactive waste, which are
Style and Materials in Arts & Crafts Stained Glass. A required to remain intact for thousands of years into
pre-occupation of the Arts & Crafts Movement was the future. However, although many glasses are
the nature and ‘proper’ use of materials in applied art. undoubtedly durable, they are not immune from
Renewed interest in the raw material of stained glass chemical attack, including attack by water.
arose especially in the 1880s, pioneered by Burne- Understanding the mechanisms by which water
Jones and Morris. Innovations in glass-manufacture attacks different glasses is of crucial importance, and
led to enhanced intensity and variation of colour and allows us to predict the performance of vitrified
more emphatic texture. E. S. Prior’s novel ‘Early waste-forms far into the future as well as yielding
English’ slab glass was exploited by designer- insight into the decay of historical glass artefacts.
craftworkers such as Christopher Whall who in the
latter part of the 19th century exerted a profound Ending on a practical note Joanne Howdle spoke of
influence on the craft’s teaching, practice and the issues surrounding the Conservation and
aesthetics. Digitisation of the Vickers Photographic Archive.
This archive consists of approximately 10,000 glass
Neil Moat (DAC advisor, Durham and Newcastle) plate negatives, film negatives, positive glass slides
concluded this session with his deliciously witty paper and cine films providing detailed visual evidence of a
on Arts & Crafts Stained Glass – of Definitions, wide cross-section of work undertaken by the Barrow
Misunderstandings and Boojums. He grasped that Shipyard between the 1870’s and 1960’s. Due to its
perennial nettle, the question of how we define ‘Arts size and scope, this collection is considered to be of

Glass News June 2003 5

international importance. Discovered as a large provided fragments of glass that are too small to have
collection of waterlogged cardboard boxes, it was been recovered during normal excavation. The most
acquired by the Museum and a structured program of impressive examples are the threads of glass (see
rescue work was initiated in 2000. To date over 8000 picture) that form when a glass worker gathers molten
glass and film negatives have been cleaned, scanned glass from the crucible (Ashurst 1970: 173).
on to a computer database and repacked in acid free Samples of glass and glass working debris have been
materials. The paper described the challenges and selected, with careful regard for the archaeological
triumphs of this process, which quite literally was stratigraphy, for chemical analysis (being undertaken
focused on the interface of glass science and art. by English Heritage’s Centre for Archaeology). The
analytical results to date for the glass recovered from
Overall the day was a great success and a similar phases 2 and 4 are summarised in the table opposite.
event is planned for April of next year.
Samples from phase 2 have provided evidence for the
David Martlew manufacture of two different types of alkali glass. The
first type of glass (type I) is rich in potash and lime
Excavations and science at the but does not easily fall into either the medieval forest
glass or post-medieval high-lime low-alkali glass
site of Silkstone Glasshouse
Threads Glass Fragments Total
In 2002 English Heritage carried out a limited
archaeological excavation at the post-medieval glass Phase 2 Alkali 41 56 97
house site at Silkstone, South Yorkshire.
Documentary evidence shows that the Pilmey family Lead 1 23
produced glass in Silkstone during the late 17th and
early 18th centuries (Ashurst 1992). The Pilmeys Total 42 58 100
arrived in Silkstone in the 1650’s after the glasshouse
at Haughton Green, Manchester ceased production Phase 4 Alkali 38 70 108
(Vose 1994). When Abigail Pilmey died in 1698, her
will mentioned the presence of two glasshouses: one Lead 6 29 35
for ‘greenglass’ and one for lead glass. The will also
listed a variety of raw materials used in the Total 44 99 143
manufacture of glass, e.g. rape ash and lead oxide.
Abigail’s descendants continued producing glass at categories. The second type (type II) contains equal
Silkstone until the mid-18th century. Importantly, proportions of soda and potash (as well as some lime)
glass manufacture starts at Silkstone before the and also does not fall easily into existing glass
invention of colourless lead glass (Ravenscroft 1676) categories. Type II glass contains less iron oxide and
but continues for at least half a century after. is generally less coloured than type I. It is possible
that type I glass was used to produce bottles and
The initial aim of the archaeological excavation was windows while type II glass was used for tableware.
to determine if one of the standing buildings at the Three samples from phase 2 are lead glasses
site was associated with the historically attested (containing lead oxide, potash and silica). They all
industry. The excavation of a trial trench have the same chemical composition and one of the
demonstrated the survival of over 0.5m of samples is a glass thread. If it is assumed that
stratigraphy associated with 17th century glass colourless lead glass was first produced by
working but no sign of a surviving furnace. The Ravenscroft in 1676, then phase 2 must date to shortly
excavation showed that there were at least 5 phases of after this. Samples from phase 4 provided evidence
activity and direct evidence for glass working was for the manufacture of an alkali glass and a lead glass.
obtained from phases 2 and 4. The current building The alkali glass has a high-lime low-alkali
clearly post-dated the glass working layers. composition typical of post-medieval glass. The lead
glass is made predominantly from lead oxide, potash
A wide range of glass and glass working debris (slag, and silica.
crucibles, etc) were recovered during the excavation.
In addition soil samples were taken and these have The results of this research will be published in full in
a Centre for Archaeology report and presented at
Glass News June 2003 AIHV this September and a summary will be
published in Post Medieval Archaeology (2003/2004).

Dr David Dungworth and Tom Cromwell
English Heritage Centre for Archaeology,
Portsmouth.

6

Speculating on spectacles: one of his trade cards of about 1730. But was he the
aspects of innovation inventor?

Researchers in the USA, C. Letocha, M.D and D. L. 6. Who introduced the screws to give flexibility to the
Simms, Ph.D, are investigating innovations in side-pieces? They were in use by the time Jane
spectacles before the end of the 18th century. They Austen wrote Emma. Frank Churchill appears to take
have asked for help with the following queries. an interminable time to mend Mrs Bates’ spectacles!

1. Ibn-al-Haitham described how to make plano- Any help would be most gracefully received. Please
convex lenses by pouring glass into moulds. contact Charles Letocha at 444 Rathton Road, York
Presumably one mould was placed on top of the other PA 17403, USA. Phone: 717-846-0428. FAX: 717-
whilst the glass was sufficiently molten for the two 854-9728. e-mail: [email protected]
lenses to form one. As Leonardo made his magnifying
glasses by pouring glass into a mould, presumably the British Glass Bibliography
basic method was still in use till at least 1520. Was 2002-2003
this how the convex lenses were made for spectacles?
This bibliography covers work on glass found or
2. Were concave lenses made in the same way and made in Britain and more general books on glass that
was it more difficult to make concave lenses than have been published within the UK. My thanks to
convex ones? Euan Campbell and Jennifer Price for drawing my
attention to items I’d missed, and especially to Paddy
3. How long did it take to make these lenses, given Baker for providing the references to works on later
the large output in Venice and Florence by the mid- glass. All contributions to the next bibliography
15th century? gratefully received at [email protected]
The British Glass Bibliography 2000-2002 was
4. By the third quarter of the 16th century, Della Porta included in Issue 12 of Glass News.
in Naturalis Magia, and William Bourne describe an
entirely different method. A pole was fixed to the General
floor with a mushroom-like object fixed to the top As the secretariat of the AIHV is now based in
having the curvature required for the lens. The glass Britain, the latest Annales has been published here but
was fixed to the top and a second pole with the space limitations preclude the listing of all 55 articles
opposite curvature placed on top. This was then here. Instead please visit the web site www.aihv.org
moved across and round the glass with an abrasive in or www.historyofglass.org.uk for a contents list, or
between. When the glass was in the shape required, alternatively contact me (H. Cool) and I’ll be happy to
the abrasive was removed and a polishing agent used send you one. I have noted articles on British glass
in its place. We have been unable to discover the topics below but there is much of interest in the whole
inventor. It is unlikely to be Della Porta since he made volume.
no claim. Does anyone know who that might have
been? The technique must have spread rapidly since it Scientific and Conservation
was described in Italy (a best-seller) and known in Two articles look at early Egyptian glasses. Shortland
England (London at any rate.) Sirtirus also described (2002) looks at the origins of the colorants used, and
the method somewhat later, though he did not invent Tite and Shortland (2003) review work on blue
it. Despite its rapid spread, there is little evidence that vitreous materials. The latter topic appears to be
the method was accurate. Hooke was scathing about attracting much attention currently and there will be a
the results and he and Halley welcomed the session devoted to it at the London congress in
modification made John Marshall in 1693. That September. There is further work on establishing the
method spread rapidly to the principal London origins of the sands used in various Byzantine glasses
Opticians. found in Israel (Freestone et al 2003) and a crucible
provides information about the production of a
5. The invention of side-pieces is usually ascribed to pigment used in Merovingian glass bead production
Edward Scarlett on the basis of its being shown on (Heck et al 2003). The proposal that the antimony
used to produce yellow glass in antiquity was a by-
Glass News June 2003
7

product of silver refining (Mass et al 2002) is the useful essay by WES Turner explaining the relevance
subject of some debate in the latest Archaeometry of the book, and its importance for English glass-
(volume 45, p.185-98). There are also two making in the 17th century. Smedley et al (2003)
methodological papers Falcone et al (2002) explores provide a preliminary report on their experimental
the sample sizes needed for X-ray fluorescence and work to identify the raw materials used for glass
Azzoni et al (2002) describe the use of electron making in the Midlands. There is a small report on the
paramagnetic resonance to investigate colour. (See excavated medieval and post medieval glass from
also Bayley 2003; Jackson et al 2003, Smedley et al Pontefract Castle (Ratkai 2002).
2003 discussed below). Anyone with an interest in, or
responsibility for, stained glass will find a new Modern
handbook on its care invaluable (Brown and Strobl English chandeliers of the 17th to early 19th century
2002). are the subject of a monograph (Mortimer 2000) and a
small guide to decanters has also appeared (Leigh
Roman and early Medieval 2002). Two books published in the USA will be of
Two articles have appeared reviewing production and interest to collectors of English glass. Gulliver (2002)
trade. Despite appearing in a regional synthesis, Price includes 30 pages of sketch illustrations of registered
(2002) is a wide-ranging paper looking far beyond the designs 1850-1914 by seven major British producers
Roman north. Cool (2003) concentrates more on the and Skelcher (2002) has produced a detailed study of
social background that may have influence people’s vaseline and uranium glass but, mindful of the
choices. On a similar theme of production and trade, American market, the publishers omitted the term
Jackson et al (2003) discuss the difficulties of using ‘uranium’ from the title. This includes author’s
chemical analysis to explore provenance for a group research into radioactivity, density and UV
of 2nd/ 3rd century drinking cups. There has been a fluorescence of these glasses, products of 17 English
large crop of reports on glass found at a variety of glasshouses and some American factories. Finally a
sites. Be warned, however, that due to the delays small introduction to modern studio glass (McLaren
associated with archaeological publishing, some have 2002), a practical handbook on calligraphy on glass
been waiting to appear for a decade or more. For the (Mocatta 2001) and a guide to stained glass in
Roman period glass from a legionary fortress (Cool Worcestershire (Albutt 2002) may be noted.
and Price 2002a), several small towns (Allen 2001a,
2001b; Cool et al 2002; Monk 2001) and a late References
Roman cemetery (Cool and Price 2002b) may be Albutt R., 2002, Stained Glass Windows of
noted. The publication of the glass from the fort at Bromsgrove & Redditch, Worcestershire (privately
Cramond (Price 2003) is especially useful because of pub. ISBN 0-9543566-0-8).
the tight late Antonine / Severan dating. Allen D., 2001a, Glass, in Booth P. M and Evans J.,
Roman Alcester: Northern Extramural Area 1969-
Two reports on early medieval glass from Scottish 1988, CBA Research Report 127 (Council for British
sites may also be noted (Campbell 2000a, Campbell Archaeology: York), 67-70, 255-9.
2000b). There are two articles on beads. Hoffman Allen D., 2001b, Glass, in Booth P.M., Evans J. and
(2003) provides an overview of the beads and bangles Hiller J., Excavations in the Extramural Settlement of
from two sites on the northern frontier, and Brugmann Roman Alchester, Oxfordshire, 1991,Oxford
(2003) draws attention to some splendidly gaudy late Archaeology Monograph 1(Oxford Archaeological
5th century beads. Bayley (2003) looks at raw Unit: Oxford), 243-8.
materials for enamelling. The important 2nd century Azzoni C.B., Di Martino D., Chiavari C., Martini M.,
cullet dump from London has been discussed in Sibilia E. and Vandini M., 2002, Electron
Spanish by Perez-Sala I Rodes (2001). paramagnetic resonance of mosaic glasses from the
Mediterranean area, Archaeometry 44, 543-554.
Medieval and Post Medieval Bayley J., 2003, Evidence for the production and use
Two works deal with the production of glass. A new, of opaque red glass in Roman Britain, Annales du 15e
unabridged edition of Antonio Neri’s classic work Congrès de l’Association Internationale pour
The Art of Glass has been published (Cable 2001). l’Histoire du Verre, (AIHV: Nottingham), 45-48.
This was first printed in 1612 and translated into Brown S. and Strobl S., 2002, A Fragile Inheritance.
English in 1662. It details the ingredients for glass- The care of stained glass and historic glazing: a
making and pigments, with some descriptions by the handbook for custodians, (Church House Publishing:
original translator, Christopher Merrett, of then London).
contemporary furnace types. This edition includes a
8
Glass News June 2003

Brugman B., 2003, ‘Traffic Light Beads’ in early (eds.), Échanges et Commerce du Verre dans le
Anglo-Saxon England, Current Archaeology 16.6 Monde Antique Monographies Instrumentum 24
(number 185), 223-5. (Montagnac), 33-9.
Cable M. and Neri A. (eds), 2001, The Art of Glass, Leigh D., 2002, Decanters 1760-1930, (Shire Books:
(Society of Glass Technology: Sheffield). Princes Risborough).
Campbell E, 2000a, Glass artefacts, in Lane A. and McLaren G., 2002, Studio Glass 1960-2000, (Shire
Campbell E., Excavations at Dunadd: an early Books: Princes Risborough).
Dalriadic capital, (Oxford), 171-5. Mass J., Wypyski M. and Stone R., 2002, Malkata
Campbell E., 2000b, The glass vessels, in Crone and Lisht glassmaking technologies: towards a
A., The History of a Scottish Lowland crannog: specific link between second millennium BC
Excavations at Buiston, Ayrshire, 1989-90, metallurgists and glassmakers, Archaeometry 44, 67-
(Edinburgh) 140 and 264-5. 82.
Cool H.E.M., 2003, Local production and trade in Mocatta C., 2001, Lettering on Glass, (A&C Black:
glass vessels in the British Isles in the 1st to 7th London).
centuries AD, in Foy D. and Nenna M-D. (eds.), Monk L. 2001, Glass, in Anderson A.S., Wacher J.S.
Échanges et Commerce du Verre dans le Monde and Fitzpatrick A.P., The Romano-British ‘small
Antique, Monographies Instrumentum 24 town’ at Wanborough, Wiltshire, Britannia
(Montagnac), 139-45. Monograph 19 (Society for the Promotion of Roman
Cool H.E.M. and Price J., 2002a, Vessel glass Studies: London), 162-173.
associated with the military occupation, in Webster, Mortimer, M., 2000. The English Glass Chandelier
G., The Legionary Fortress at Wroxeter, English (Antique Collectors’ Club: Woodbridge).
Heritage Archaeological Report 19 (English Heritage: Perez-Sala I Rodes, M., 2001. ‘El studio del riciclaje
London), 225-53. del vidrio en el mundo romano: el caso de Guildhall
Cool H.E.M. and Price J., 2002b, Glass, and, Glass Yard, London’, I Journades Hispàniques d’Historia
vessels from the Late Roman burials, in Davies S.M., del Vidre Actes, Monografies 1: Museo d’Arqueologia
Bellamy P.S., Heaton M.J. and Woodward P.J., de Catalunya (Barcelona), 65-72.
Excavations at Alington Avenue, Fordington, Price J., 2002, Broken bottles and quartz sand: glass
Dorchester, Dorset, 1984-87, Dorset Natural History production in Yorkshire and the north in the Roman
and Archaeological Society Monograph 15 period, in Wilson P. and Price J. (eds), Aspects of
(Dorchester), 91-3, 164-6. Industry in Roman Yorkshire and the North (Oxbow
Cool H.E.M., Price J. and Cottam S., 2002, The glass, Books: Oxford), 81-93.
in Wilson P. R., Cataractonium (Catterick): A Roman Price J. 2003, Roman glass, in Holmes N., Excavation
town and its hinterland. Excavations and Research of the Roman sites at Cramond Edinburgh Soc.
1958-1997. Volume 2, CBA Research Report 129, Antiquaries of Scotland Monograph 23, (Edinburgh),
(Council for British Archaeology: York), 212-63. 88-94.
Falcone R., Renier A. and Verità M., 2002, Ratkai S., 2002, Vessel glass, in Roberts I., Pontefract
Wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis of Castle. Archaeological Excavations 1982-86,
ancient glasses, Archaeometry 44, 531-542. Yorkshire Archaeology 8 (West Yorkshire
Freestone I.C., Leslie K.A., Thirlwall M., Gorin- Archaeological Service: Wakefield), 287-90.
Rosen Y., 2003, Strontium isotopes in the Shortland A.J., 2002, The use and origin of
investigation of early glass production: Byzantine and antimonite colorants in early Egyptian glass,
early Islamic glass from the Near East, Archaeometry Archaeometry 44, 517-30.
45,19-32. Smedley J.W., Jackson C.M., and Welch C.M., 2003,
Gulliver M., 2002, Victorian Decorative Glass, Unveiling glass compositions: glassmaking raw
(Schiffer: Atglen). materials at Little Birches, Staffordshire, Annales du
Heck M., Rehren T. and Hoffmann P., 2003, The 15e Congrès de l’Association Internationale pour
production of lead-tin yellow at Merovingian l’Histoire du Verre (AIHV: Nottingham), 203-7.
Schleithheim (Switzerland), Archaeometry 45, 33-44. Skelcher, B.W. 2002. The Big Book of Vaseline Glass
Hoffman B., 2003, Roman glass from Newstead and (Schiffer, Atglen).
Vindolanda, Annales du 15e Congrès de l’Association Tite M.S. and Shortland A.J., 2003, Production
Internationale pour l’Histoire du Verre, (AIHV: technology for copper- and cobalt-blue vitreous
Nottingham), 41-44. material from the New Kingdom site of Amarna - a
Jackson C.M., Baxter M.J. and Cool H.E.M., 2003, reappraisal, Archaeometry 45, 285-312.
Identifying group and meaning: an investigation of
Roman colourless glass, in Foy D. and Nenna M-D. Hilary Cool

Glass News June 2003 9

The Bear Garden Glasshouse, Southwark

The recent publication of an excavation report Jung called the “Sudriks” mirror-glass works, the
(Mackinder et al, 2000) reawakened my interest in the “Tur glasshouses in “Lunh” (London) and the
early history of this glasshouse. It appears to be Commoncard mirror-glass works. Mentioned as the
unique, in that it was associated at different times owners of “Sudriks” were ‘Gebril Harper, Thomas
with all common forms of glass making: mirror, Uettin, and Welem Lilieston”; the masters included
vessel, bottle, window (crown) and plate glass. The “Bastian Miato, Johannes Babtist and Robert
following are a few notes on my researches. Salsberg”. According to Jung’s diary, he also saw
winged furnaces in Brittany, but he only made
The Bear Garden glasshouse stood in Bear Alley on detailed notes of them in England. He even recorded
the Bankside (Buckley, 1915). John Bowles and the melting mixtures and instructions for building the
William Lillington probably owned the Bear Garden furnace at “Sudriks” (UUE D1616).
glasshouse in 1678. Then they were described as
‘Masters of another glasshouse … for making white ‘Sud’ means south, so ‘Sudriks’ probably means
and green glasses in Southwark’; white then almost Southwark and Welem Lilieston is almost certainly
certainly meant clear glasses. William Lillington had William Lillington. The last line suggest that Jung
taken a lease from John Squibb on 1 August 1671 on witnessed the Bear Garden glass furnace being built,
property at the Bear Garden, then said to include a or rebuilt, and also thought the mixtures used were
pothouse and a glasshouse. It is thus possible that it noteworthy, probably because they were a new
was one of the 'two new furnaces opened for very fine ‘crystal’ type formulation. There is no record of the
large crystal' referred to by Alberti, the Venetian mirror works being a success, so it looks like vessel
secretary in London, in September 1673 (Charleston, glass may have been made there when Lillington took
1984). By 1684 it was probably owned by Bowles over the lease in 1671. Crystal glasses were then
alone, when an agreement described him as: “Master probably melted in wood-fired furnaces and it is
of several glasshouses at St Mary Overye's and the possible that Bear Garden glasshouse was originally
Bear Garden in Southwark for making Green glass” wood fired, since there are references to
(Powell, 1922). He is said to have mainly produced woodmongers and timber merchants in Western
bottles, but by 4 June 1689, “There is now made at the Southwark from 1664 (Higham, 1955). However, it
Bear-Garden Glass-house on the Bank-side crown would almost certainly have been coal fired when
window glass much exceeding French glass in all its used for ‘green & window glass’, which ties in with
qualifications”. Bowles, who came from a rich references to fines for the nuisance caused by smoke
Lincolnshire family, sold the glass works and from 1689 (Watts, 1990).
transferred to another site in 1691. In 1695 he was one
of the commissioners for managing the duty on glass. In the 1670s, drinking glasses often had a small glass
disc attached to the stem, imprinted with a device on
The following extract from Matiskainen and Haggren them, similar to the way that wax seals were used for
(1995) most likely concerns the Bear Garden documents. Fragments of a drinking glass with a
glasshouse. Gustav Jung had received a Swedish state bear’s head or a boar’s head seal have been excavated
scholarship for a long study trip in Europe during at Tunsgate, Guildford (Fryer and Selley, 1991). It has
which he visited ‘over a hundred glasshouses’ and been suggested that this seal is linked to the Bear
made notes on them: Gustav Jung’s notebook from Garden glasshouse. This would seem reasonable,
his study trip is in the collections of the Uppsala since it was probably the closest one to Guildford at
University Library. Of special interest are his that time. On stylistic grounds, this sealed glass dates
drawings of two different furnace types. The first from c1675 and is made from a high soda, mixed
clearly shows a winged furnace that became common alkali, non-lead ‘crystal’ metal. This is probably the
in the glass industry in England and Western Europe type of glass the Bear Garden glasshouse was making,
around the beginning of the century…. The side view since if it had been using lead in the glass, it would
drawn by Jung shows three openings in the middle probably have been referred to as making ‘flint’ glass
part, suggesting that the furnace was for six rather than ‘white’ glass in 1678. The fragments of
crucibles… The furnace shown in the illustration is vessel glass found on the site and illustrated in
probably from England, where Jung travelled in 1667- Mackinder et al (2000) appear to date from before
1668. Notes survive concerning three sites, which about 1680.

Glass News June 2003 10

Below is an illustration from “A Prospect and Street .
Plan of London by Johann Homann”. The prospect is
clearly a composite, produced at a number of different A brief history of M’dina &
times. What is interesting about this segment of it is some other contemporaneous
that it lines up with archaeological evidence reported
in reference 1. The ringed building is the one Maltese art glass firms
associated with archaeological glass-making finds and
the smaller building closer to the Thames is This article is based on information received from
designated building 2 (phase 2). The Bear Garden Mrs Elizabeth Harris, Director of Isle of Wight Glass.
Glasshouse was probably made up of parts, or all, of Mrs Harris recalls:
buildings 13, 14, 27, 28 (phases 1 & 2) in reference 1.
In particular the description (p.41) of ‘a small vaulted “My husband Michael had been a tutor at the Royal
brick cellar, possibly for the storage of coal’ under the College of Art, teaching industrial glass, for six years
eastern wall of the building suggests an air duct to when he decided to start up in business on his own.
feed a glass furnace. This all happened during the time of the studio glass
movement. The company M’dina Glass Limited was
Colin Brain founded in Malta in 1968 and run by Michael Harris
[email protected] and Eric Dobson, his partner until 1971/2 when
Michael sold his shares. Today it is still operating and
References is a thriving tourist attraction. We chose Malta for
various reasons. The Maltese government was keen to
Buckley F, 1915, Old London Glasshouses, 26. encourage small industries on the island. They offered
Charleston R J, 1984, English Glass, 110. various incentives; premises, help with establishing a
Fryer K and Selley A, 1991, Excavation of a pit at 16 foothold and last but not least a ten year tax holiday.
Tunsgate, Guildford, Surrey, J. Post Med. Arch 31, The reality however was quite different.
139-230.
Higham F, 1955, Southwark Story, 206. In 1969 Michael Harris arrived in Malta with his
Mackinder A and Blatherwick S, 2000, Bankside - family and tonnes of equipment with the blessing of
Excavations at Benbow House, Southwark, London the then Nationalist Government of Malta. 13th
SE, MOLAS Archaeology Studies Series 3. century St. Thomas’s Tower, in the south of the
Matiskainen H and Haggren G, 1995, Finland’s oldest island, had also been promised as premises; hence the
glass furances, Annales AIHV 13, 449-451. logo also used for labels later on. The tower being of
Powell H J, 1922, Glass-Making in England, 38. historical value, they decided it wasn’t going to be a
Watts D C, 1990, Why George Ravenscroft glass studio but did not say so until six months later.
introduced lead oxide into crystal glass, J Glass Tech At this time the commissioner of land said there were
31, 2-3. no other suitable premises available for us. After
considerable time spent searching for alternatives, a
Glass News June 2003 disused cinema was found, a long lease was paid for
and everything made ready, furnaces built etc. Only
the fuel tanks needed to be installed and a permit
required to supply fuel. A petition had to be raised
with local people - all agreed but one, so no fuel
tanks. Rather than wait any longer to begin
manufacturing, as money was running out by now, we
went on to consider the airfield at Ta Qali. The Air
Ministry had only just handed it back to the Maltese
government and it was somewhat derelict. Ta Qali, in
the fields below M’dina (the capital city of Malta
during the Medieval period) proved ideal with plenty
of space and no inhabitants to worry about. So the
decision was made to move all the equipment to the
airfield. (The air base was famous as the Second
World War home of the three aeroplanes ‘Faith’,
‘Hope’ and ‘Charity’, which defended the island
during the threat of the German invasion).

11

At the time that the furnace was first fired, weeks worked for the government for as long as it survived.
later, we heard that the fuel permit for the previous It was the end of his glass-making days – very sad.
site had been turned down – so moving had been a Mafta Glass. A second unit of glass making on Ta
good decision and third time lucky. Lucky or not, Qali run by a brother of Joe Said, the new owner of
money and enthusiasm were getting very thin. M’dina.
Samples had been made in the UK ready for a training Phoenicia Glass. Owned and run by ex-M’dina
programme. The sun shone, as it mostly does in workers since Joe Said took over M’dina. This unit is
Malta, and we soldiered on. We employed several at present on Manoel Island in Sliema, Malta’s
young boys to trains, some from the fields; Michael leading resort.
was determined to achieve what he set out to do and Gozo Glass. In 1990 Michael and I started Gozo
the outcome was instant success. The boys with no Glass as a retirement interest for Michael, who by this
skills became pioneers of Malta’s glass industry with time was not enjoying very good health. Gozo, a sister
many splinter groups. The colours of our glass were island to Malta, needed some attractions for the, by
indicative of the Maltese countryside and of the sea now, large tourist trade. Sadly Michael died in 1994
and sky of the Mediterranean. My husband and I and my sons and I have put all our resources into Isle
designed the colours and shapes. We did not have any of Wight glass since then. Gozo glass is owned and
trade brochures during my time. Most of the glass we run by Mr R Brook, who was Michael’s partner
made included a label depicting St Thomas’s Tower during its development. Gozo Glass is probably the
and the Maltese Cross. As the business grew, more most progressive of Malta’s glass industries and
skill was needed so we employed two Italians – continues to prosper.”
Vincente Boffo and his son Etore Boffo whom we had
poached from Whitefriars (a glassworks in Middlesex, Acknowledgements
closed in 1980 ending 300 years of glassmaking).
My sincere thanks to the following: Mrs Elizabeth
When Dom Mintoff became Labour Prime Minister in Harris, Director of Isle of Wight Glass and a “busy
1971 he began a policy to expel certain foreign mother and grandmother” for her help and
nationals and to negotiate the closure and removal of encouragement in my endeavours to record art glass
British and other foreign military bases. The Maltese history. Her (and I quote from her own note) “rather
government, in conjunction with various countries, rushed efforts at outlining M’dina Glass” during
developed in many directions, one being with the hectic preparations for Christmas of 1997 are greatly
Chinese to build a glass factory (which no longer appreciated. Also many thanks are extended to
exists) because they saw how successful M’dina was. Jonathan Harris Director of Isle of Wight Glass and
Paperweights and other glass objects of dubious last but not least John Smith of Broadfield House
quality for the tourist trade were manufactured. The Glass Museum Kingswinford. This monograph is
situation was very uncertain as to how much longer dedicated to Eleanor Moorhouse.
we would be able to remain in Malta. Many ex-
patriots had already been expelled. In 1971, Michael Michael Thomas Vaughan
and I finally decided to sell the business and return to
the UK. One of those who purchased shares and Recent work on early glass
became a new owner was a former employee, Mr Joe production in Egypt
Said. Mr Boffo remained working at M’dina until Mr
Mintoff came to power, when he was given an Over the past five years or so, a number of groups
ultimatum – either work under the Chinese or leave have published on the production of glass in New
the island. He decided to stay but unfortunately, and Kingdom Egypt. A session of the forthcoming AIHV
all to soon, his son Etore developed leukaemia and Congress in London is devoted to Bronze Age glass,
died a year later. His father was heartbroken. 1971 and below I summarise as background some of the
saw us settled on the Isle of Wight on our return to key findings and the issues that have arisen in the
Britain. The island has many similarities to Malta – recent studies. Not surprisingly, considerable attention
sea and sky etc. So began Isle of Wight Glass founded has been directed towards the well-preserved glass
in 1972 – now 25 years old. factory at Tell el Amarna and the materials recovered
from the excavations there by Petrie in the 19th
Other Maltese glass companies include: century, and most recently as part of the Amarna
Malta Decorative Glass Co. The glass factory only project directed by Barry Kemp of Cambridge.
proved to be a show place. Mr Boffo was seconded to
work there and train boys or leave Malta and he 12

Glass News June 2003

Furnaces and workshop organization glass. He suggests that the source of antimony was
In the past it has been speculated that raw glass was Caucasia, where antimonial copper alloys were
not made in Egypt in the 14th century BC but widely used (9). Furthermore, Rehren and Shortland
imported from Mesopotamia. However, Nicholson have argued that the chemical and isotopic
and Jackson have shown that furnaces recently compositions the yellow glasses are inconsistent with
excavated at Amarna and apparently associated with the addition of litharge, while Mass et al have
the glass industry, may be replicated and fired to defended their position (10).
successfully melt glass from quartz and seaweed ash
raw materials (1). Although this does not prove that Shortland and Tite (11) examined cobalt blue glasses
glass was made in such furnaces, it demonstrates that of the New Kingdom and concluded that they were
they could have been used in this way. Cylindrical made using cobalt derived from alum from the
pots found at Amarna by Petrie were originally Western Oases, along with Egyptian natron. With
suggested by him to have been supports for fritting arguments based upon texts and the objects
pans, but similarities in their form and dimensions to themselves, Shortland suggests that, while glass may
the blue glass ingots from the Uluburun shipwreck have been invented in Mesopotamia in the late 16th
(c.1300 BC) were noted by Nicholson, who century BC, perhaps by the mid-15th century glass
interpreted them as moulds in which the ingots were was being made in Egypt (12). While there appears to
melted (2). Rehren and Pusch (3) have interpreted be no dispute concerning the source of the cobalt,
similar vessels at the slightly later glass workshop at Rehren (13) has argued that the peculiar
Qantir (ancient Piramesses), in the Nile delta, as compositional characteristics of cobalt blue glass may
crucibles used to colour red glass. At Qantir, these be the result of the use of plant ash of a distinctive
authors have recorded a series of high temperature composition. Tite, Shortland and Paynter (14) have
industries (production of faience, Egytian blue, red suggested that the cobalt blue glass was the result of
glass and bronze objects), which shared not only the mixing a cobalt-rich frit found in the workshop at
use of copper as a raw material, but also specialised Amarna, which was made using natron, with a
working conditions such as furnace atmosphere and colourless glass plus additional plant ash. It remains
temperature. They argue that glass was made from its to be seen if this is the last word on the production of
raw materials and coloured in primary workshops, New Kingdom cobalt blue glass, which again is
then distributed in ingot form to secondary workshops crucial to our understanding of innovation in the
for the fabrication of vessels (4). The organisation of Egyptian glass industry and its interaction with
vitreous materials production at Amarna has been Mesopotamia. It appears to have been widely traded,
considered by Shortland, Nicholson and Jackson (5) as it is compositionally identical to the glass of the
through a re-analysis of the distribution of materials ingots of the Uluburun wreck and also to Mycenaean
from excavation records. They conclude that at this blue glass.
time the production of glass, a new material, was
virtually a royal monopoly, while faience was a cheap Finally, Rehren (15) has questioned how the
and widely-available material. remarkably consistent compositions of Bronze Age
glasses were derived from an intrinsically variable
Chemical compositions, colourants and origins material such as plant ash. He has noted that glasses
The origins of raw materials and technologies, cluster around those compositions which have the
inferred from physico-chemical analysis, have lowest melting temperatures and, with Shugar, has
generated considerable discussion. Following earlier carried out experiments to determine if the melting
work by Lilyquist and Brill (6), Shortland, Nicholson process itself exercised some control on the final
and Jackson (7) have analysed yellow glass, coloured composition of the glass.
by lead antimonate, for lead isotopes. They conclude
that while Egyptian yellow glass from the reign of Ian C Freestone
Tuthmosis III has Mesopotamian characteristics,
those of the succeeding Amarna period could have Bibliography
been coloured using Egyptian lead. Mass, Wypyski (1) Nicholson P T and Jackson C M (1998) Kind of
and Stone (8) suggest that the lead antimonate in these
glasses was derived from the use of antimony-bearing blue: glass of the Amarna period replicated. in P.
litharge, a lead-rich by-product of silver smelting. McCray (ed.) The Prehistory and History of
Shortland, on the other hand, argues that the lead and Glassmaking Technology, Westerville, Ohio,
antimony were obtained separately, and reacted American Ceramic Society Ceramics and
together to make a pigment before addition to the Civilization Series, vol VIII, pp.105-120; Jackson
C M, Nicholson P T and Gneisinger W (1998)
Glass News June 2003
13

Glassmaking at Tell el-Amarna: an integrated (11) Shortland A J and Tite M S (2000) Raw
approach. J Glass Studies 40, 11-23. materials from Amarna and implications for the
(2) Nicholson P T (1995) Glassmaking and origins of Egyptian glass. Archaeometry 42, 141-
glassworking at Amarna: some new work. J Glass 152.
Studies 37, 11-19. Nicholson P T (1995) New
evidence for glass and glazing at Tell el Amarna (12) Shortland A J (2000) Social influences on the
(Egypt) Annales 13e Congr. AIHV 11-19. development and spread of glass technology. In A
Nicholson P T, Jackson C M and Trott K M J Shortland (ed) The Social Context of
(1997) The Ulu Burun glass ingots, cylindrical Technological Change. Oxbow, 211-222.
vessels and Egyptian glass. J Egyptian Arch 83,
143-153. (13) Rehren Th. (2001) Aspects of the production
(3) Rehren Th (1997) Ramesside glass-colouring of cobalt-blue glass in Egypt. Archaeometry 43,
crucibles. Archaeometry 39, 355-268. Rehren Th 483-489.
and Pusch E B (1997) New Kingdom glass-
melting crucibles from Qantir-Piramesses. J (14) Tite M, Shortland A and Paynter S (2002)
Egyptian Arch 83, 127-141. The beginnings of vitreous materials in the Near
(4) Rehren Th, Pusch E B and Herold A (1998) Glass East and Egypt. Accounts of Chemical Research
colouring works within a copper-centred 35, 585-593. Tite M S and Shortland A J (2003)
industrial complex in Late Bronze Age Egypt. In Production technology for copper- and cobalt-
P. McCray (ed.) The Prehistory and History of blue vitreous materials from New Kingdom site
Glassmaking Technology, Westerville, Ohio, of Amarna – a reappraisal. Archaeometry 45, 285-
American Ceramic Society Ceramics and 312. For details of the frits, see Shortland A J
Civilization Series, vol VIII, pp.227-250. Rehren (2000) Vitreous Materials at Amarna BAR
Th, Pusch E B and Herold A (2001) Qantir- International Series 287, Oxford.
Piramesses and the organisation of the Egyptian
glass industry. In A J Shortland (ed) The Social (15) Rehren Th (2000) Rationales in Old World
Context of Technological Change. Oxbow, 223- base glass compositions. J Arch Sci 27, 1225-
238. 1234; also New Aspects of ancient Egyptian
(5) Shortland, A J, Nicholson P T and Jackson C M glassmaking. J Glass Studies 42, 13-24. Shugar A
(2001) Glass and faience at Amarna: different and Rehren Th (2002) Formation and composition
methods of both supply for production, and of glass as a function of firing temperature. Glass
subsequent distribution. In A J Shortland (ed) The Technology 43C (Proc XIX Internat Congr.
Social Context of Technological Change. Oxbow, Glass, Edinburgh, 1-6 July 2001), 145-50.
147-160. See also: Shortland A J (2000) The
number, extent and distribution of the vitreous R G (ROY) NEWTON
materials workshops at Amarna. Oxford J
Arch.19, 115-134. OBE DSc Hon FSGT
(6) Lilyquist C and Brill R H (1993) Studies in Early
Egyptian Glass. New York: The Metropolitan 1912-2003
Museum of Art.
(7) Shortland A J, Nicholson P T and Jackson C M Roy Newton’s professional involvement with glass
(2000) Lead isotopic analysis of Eighteenth- began with his appointment as Director of the British
Dynasty Egyptian eyepaints and lead antimonate Glass Industry Research Association, on its creation in
colourants. Archaeometry 42, 153-158. 1955 from part of the Department of Glass Technology
(8) Mass JL, Wypyski M T and Stone R E (2002) at the University of Sheffield, which had been
Malkata and Lisht glassmaking established in 1915 specifically to aid the glass
technologies:towards a specific link between industry. He at once threw himself into building up the
second millennium BC metallurgists and Association with characteristic single-minded energy,
glassmakers. Archaeometry 44, 67-82. emphasizing the importance of keeping accurate
(9) Shortland A J (2002) The use and origin of records and ensuring communication with the
antimonate colourants in early Egyptian glass. Association's members. Despite his lack of previous
Archaeometry 44, 517-530. knowledge of the glass industry, he quickly recognized
(10) Rehren Th (2003) Comments I, Shortland A J that the performance and efficiency of glass melting
(2003) Comments II, Mass J L and Stone R E furnaces was a crucial subject on which there was little
(2003) Reply in Archaeometry 45, 173-186. reliable quantitative data. He therefore began to collect
and analyse comprehensive data on furnace fuel
Glass News June 2003 consumption and performance, not just from the British

14

industry but internationally, to which he applied novel The Hotties
statistical methods of his own devising.
Excavation and Building Survey at Pilkingtons’
He began to develop an interest in the deterioration of No 9 Tank House, St Helens, Merseyside.
stained glass church windows which led him to
investigate their conservation. His activities included M Krupa and R Heawood
setting up laboratory models to measure and record air contributions by A J Bell, D Martlew and C Wild
flows, temperatures, and humidity around typical
church window installations. He also became an Pilkingtons’ No 9 Tank House on the “Hotties” site
authority on the chemical durability of glass. He was was purpose-built by Pilkingtons in 1887 for the
the founder and editor for a considerable time of the manufacture of window glass using the blown
Newsletter of the Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi. After cylinder method. The Grade II* listed cone house still
retirement from BGIRA in 1974 he continued that stands and excavations revealed base-level remains of
work as Honorary Professor in the Department of a continuous tank furnace with regenerator chambers
Physics at the University of York where he was able to and gas supply flues largely intact. This report on the
make in situ measurements on some of the Minster excavation includes chapters on the historical
windows, considerably expanding the factual basis for background, the construction phases and
deciding questions about the conservation of such redevelopment of the site, working conditions and
valuable windows. He subsequently held a similar post industrial relations and a discussion of the role of
at the University of Sheffield from which he received Pilkingtons in the development of the British glass
an Honorary DScTech, having earlier earned his DSc industry. Paperback. 137 pages, 32 b/w figures, 52
from London. He was awarded an OBE in 1969 and b/w photographs. Lancaster Imprints 10, Oxford
was President of the Society of Glass Technology in Archaeology North 2002. ISBN 0-904220-32-X
1973--75, later being elected an Honorary Fellow of
the Society. In 1977 he became a founder member of Price £18.95.
the Association for the History of Glass, serving on its Distributed by: Oxbow Books, Park End Place,
Board until 1985. The Conservation of Glass, written Oxford. OX1 1HN.
with glass conservator Sandra Davison, was published Phone: 01865 241 249.
in 1989; a second edition has recently appeared. Fax: 01865 794449

Michael Cable Majolica and Glass

A fuller version of this obituary appeared in The From Italy to Antwerp and Beyond
Independent on 21st May 2003. The transfer of technology in the 16th-early 17th

Books century.

Conservation and Restoration of Glass Edited by Johan Veeckmand with Sarah
Jennings, Claire Dumortier, David Whitehouse,
2nd edition
Frans Verhaeghe
Sandra Davison
The subject of this international conference was the
Includes theoretical background, practical procedures crucial role played by Antwerp in the 16th century in
and new highly illustrated case studies, providing a the diffusion of new technologies throughout the Low
comprehensive view of the subject. Concentrates on Countries and beyond, for example concerning luxury
2- and 3-dimensional glass object restoration. tablewares such as majolica and glass. The conference
Includes a complete chemical examination of the proceedings include all of the lectures and posters and
causes of deterioration of glass and discusses the can be regarded as the most up to date research on
possibilities of damage by conservation techniques these subjects. 494 pages, hard back, articles in
that have not been fully tested. Hardcover, 384 pages, French and English. ISBN 90-802915-600
395 photographs, 62 illustrations.
Price 49.50 + 5.00 EUR for postage and packing.
Architectural Press. ISBN 0750643412 Copies can be ordered by contacting:
Price £80. Stad Antwerpen, Afdeling archeologie, Kloosterstraat
15, B-2000 Antwerpen, België

Glass News June 2003 15

1st International Conference Finds • Research • Ideas
Hyalos Vitrum Glass Publications • Conferences

History, technology and conservation of glass REMEMBER
and vitreous materials in the Hellenic World.
Glass News
George Kordas
Please send contributions by the end of September to:
This conference evaluated ancient Greek glass history
and technology through an interdisciplinary approach Juantita Navarro
and attracted archaeologists, researchers, scientists, Ceramics and Glass Conservation,
engineers, conservators and executives involved in the
history, technology and conservation of ancient Greek Victoria and Albert Museum,
Glass. Topics included the history, structure, raw South Kensington,
materials, manufacturing, corrosion and conservation London.
of glasses. SW7 2RL

“Glasnet” publication, Athens, 2002. e-mail: [email protected]

ISBN 960-86733-1-3 (Juanita has very kindly agreed to edit issue 14 of
Glass News whilst I am on maternity leave. All being
Contact e-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://utpress.uth.gr well, I shall be back for issue 15.
Sarah Paynter.)
Conference Secretariat, Chr.Nikolaou, NCSR
DEMOKRITOS, 143 10 Aghia Paraskevi Attikis,
Greece.

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Glass News June 2003 16

Glass Stop Press: Study Day
News
AHG is arranging a day-seminar on Recent
Number 14 November 2003 discoveries in post-medieval glass-making, to be
held on 9th March 2004 at The Linnean Society,
Published by Burlington House, Piccadilly, London. The meeting
will comprise short papers on the remarkable number
THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE HISTORY OF GLASS LIMITED of recent and current archaeological excavations and
research projects on glass-furnace sites of the 17th,
Reg’d Charity: 275236 ISSN 1362-5195 18th and 19th centuries, together with accounts of work
on glass and other residues from these sites.
www.historyofglass.org.uk Details will appear on the AHG web-site, up-dated as
the programme develops. Application forms will be
The aim of l’Association Internationale pour available on our web-site, or will be obtainable by
l’Histoire du Verre is to promote the knowledge of the sending a stamped addressed envelope to: David
history of glass in its widest sense. Its chief activities Crossley, 5 Canterbury Crescent, Sheffield S10 3RW
are to hold a major congress at approximately 3-year from mid-January. The meeting fee will be £12 (£6
intervals and then to publish the proceedings in its student rate).
Annales. The 16th AIHV Congress, organised by the
Association for the History of Glass, has just taken IN THIS ISSUE
place at Imperial College, London. Over 225
delegates from 25 countries attended a week of oral page 1 16th AIHV Congress
and poster presentations covering all aspects of the Stop press: study day
history of glass. They shared their knowledge and
enthusiasm for all aspects of the history, manufacture, page 2 Meetings, conferences and study
scientific research and conservation of glass. The days
Board of Management of the Association for the
History of Glass is grateful to all the Patrons and page 3 More meetings; Call for papers;
Sponsors of the Congress for their support and On the technological origins of
generosity. glass – Part 1: Evolution from
metallurgical processes
In addition to the academic programme, there was a
full social programme of receptions almost every page 5 Recent research on the assemblage
evening. The most glittering of the receptions was of Tudor glass from Gutter Lane,
surely the invitation by Hugh Bayley MP, to the London
Houses of Commons, with a sparkling introduction by
Dr Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English page 7 The Portland Vase: Roman or
Heritage. Wednesday was reserved for organised Renaissance?
visits, tours and exhibitions around London. On
Saturday visits were made to collections and sites page 9 Preliminary list of glass archival
outside London. holdings

The 5-day post-Congress tour, organised by Martine page 11 Book reviews
Newby and Sally Cottam, consisted of visits to page 13 Exhibitions
collections in the south and west of England. The page 14 Information sought: Early weather
itinerary also included a glass-makers’ workshop,
glass collections, historic houses and glass-related glasses
sites of interest such as the Red House Glass Cone. page 15 Information sought: Dalle de verre;

Wanted; Books

Glass News November 2003 1

AHG Study Day and AGM Annual Conference

Shape and Substance – Society of Glass Technology
replicating early glass making
and glass working technologies The next SGT conference will take place on 21-23
April 2004, at the University of Liverpool
A Study Day to be held at
The Wallace Collection SGT conferences cover all aspects of the history, art,
Hertford House, Manchester Square science, design, manufacture, use, etc. of glass. As
with previous conferences, one day will feature the
London W1U 3BN History and Heritage of Glass.

Wednesday 3rd December 2003 Further details from Sara Lindley, Conferences and
Membership, Society of Glass Technology, Don
Programme Valley House, Savile Street East, Sheffield, S4 7UQ.
10.00 Registration/coffee Tel: +44 (0)114 263 4455, fax: +44 (0)114 263 4411,
10.30 Introduction website: www.sgt.org
10.40 Working with a traditional Venetian glass
20th Anniversary Spring Conference
recipe – Ian Hankey, Teign Valley Glass
11.10 Beginnings and developments of Ceramics and Glass
Conservation Group
glassblowing and enamelling – Bill
Gudenrath, Corning Museum of Glass, New (A Section of UKIC)
York
11.55 Reverse painting and gilding on glass – CRYSTAL CLEAR
Frances Binnington, San Francisco
12.30 Lunch (there are pubs, cafes and restaurants TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY
locally) SPRING MEETING AND AGM 2004
13.30 AGM of the Association for the History of
Glass (AHG members*) Stourbridge, West Midlands, 27-28 March 2004
14.15 Recipes, raw materials and replication:
making glass from plant ashes – Caroline PROGRAMME
Jackson, University of Sheffield
14.45 Glaze manufacture in Uzbekistan - Pamela Friday evening - Registration
Vandiver, Smithsonian Centre for Materials Saturday
Research and Education, Washington Morning: Coach to Broadfield House Glass Museum.
15.15 Tea short introduction to the collection, viewing the
15.45 Are they or aren't they? An Amarna glass galleries and visit the glass-working studio and shop.
furnace replicated - Paul Nicholson, Coach to The Red House Glass Cone for lunch.
University of Cardiff Afternoon: The Red House Glass Cone, where the
16.15 Antimonates and alums: replication of copy of the Portland Vase was blown. Guided tour
innovative colourants in Egyptian glass – around the cone and the underground tunnels, a visit
Andrew Shortland, University of Oxford to the Hot Glass Studio to see glass blowing, and a
16.45 End chance to see Alan Crannage at work, the resident
glass engraver at the Stuart Crystal Factory Shop.
If you would like to attend, please send your full Coach to Broadfield House.
contact details with a stamped addressed envelope and Evening: Dinner at the Copthorne Hotel.
a cheque for £20.00 (full rate) or £10.00 (student)
payable to The Association for the History of Glass Sunday
Ltd to: David Crossley, 5 Canterbury Crescent, A day of presentations on aspects related to British
Sheffield S10 3RW. Participants who normally live glass including the history of glassmaking in the area,
outside the UK and who wish to pay by credit card (in and the CGCG AGM.
Euros only) should contact David Crossley for details
(email: [email protected]) Further information from:
*Members of the AHG who wish to attend only the Ros Hodges: Tel/fax: 01424 774313
AGM may do so at no cost. E-mail: [email protected]

Glass News November 2003 2

18th Meeting of AFAV of their production (Moorey 1994: 190). Beck’s
(1934: 14) original claim that regular glass production
The 18th meeting of l’Association Française pour originated in Western Asia rather than in Egypt is still
l’Archéologie du Verre will take place on the 14th and accepted, and both the epigraphic and archaeological
15th November 2003 in Berck-sur-Mer. The meeting evidence discussed by Oppenheim (1970: 11-19, 85-
will feature 10-20 minute presentations on glass 86) and Barag (1970: 131-134) support this theory.
research and discoveries as well as visits to museums
at Berck and Amiens. The cost is Euro 60 and details With respect to the technological origins of glass as a
are available from: material two groups of hypotheses have been
George Dilly suggested so far although it is difficult to determine
CRADC, BP 6, 62601 Berck-Sur-Mer cedex 01. where and when men first discovered how to make
Tel: 03 21 84 07 80 use of these properties and started melting glass (Brill
E-mail: [email protected] 1963: 120). The first set of hypotheses argues that
glass arose from metallurgical processes such as the
Call for Papers smelting of copper and lead ores and the formation of
slags, which may have provided a technological
19TH AND 20TH CENTURY STAINED GLASS background for the isolation of glass as a material and
its further development into industrial production.
UKIC Stained Glass Section Symposium
Figuier (1876: 261) propounded the Slag Theory for
Venue: Newcastle (details to be confirmed) the invention of glass: ‘Chemistry and metallurgy
Date: Late May 2004 (to be confirmed) combine to inform us that as soon as bronze foundries
Cost: £50 per person per day existed glass must have been discovered. What, in
fact, does glass consist of? A silicate with a basis of
(£65 non-UKIC members) soda and potash combined with some particles of iron
and copper, which coloured it blue and green. As the
Topics to include: scoria from bronze foundries is partly composed of
Art, Science, Techniques, History, Problems. these silicates, it is indubitable that a kind of glass
Visits may include stained glass sites of interest such was formed in the earliest metal works where this
as Selby, Jesmond, Jarrow, Roker and Sunderland alloy was made. It constituted the slag or dross of the
Glass Centre. metal works.’

Further information or proposal for papers (including Fowler (1880: 79) argued against this theory by
outline and time required for presentation), please stating that ‘no amount of observation of such slag
contact Linda Cannon ASAP at: could suggest, in an age ignorant of chemistry, the
[email protected] method of making glass from sand and alkali.’ Mann
(1905-6: 401) made use of the slag theory in an
On the technological origins attempt to explain the local origins of the Bronze Age
of glass – Part 1: Evolution vitreous beads from the British Isles by associating
them with the slags from Scottish sites on the
from metallurgical processes assumption that this slag could have been worked to
produce beads. Beck and Stone (1936: 204-205)
‘The origins and use of glass as an independent provided the first brief review of the subject by
material and its early history are only vaguely known’ dismissing Figuier (1876: 261) and Mann (1905-6:
(Barag 1970: 132). Although there are references to 401).
isolated glass beads in Lower Mesopotamia and Egypt
dating as early as to 2500 BC (Moorey 1994: 190- Despite the very early and simplistic character of
191), it has not yet been confirmed if the material is these observations, experimentation with siliceous
true glass. The emergence of fully-fledged glass slags from smelting furnaces might well have led to
industries in Egypt and contemporary Mesopotamia the making of glass. This is supported by the fact that
has been associated adamantly with glass vessels many early glazes and glasses are coloured blue by
owing to the quantity required and the massive mode the addition of copper. However, slags contain only a
little copper and they are much richer in iron than
Glass News November 2003 either the early glazes or glasses (Brill 1963: 120).
Moreover, even if copper did occur as the principal
colorant in early glasses, this is not a priori evidence
for a link between the two technologies (Henderson

3

2000: 54). Although glass formed incidentally during contributor to the evolution and manufacture of glass
the early stages of copper production would have but it cannot and should not be considered in
been observable (Peltenburg 1971: 7), it is impossible isolation, but should be seen in the global context of
to prove that the sight of a glazed surface caused or the technological developments in other high-
inspired the early glassmaker to make glass and shape temperature industries (i.e. ceramics and faience). The
it into objects (Henderson 2000: 54). Therefore, the technology of vitreous materials, especially the
link is a complex archaeological and technological technology involved in faience making, is more
issue. closely related to the making of glass. In addition to
this, the emergence of early glass should be associated
An interaction between early glassmaking and with these social and economic parameters, which
metalworking seems plausible when considering the were involved in or may have necessitated its
coloration of glass (Peltenburg 1971: 10; Sayre & discovery and subsequent manufacture, and they
Smith 1974: 51; Kaczmarczyk & Hedges 1983: 90, ultimately led to its well-organised industrial
274; Peltenburg 1987: 20-22; Rehren et al. 1998). production in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle
Dayton (1993) put forward a controversial argument East during the mid-second millennium BC.
that Western and Central Europe were the sources of
Mycenaean metals and vitreous materials associated Kalliopi Nikita
with metallurgy. However, the archaeological
evidence for such links, especially as regards the PhD Student, Department of Archaeology, University
origins of glassmaking in general, is rather obscure. of Nottingham, United Kingdom
As Peltenburg (1987: 22) forcefully stated, ‘the [email protected]
posited inter-relationship of glass and metalworkers,
like the general proposal concerning the historical References
context of the development of working glass, is an Barag, D. 1970. Mesopotamian Core-formed Glass
hypothesis that, it should be realised, at present rests Vessels (1500-500 B.C.), in A. L. Oppenheim, R. H.,
on all too slender a foundation.’ Oddly enough, Brill, D. Barag & A. von Saldern (Eds.), Glass and
however, recent analyses of opaque glasses from New Glassmaking in Ancient Mesopotamia: An Edition of
Kingdom Malkata and Lisht (Mass et al. 2002) have the Cuneiform Texts Which Contains Instructions for
been used to test and support Peltenburg’s hypothesis Glassmakers With a Catalogue of Surviving Objects,
(1987: 20-22) about the interaction between the New York-Corning, 131-201
technologies of glass and metalworking. The Beck, H. C. 1934. Glass before 1500, pp. 7-21 in F.
argument by Mass et al. (2002) has been based on the Petrie, M. A. Murray & D. Mackay, Ancient Egypt
use of metallurgical by-products for the coloration of and the East, London.
opaque blue and yellow glasses. More specifically, Beck, H. C. and Stone, J. F. S. 1936. Faience Beads of
the discussion about antimony-rich cupellation the British Bronze Age, Archaeologia 85: 203-252.
litharge as a source of lead antimonate has given rise Brill, R. H. 1963. Ancient Glass, Scientific American
to much controversy (Rehren 2003; Shortland 2003; 209 (5) Nov. 1963: 120-130.
Mass & Stone 2003). Dayton, J. E. 1993. The Discovery of Glass:
Experiments in the Smelting of Rich, Dry Silver Ores,
Admittedly, glass production may have shared many and the Reproduction of Bronze Age-Type Cobalt
technological features found in metal production, such Blue Glass as a Slag, Cambridge, Massachusetts:
as the use of all these metal oxides used as colorants, Figuier, L. 1876. Primitive Man, (English Edition of
decolorants, or opacifiers of glass. Equally well, the L’ homme primitif), London: Chatto & Windus.
use of specific fuels and the construction of furnaces Fowler, J. 1880. On the Process of the Decay in
may have enabled high temperatures, even higher Glass, and, Incidentally, on the Composition and
than 1200°C, to be reached and retained. However, Texture of Glass at Different Periods and the History
the temperatures necessary for melting glass had been of Manufacture, Archaeologia 46: 65-162.
achieved in the manufacture of copper alloys Henderson, J. 2000. The Science and Archaeology of
thousands of years before the emergence of the Materials: An Investigation of Inorganic Materials,
Mediterranean glass industries (Henderson 2000: 3, London.
53). Kaczmarczyk, A. and Hedges, R. E. M. 1983. Ancient
Egyptian Faience. An Analytical Survey of Egyptian
Glass is a latecomer among other early synthetic Faience from Predynastic to Roman Times.
materials, which lends to its technology the quality of Warminster.
a highly sophisticated and specialised industrial
activity. Of course, metallurgy seems to be a major

Glass News November 2003 4

Mann, L. McL. 1905-6. Prehistoric Beads of Coarse Recent research on the
Vitreous Paste, Proceedings of the Society of assemblage of Tudor Glass
Antiquaries of Scotland 40: 396-402. from Gutter Lane, London
Mass, J. L., Wypyski, M. T. and Stone, R. E. 2002.
Malkata and Lisht Glassmaking Technologies: The Abacus House site in Gutter Lane was excavated
Towards a Specific Link Between Second Millennium in 1987 by MoLAS (Museum of London
BC Metallurgists and Glassmakers, Archaeometry 44 Archaeological Sevice), but due to the sheer volumes
(1): 67-82. of excavated material being generated in London at
Mass, J. L. & Stone, R. E. 2003. Reply, in Comments that time, the glass from the site has never been fully
on J. L. Mass, M. T. Wypyski and R. E. Stone, studied. There were two periods of occupation on the
'Malkata and Lisht Glassmaking Technologies: site that had left significant evidence behind: the
Towards a Specific Link Between Second Millennium Roman layer (including an important section of road)
BC Metallurgists and Glassmakers', Archaeometry 45 and the early post-Medieval pitting, which had
(1): 185-190, 191-8. survived later development.
Moorey, P. R. S. 1994. Ancient Mesopotamian
Materials and Industries: The Archaeological A large, brick-lined cesspit near the Gutter Lane
Evidence, Oxford University Press. frontage yielded a fascinating assemblage of glass
Oppenheim, A. L. 1970. The Cuneiform Texts, pp. 1- tableware, bottles and urinals, which on close
104 in A. L. Oppenheim, R. H., Brill, D. Barag & A. inspection appear to be of mid to late 16th century
von Saldern (Eds.), Glass and Glassmaking in Ancient date. The tableware was clearly of high quality and so
Mesopotamia: An Edition of the Cuneiform Texts it was proposed early on in the proceedings that the
Which Contains Instructions for Glassmakers With a glass and the cesspit might have been associated with
Catalogue of Surviving Objects, New York-Corning. the guild hall of the Embroiderers’ livery company,
Peltenburg, E. 1971. Some Early Developments of known to have been located in the vicinity. This idea
Vitreous Materials, World Archaeology 3: 6-12. had only recently been thoroughly researched, and the
Peltenburg, E. J. 1987. Early Faience. Recent Studies, assemblage has increased in significance since a
Origins and Relations with Glass, in M. Bimson and I. compelling case has been formulated that the
C. Freestone (Eds.), Early Vitreous Materials, Embroiderers’ hall was on exactly the same site as the
London, 5-30. pit. A map of the city, drawn just after the Great Fire
Rehren, T. 2003. Comments I, in Comments on J. L. of 1667 by Leake and Hollar, which has all the
Mass, M. T. Wypyski and R. E. Stone, 'Malkata and churches and guild hall that were lost marked on it,
Lisht Glassmaking Technologies: Towards a Specific shows the crest of the Embroiderers’ guild in the same
Link Between Second Millennium BC Metallurgists position on the west side of Gutter Lane as the pit.
and Glassmakers', Archaeometry 45 (1): 185-198, This is supported by further documentary evidence,
185-90. including a mention of the hall and a plan of the site
Rehren, T., Pusch, E. B. & Herold, A. 1998. Glass on which it was built in Mills and Oliver’s famous
Colouring Works Within a Copper-Centred Industrial survey of 1667 (1). An association with a livery
Complex in Late Bronze Age Egypt, pp. 227-250 in company (as they were then known) certainly
P. McCray and D. Kingery (Eds.), The Prehistory and explains the wealth and status reflected in the array of
History of Glassmaking Technology, Westerville, façon de venise products present.
Ohio.
Sayre, E. V. and Smith, R. W. 1974. Analytical The assemblage is comparatively small, consisting of
Studies of Ancient Egyptian Glass, in A. Bishay only 85 significant fragments, but features some
(Ed.), Recent Advances in Science and Technology of unusual types, styles and decorative techniques, and
Materials 3, New York, 47-70. raises some interesting possibilities for future
Shortland, A. J. 2003. Comments II, in Comments on investigation. A number of the most interesting are
J. L. Mass, M. T. Wypyski and R. E. Stone, 'Malkata illustrated here. Fig. 1 is the rim of a beautifully
and Lisht Glassmaking Technologies: Towards a enamelled beaker, probably dating from the first half
Specific Link Between Second Millennium BC of the 16th century. It is similar in quality and
Metallurgists and Glassmakers', Archaeometry 45 (1): appearance to the 15th century enamelled beakers
185-190, 190-1. found just a few metres to the west in Foster Lane in
1982 (Blair 1983; Clark 1983) (2)(3). The dark blue
[Editor's Note: Part 2 will appear in the next issue of
Glass News.] 5

Glass News November 2003

glass, which is unusual for this type of vessel, is The problems of speculating on the origins of façon
decorated with a band of lettering which reads de venise vessels from this period are illustrated aptly
“…N:SALVT: ET: MON…” enamelled in white by the two bowls from this assemblage: the vetro a
running around the rim. One red and one yellow line reticello bowl (Fig.3) in particular is an extremely
finely crafted piece made using a complex technique
often thought to clearly indicate manufacture in
Venice, but recent scientific analysis undertaken at
the University of Sheffield (H. Willmott, personal
communication, forthcoming) has revealed a chemical
composition suggesting that both bowls were made in
the Netherlands. Similarly, Antwerp was a significant

Fig. 1 Rim of enamelled beaker (2:1) Fig. 3 Vetro a reticello bowl (2:1)

run below the lettering and one red line above, with a producer of vetro a fili and vetro a retorti vessels
row of dots in white above that. The remains of the from the mid-16th century onwards, and many found
design below the frieze are also painted in red, white in England, which have been identified as Venetian,
and yellow. Unfortunately only a glimpse of a were probably from Antwerp. It would not be
figurative design below the frieze survives. Based on surprising if tests on vetro a filigrana and indeed
the colour scheme and parallels from Tours (Motteau, other types of cristallo vessels from this assemblage
Vol. 1. no. 25, pp. 88-9) (4) and Poole (Charleston, suggested as much.
nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10, pp. 137-8)(5), it seems
probable that this glass was imported from France. It is interesting that bowls and the tankard in Fig. 4
are present, because using such expensive glassware
The cristallo glass goblet in Fig. 2 exhibits a mould- in those ways suggests significant levels of wealth
blown horizontal ribbed effect from the base up to a and a desire to display that wealth as prominently as
horizontal band of decoration near the top, which possible. Neck and shoulder and body fragments of
consists a twisted white cane (vetro a retorti) the bellied tankard survive: it represents a type made
marvered between two white threads. Interestingly it using a vertical pattern of plain white canes and white
also appears to be gilded on the underside near where vetro a retorti canes embedded in a colourless ground.
These are rare, especially archaeologically.

Fig. 2 Cristallo glass beaker (2:1) Fig. 4 Bellied tankard (2:1)

the stem has been snapped off. As far as it has been Similar vessels include the Franks Collection, British
possible to establish so far, this goblet is unique, at Museum AF 3133 (dated 1548); London (MOL
least in Britain. It seems highly likely that this is a A12609); and Acton Court (Willmott 2002, p. 56)(6).
Venetian export, but it would be fascinating to test However, the most famous example of this type must
that hypothesis with scientific analysis of the be the Parr Cup, which was given as a New Year’s
composition.
6
Glass News November 2003

gift at the court of Henry VIII, which illustrates how   The Portland Vase:
prestigious these pieces were.  
  Roman or Renaissance?
Finally, several fragments of painted window glass
and one complete plain quarry were found along with  
the tableware and other household items. The painted
pieces all seem to have been worked in either brown  
or red and all the surviving sections feature bird
motifs (Fig. 5). While the significance of that theme  

 

Fig. 5 Quarry (2:1)  
 
may well remain lost to us, this glass shows that the
building was beautifully appointed in the 16th century. Fig. 1 The Portland Vase.
© The British Museum
A full analysis of this assemblage will be available in
the form of my Master’s dissertation from both the Readers of Glass News may have been surprised by
London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre the extensive coverage given by The Times (21.8.03)
(where the glass itself is also stored), and the Institute to the suggestion, in Minerva magazine, that the
of Archaeology (UCL). Portland Vase (Fig. 1) was a product of the sixteenth
century. Further comment appeared in the Guardian’s
Drawings by Rose Clark Life supplement (28.8.03). Unfortunately, as is so
often the case, the newspapers did not get it quite
Rose Clark right; close reading of Jerome K Eisenberg's article
52 St Peter’s Place (Minerva 14 (5),37-41) indicates that he was far more
Canterbury, CT1 2DA cautious than they suggest. His argument, on the
basis of perceived inconsistencies with the mythology
References and artistic practices of the Roman period, is that the
1 Mills, P. and Oliver, J. 1946: The survey of building cameo frieze was cut in the late Renaissance. He
sites in the city of London after the great fire of 1666, appears to accept that the blue glass of the vase may
The London Topographical Society: London. be Roman. Thus he asks if the hypothesised
2 Blair, I. 1983: Foster Lane: the finding of the Foster Renaissance engraver could have discovered "an
Lane glass, Popular Archaeology October 1983, 23-7. unfinished or damaged ancient cameo glass
3 Clark, J. 1983: Medieval enamelled glasses from vase....stripped off most or all of the outer white layer,
London, Medieval Archaeology 27, 152-6. if necessary, and reapplied another? Glass was
4 Motteau, J. 1981: Gobelets et verres à Boire: XVe-
XVIIe siècles, Recherches sur Tours 1, 86-101. 7
5 Charleston, R. J. 1992: The glass, in I. P. Horsey
(ed.), Excavations in Poole 1973-1983, Dorset
Natural History and Archaeology Society Monograph
Series No. 10: Dorchester, 134-45.
6 Willmott, H. 2002: Early post-medieval vessel
glass in England, c. 1500-1670, CBA Research
Report 132, Council for British Archaeology: York.
 

Glass News November 2003

certainly recycled in both the Roman and medieval studies of European cobalt-coloured glasses, notably
periods....”. In marked contrast to the preceding by Bernard Gratuze and colleagues, indicate that the
pages of closely argued text devoted to the cobalt pigments in use in the Renaissance were rich in
iconography, the technical arguments are vague, and zinc or in arsenic.
appear to offer a rather broad range of possibilities to
accommodate a sixteenth century origin. The use of antimony as an opacifier in the white glass
is additional evidence for a Roman origin, as sixteenth
In fact, the evidence that we have from the scientific century glassmaking practice typically used tin to
analysis of the Vase (Journal of Glass Studies, 25, make the glass opaque. However, Eisenberg
55-64, 1983) significantly limits modifications that mentions the possibility of re-using old Roman glass,
might possibly have been made in post-Roman times. which was common practice in the Medieval period,
The vase consists of two layers of glass, a blue base for example in enamelled metalwork. However, the
coloured by the element cobalt, and a white overlay, practice seems to have declined by the mid-thirteenth
which is rendered opaque by the presence of tiny century as contemporary glassmakers mastered the
particles of calcium antimonate (fig.2). Our analyses technique of opacifying glass with tin. It seems
at the British Museum revealed that both white and unlikely that the Italian masters of the wonderful
blue glasses were soda-lime-silica glasses, with low lattimo glass of the Renaissance would have resorted
potash and magnesia. These are so-called natron to the use of recycled Roman white, which would not
glass, typical of the Roman period. We know that have been easy to acquire in the quantities needed to
while Roman glass was almost exclusively based case the Portland vase, when they had an abundance
upon the use of natron as an alkali, Renaissance of high quality contemporary material to hand.
craftsmen based their glasses upon the use of plant Furthermore, the white of the Portland Vase belongs
ashes, which imparted higher potash and magnesia to to a special category of Roman opaque whites that not
the compositions. Thus the composition of both the only contain antimony, but also lead. Roman lead-
blue body of the vase and the white overlay are bearing opaque white glasses appear restricted to
definitively Roman. before the middle of the first century AD, and have
been identified particularly in cameo glass and mosaic
Fig. 2 Microstructure of the blue (left) and glass vessels. If Renaissance craftsmen had been
white (right) glasses seen in a scanning electron collecting old Roman opaque white glass for re-use, it
microscope. The white particles in the white seems very unlikely that they would have collected
glass are calcium antimonate; it is these which such specifically early material, and a remarkable
make the glass opaque coincidence that this was a glass composition typical
of the Roman cameo group.
Supporting evidence for the Roman origins of the
glass comes from the cobalt pigment of the blue glass Thus we may conclude that both blue and white
which is associated with elevated levels of copper, glasses of the Portland Vase are beyond reasonable
iron and (possibly) manganese oxides. This is typical doubt Roman in origin, and that additional material is
of Roman cobalt blue glass. On the other hand, unlikely to have been added. Any reworking in the
Renaissance would therefore have been confined to
Glass News November 2003 the removal of weathered material, and the "tidying
up" of the already existing iconography, perhaps
involving minor modifications. While some such
cleaning of the weathered surface after excavation is
very likely to have taken place, the result of this
would have been constrained by the configuration and
thickness of the original cameo design.

Ian Freestone
British Museum

8

  Preliminary List of - HR Marden King, Kingsworthy (Hants) re. Donald
Glass Archival Holdings H Beves bequest 1961, correspondence
CHESHIRE RECORD OFFICE, CH1 1RL
Most of the following archival material is available - Bank (Quay) Glass Works (1756 onwards), financial
for viewing only by appointment. This list has been papers
collated in the main from a few general publications - Peter Vawdrey (d.1831) assoc. with Perrin Geddes
listing archival sources throughout Great Britain, as glass-works), papers
detailed in returns submitted by the chief archivists in
charge of the various collections. Some archives (DUBLIN) NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRELAND,
consist only of trade catalogues and other company Dublin 2
publications, while others consist of papers of glass - Waterford notebooks (assoc. with Apsley Pellaat)
historians, designers, businessmen etc. In the list
below, company names are set down in alphabetical DUDLEY ARCHIVES & LOCAL HISTORY
order, e.g. Arthur N. Other. Individual library SERVICE, Coseley WV14 9JR
catalogues may list items under surname instead, e.g. - Local and parish records; pattern books and
Other, Arthur N & Co. Other holdings relating to photographs concerning local glass manufacturers (no
British glass manufacture undoubtedly exist and any hand-list available)
information of such material would be welcomed.
(EDINBURGH) HUNTLY HOUSE MUSEUM, EH8
BIRMINGHAM CITY ARCHIVES, B3 3HQ 8DD
(also given as City Reference Library, Archive - Ford Ranken Glass Works, business records, cutting
Section) and pattern books, loose drawings
- John Hardman & Co., 1839-70, stained glass and - Holyrood Flint Glass Works
metalwork manufacturer - Norton Park Glass Works (Edinburgh & Leith Flint
- Matthew Boulton Soho Manufactory, 1762-1850; Glass Works), c.1791-c.1917
pattern books inc. designs for glass items for metal
containers (FIFE) UNITED DISTILLERS & VINTNERS
ARCHIVE, LEVEN KY8 5HD
BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM & ART GALLERY, B3
3DH (GLASGOW) SCOTTISH BREWING ARCHIVE,
- Hardman & Co., 1840s-1948, stained glass, business G11 6PE
records
- Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., stained glass, LIVERPOOL MUSEUM (Decorative Arts Section),
photographs L3 8EN
- F&C Ostler & Co; folio of drawings inc. glass - Records of the Buckley, Harding and Roscoe
furniture Collections
- John Walsh Walsh archives
(LONDON) THE BRITISH MUSEUM, WC1 (Dept
(BRIGHTON) DESIGN HISTORY RESEARCH Pre-Roman & Roman Antiquities)
CENTRE, BN2 2JY - Donald Harden, notebooks, letters and thesis
- Design Council Archive, documents, publications (viewable via Students Room of dept.)
and photographs
GUILDHALL LIBRARY, EC2P 2EJ
BRISTOL RECORD OFFICE, BS1 6XN - Inc. Muniments of the Worshipful Companies of the
- Phoenix Glass House mid 18thc onwards; Glass Sellers, the Glaziers, and the Spectacle-Makers,
manuscript 12143 such as apprentice listings, regulation, financial and
administrative records, from c. early 17thc.
(CAMBRIDGE) FITZWILLIAM MUSEUM CB2 - Anthony Seal, glassmaker, Whitefriars, 1753-64
1RB (Dept. Applied Art) - Sun, and Hand-in-Hand Insurance companies,
- Arthur Churchill, letters, invoices papers
- Cecil Davis, London, letters, invoices
MUSEUM OF LONDON, EC2Y 5HN
Glass News November 2003 - James Powell & Sons / Whitefriars Glass Co.
archives, 1680-1980

NATIONAL ARCHIVES (Public Records
Office), Kew TW9 4DV
- Patent Offices files

9

SOCIETY OF APOTHECARIES, Apothecaries’ - Frederick W Cole, stained glass artist/designer
Hall, EC4V 6EJ 1938-98 (assoc. with William Morris & Co); sketches,
- Archives and 19th century laboratory glassware photographs etc.
- Thomas Cowell, stained glass artist/designer c.1880-
VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM 1985 (assoc. with James Powell, - Whitefriars);
(NATIONAL ART LIBRARY), SW7 2RL sketches, press cuttings, cartoons
- Barrow Stores, Birmingham, Cat. Christmas - Hugh Easton, stained glass artist/designer c.1930-
presents... 1938 78; photographs, letters, press cuttings
- Chance Brothers & Co., Birmingham, 1863, church - Moira Forsyth, stained glass artist/designer 1877-
window designs 1989; letters, sketches, cartoons, photographs
- Crafts Council, c.1960-1994, documents, listings, - Ernest Heasman, stained glass artist/designer 1880-
publications 1928 (assoc. with CE Kempe & Co. Ltd.,) letters,
- Davenport recipe book c. 1840-60 photographs, press cuttings, etc.
- Henry Hope & Sons, Birmingham c.1899, catalogue - CE Kempe & Co. Ltd (London), church stained
of casements, leaded lights etc. glass 1810-1950; letters, sketchbooks, photographs,
- James Powell & Sons (Whitefriars), London, press cuttings, etc.
windows and mosaics’ designs 1924 - John William Lisle, stained glass artist/designer
- John Walsh Walsh Ltd., Birmingham, English c.1885-c.1988 (assoc. with CE Kemp & Co Ltd);
crystal glass designs c. 1925 letters, photographs, press cuttings etc.
- National Glass Co., London catalogue of - James Powell & Sons (Whitefriars) Ltd., stained
Chippendale Krys-tol c. 1930 glass and mosaic records; cash and order books,
- Octavius Hudson (d.1874) papers inc. catalogue of letters, photographs, etc.
cathedral glass windows - Queensbury Hunt Partnership, London c.1970-92,
- Sowerbys Ellison Glassworks Ltd., Gateshead on inc incomplete projects for Dartington Glass,
Tyne, 1882 Pattern book of fancy goods Pilkington Glass Co, Royal Brierley etc.
- Stock & Sharp, Birmingham 1847 (ornamental - Hans Unger, stained glass and mosaic designer c.
window glass) 9153-77, photographs, press cuttings, letters
- Stuart & Sons Ltd., Stourbridge, pattern book of
glass designs 1887-1939 (microfilm); c. 1925 V&A MUSEUM, SW7 2RL Prints, Drawings &
catalogue of table crystal Paintings Section (NB Print Room will close 22 Aug.
- Thomas Webb & Corbett Ltd., Stourbridge, 2003 for ‘about a year’ but a limited service/access to
catalogue of Fine English Crystal, c1927 material will be available through the NAL.)
- William Morris & Co. (Westminster), architectural - Davenport designs for Queen Victoria’s table glass
glass designs 1920 - James Powell, designs 1850-1973
- William Robinson & Co, London 1854 - Franz Tieze, sketchbook

V&A MUSEUM, AAD, Blythe House, Olympia, MANCHESTER CENTRAL REFERENCE
W14 0QF LIBRARY, M2 5PD
- In addition to the Accession files (i.e. - John Unsworth, late 18thc. glass engraver, 1798-
correspondence dealing with the acquisition of each 1806 records
numbered museum object), and the Nominal files (i.e.
correspondence concerning named persons and CITY ART GALLERY, M2 3JL
companies), the archives include: - Molineaux Webb pattern book
- AC Adamson, designer of light fittings for Osler &
Faraday; drawings, press cuttings, photographs from ST HELENS LOCAL HISTORY & ARCHIVES
1922-65 LIBRARY, Merseyside WA10 1DY
- Basil EE Barker, (d.1922) stained glass - Forsters Glass Co. Ltd. archives
artist/designer for Joseph Bell & Son; press cuttings,
invoice book, photographs (SALFORD) UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD
- Joseph Bell & Son, Bristol, c.1840-1996 (assoc. LIBRARY, M5 4WT
with James Powell, Whitefriars); architectural and - Lionel Angus-Butterworth papers, inc. family papers
stained glass designers, sketch books, cartoons, of Butterworth Bros;
project files - Newton Heath Glass Works, Manchester records
- Ervin Bossanyi, stained glass artist/designer c.1920-
997; letters, sketchbooks, photographs, family history SANDWELL COMMUNITY HISTORY &
ARCHIVAL SERVICES, Warley B66 1AB
Glass News November 2003
10

- TW Camm, Swethwick, 1866-1960, stained glass NRA 20301 Pilkington Brothers Ltd, glass mfrs, St
studio records Helens
and the description of the archive contents is given as:
UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD LIBRARY, S10 Businesses noted in the NRA with records held at
2TN Pilkington Group Archives and Records Service
- WES Turner bequest include papers British Plate Glass Co Prescot, Lancashire (1)
- Elmsfield collection Chance Brothers Ltd, glass manufacturers Sandwell,
Worcestershire (1)
STOKE ON TRENT MUSEUM LIBRARY Pilkington Brothers Ltd, glass manufacturers St
- Wood Papers, 1875-87 inc. sales catalogue of Helens, Merseyside (1)
William Davenport & Co, Liverpool, Jan 1881
David Martlew
TYNE & WEAR ARCHIVES SERVICE, Newcastle Pilkington Technology, Lathom
on Tyne, NE1 4JA
- Ralph Beilby & Thomas Bewick (1752-1881) Book Reviews
engravers and decorators, financial records
Cairo to Kabul: Afghan and Islamic Studies
YORK CENTRAL LIBRARY, YO1 7DS presented to Ralph Pinder-Wilson, edited by
- Knowles family, late 19th c. stained glass Warwick Ball and Leonard Harrow, London:
manufacturers’ records Melisende, 2002; ISBN 1-901764-12-5; 259 pp.

CITY ART GALLERY, YO1 2EW Fustat Glass of the Early Islamic Period: Finds
- William Pickett, 1731-95, glass painter; 1793 excavated by The American Research Center in
Egypt 1964-1980, by George T. Scanlon and
manuscript of his work Principles of Ralph Pinder-Wilson; London: Altajir World of
Introducing... Art of Painting & Staining of Glass Islam Trust, 2001; ISBN 1-901435-07-5; 134 pp.

List compiled by Paddy Baker This Festschrift is dedicated in gratitude for the
support afforded to Warwick Ball by Ralph Pinder-
The Pilkington Archive Wilson in Kabul in 1977 and is a collection of twenty-
seven essays by English, European and American
The following information on the Pilkington Archive scholars. It is attractively designed and published by
is published on the Government's web pages, Warwick's co-editor Leonard Harrow. It is illustrated
dedicated to improving the accessibility of archives. throughout with good-quality black-and-white
Note the company name is now Pilkington plc. The photographs. The concordance of chapters at the
information was last amended: 12/04/2000. However beginning gives a flavour of the contents as most of
the web site provides some new leads for information the essays are listed both by region and subject. Thus,
gathering. The URL is: http://www.a2a.pro.gov.uk/ for instance, ten deal with Afghanistan, five with the
links/archives_network/index.asp Indian sub-continent, four with Iran, four with Egypt,
three with the Near East and one with Europe. The
Archon Code: 0429 breadth and number of contributions reflect Pinder-
Pilkington Group Archives and Records Service Wilson's career as co-director of excavations at Fustat
Contact Details: Information Management and in Egypt, participant in excavations at Harran, curator
Storage, Unit 2b, Delphwood, Sherdley Industrial in the Department of Oriental Antiquities at the
Estate, St Helens WA9 5JE, England British Museum (1948-76) and director of the short-
Tel 01744 453555 lived British Institute of Afghan Studies in Kabul
Archivist: Ms Dinah Stobbs (1976-82).
Access Information: open Mon - Fri 10 am - 4 pm,
Access is by courtesy of the Directors Several articles and comments caught my eye. Bruce
Book in advance Wannell records seeing in the village of Sarmazur in
NRA information for this repository north-west Afghanistan, a region which remains terra
The NRA indexes contain the following entries for incognita for most ancient periods, "a remarkable
this repository:
NRA catalogues (1) 11
Businesses (3)
The company name is given as:

Glass News November 2003

bronze tripod vase with three elaborately curving from pits, plus the usual archaeological contexts
horned ibex heads, comparable to Bactrian and of floor fills and street deposits which are rather
Lurestan finds from the Bronze Age ... which he surprisingly regarded as "undisturbed loci" as, by
offered to swop for my tape-recorder" (p. 238). definition, these contexts contain material of
However, the description of this recalls Early Iron secondary or even tertiary deposition. Heavy
Age objects excavated at Tepe Sialk or reportedly reliance was placed on association with coins and
found in western Iran rather than the Bronze Age inscribed glass weights to build an independent
versions known from Bactria or Margiana (cf. P.R.S. absolute chronology rather than using external
Moorey, Ancient Persian Bronzes, 1974, pp. 151-52 typological parallels or associated ceramics
for a related example). David Fleming dismisses (which, like the stratigraphy and most other finds,
Herodotus' claim of an annual Indian tribute of over 9 remain to be fully published). Most of the glass
tonnes of gold dust to the Achaemenid treasury as the dates from between the mid-8th and mid-11th
presumed placer deposits are non-existent and the centuries AD, although a small number of surface
total is four times that of present-day India (pp. 95- finds of trailed, gilded and enamelled pieces date
101). Geoffrey King discusses literary evidence for from the 12th-15th centuries and represent the
pre-Islamic sculptures in Mecca (pp. 144-50). later development of the city of Cairo.
Avinoam Shalem provides an elegant discussion of Scanlon emphasises the "plethora" and "large mass"
Early Islamic book-covers and argues a 7th century of glass (pp. 7, 9) yet, despite this being the final
date for a rock-crystal dish excavated at Susa and publication, it is unclear exactly how much was
hitherto regarded as Sasanian (pp. 201-206). found, either in total or within each phase or context.
This lacuna is unfortunate given the redeposited
Five of the contributions in this Festschrift discuss nature of many of the excavated contexts and the
glass, a particular love of Pinder-Wilson, including relatively low total of some 331 registered items
Stefano Carboni who publishes a trailed Umayyad (which are arranged typologically and individually
anthropomorphic glass rhyton from Central Asia, illustrated). The drawings imply that only semi-
albeit misleadingly compared with Partho-Sasanian complete or complete profiles were registered
terracottas and snake-holding goddesses (pp. 58-61). whereas rim sherds appear to have been discarded; the
Jens Kröger analyses an outstanding cut-glass bowl report also excludes heavily weathered or body sherds
sherd excavated by E. E. Herzfeld in the Jausaq which presumably made up the bulk of the finds. This
palace at Samarra in 1912/13 and compares its style to accounts for the suspiciously low proportion of blown
contemporary stuccoes; he also suggests a possible window-glass as this is normally heavily fragmented
Abbasid date for the famous silver senmurw plate in and indeed only represented here by a single example.
The British Museum (pp. 151-56). In addition, The archaeological value of the report is sadly
George T. Scanlon suggests a 12th century Fatimid compromised by this approach, and it thus represents
date for some fragmentary marvered glass bracelets an unquantified assemblage of greater use as a source
found at the city of Fustat (Old Cairo). This therefore of dated provenanced parallels than as a tool for
extends back in time the possible date-range of these understanding the real scale of glass usage in the
ubiquitous yet often poorly stratified finds for which a Early Islamic Egyptian capital of Fustat. There is
Mamluk or Ottoman date is normally assumed (pp. surprisingly little discussion of comparanda or the
176-80). overall significance of the finds; the lack of plans or
sections to illustrate representative contexts supports
The publication of this Festschrift coincides with the impression that this is fundamentally a stand-alone
another of Ralph Pinder-Wilson's publications, catalogue rather than an integrated volume in an
namely a catalogue of Fustat Glass of the Early excavation series.
Islamic Period: Finds excavated by The American
Research Center in Egypt 1964-1980, written These criticisms aside, this report does enable a
together with his former co-director George T. cautious glimpse into the types of glassware in use.
Scanlon and again ably produced by Melisende. The following statistics are exclusively based on the
This follows the authors' two earlier articles on registered pieces with all the provisos that that entails.
this material which were published in the Journal Bowls and beakers appear to have been common
of Glass Studies (1973, 1987), and which promise (14.4% and 8.5% respectively), as were flasks and
to offer an important benchmark in the toilet-flasks, although the higher proportions of these
appreciation of Early Islamic glass, a subject (20-22%) probably represent the greater durability of
unfortunately still dominated by art-historical these miniature vessels. Goblets were surprisingly
studies. Much of the Fustat glass was recovered rare at 0.9%, particularly as their stems and bases are

Glass News November 2003 12

relatively robust and they feature in reasonable produced) yet the authors prefer a local source on the
quantities in Umayyad and later contexts at Jerash. grounds that Fatimid glassworkers were probably
Dishes, vases, bottles, jugs, ewers, filters, measures influenced by contemporary hardstone engravers
and situlae were all represented by very low working of imported rock-crystal. Finally, several of
frequencies ranging from 0.3% - 1.6% of the total. the miniature plain toilet-flasks with globular bodies
This almost certainly reflects the greater are admitted to have good parallels at Samarra.
fragmentation of these forms, many of which also Despite their lack of decoration, they are distinctive
appear to have been undecorated. More specialised owing to their very thick walls which suggests that
forms were slightly more common as so-called they are the descendants of a Partho-Sasanian rather
"druggists's measures" (possibly lamps) formed 1.6%, than Roman glass-blowing tradition; the vertical or
alembics were represented at 2.6% and the highly lightly spiralled mould-blown ribs on some other
distinctive (and robust) molar flasks constituted some vessels from Fustat likewise hint at this eastern
4.6% of the whole. tradition (pp. 70-73).

Two-thirds of the glassware was naturally tinged It is possible that some of these other vessels are
(particularly light greenish or yellowish green) therefore also imported and hence may represent the
but colourless and coloured glassware were discarded packaging after use of the contents
represented by the rather high respective (presumably perfume in the case of the toilet-flasks).
proportions of ca 18% and 13%. Coloured glass However, another possibility is that, following the
ranged through cobalt blue, blue or dark blue; Islamic conquest, the previously independent glass-
dark, smoky or light green; and amber. working traditions of the Roman and Sasanian
Approximately half of the vessels were empires began to fuse with the breakdown of earlier
undecorated. The remainder were decorated with political borders and the ensuing greater freedom of
trailed and/or marvered threads, pinching (rare), travel of individuals. Popular forms and types of
moulding, tonging, cutting, lustre-painting, and decoration thus began to be copied in a wider range of
enamelling and gilding. In many cases several ateliers, and it is in this period that more widespread
classes of vessel were decorated with any given glass production begins in highland Iran and Central
technique, suggesting the mass-production of sets Asia.
rather than exclusive lines.
Further excavation, research and publication, not least
Most of the forms apparently show little evolution from Red Sea ports such as Quseir al-Qadim as well
through time yet several are exclusively Islamic types. as glass-producing centres such as Raqqa, will
These include the molar flasks, and the globular, bell- doubtless help set the Fustat glass into clearer context.
shaped and mallet-shaped flasks (the latter two In the meantime it is encouraging to see the gradual
possibly inspired by 8th century Iranian metalwares). development of "the archaeology of Islam".
In contrast, the vertical sided bowls and beakers are
present from the beginning of the sequence (and occur St John Simpson
earlier in Mesopotamia and Iran). Significant Department of the Ancient Near East
individual finds include the discovery of a single British Museum
fragment of a dark blue boot-shaped rhyton in a
context dated to ca AD 800 as this type has been Exhibitions
previously claimed to be Sasanian (pp. 62, 65-66).
VENISE ET FAÇON DE VENISE
It is presumed that most, if not all, of the glass was
made locally yet the difficulty of determining centres VERRES RENAISSANCE DU MUSÉE DES ARTS DÉCORATIFS
of production is illustrated by the authors' suggestion
that a plain bell-shaped flask with a funnel neck and a Exhibition by Mattia Bonetti to celebrate the
single colourless globular vessel decorated with two publication of the catalogue by Edwin Baumgartner
rows of deep cut facets may have been Iranian and Jean Luc Olivié.
imports (pp. 11, 33, 91). They also admit that other
relief-cut wares may be either Iranian (drawing on a Musée des Arts Décoratifs
cutting tradition which began in the Sasanian period) 16 October 2003 – 4 January 2004
or locally made. Complicating matters further, these 107-111 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
pieces also find parallels in Abbasid Iraq (where
indeed most of the Sasanian cut glass was probably 13

Glass News November 2003

Open: Tue.-Fri. 11-6, Sat.-Sun. 10-6, closed Mon. The exhibition is attractively laid out to appeal not
only to the specialist, but also to the interested
[See also the 'Books' section on page 15] layperson. Its greatest strength lies in the way the
glasses are not treated just as objects of artistic merit,
FISHERMEN, MERCHANTS, MONKS AND but have a genuine context. One begins to see the
L :ORDS MEDIEVAL AND LATER GLASS FROM FLANDERS fishermen, monks, merchants and lords who actually
used the glass. Any exhibition is inevitably the result
AND ZEELAND of the efforts of many people, and all the contributors
to the publication as well as all the staff at
The end of March saw the opening of a major new Proviniciedomein Raversijde are to be congratulated.
exhibition of glass, Glas van vissers, kooplui, Particular credit must be given to Danielle Caluwé
monniken en heren; middeleeuws en later glas uit het and Hilde Wouters who have been responsible for the
bodemarchief van Kust-Vlaanderen en Zeeland at greater part of the organisation. The result has been
Provinciedomein Raversijde, an excavated and the creation of a superb exhibition.
partially reconstructed late medieval fishing village
just outside of Ostend. This is an inspirational Glas van vissers, kooplui, monniken en heren; middeleeuws
location, the archaeological preservation and artefacts en later glas uit het bodemarchief van Kust-Vlaanderen en
recovered from the village (of which glass only forms Zeeland. Provincie West Vlaanderen, Instituut van het
a tiny proportion) are worth a visit in their own right. Archeologisch Patrimonium and Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
The exhibition will continue Raversijde until 11th A5 paperback, 128 pages, 60 colour plates. Available for
November 2003 (Mon.-Fri.: 2-5, Sat.-Sun.: 2-6), and €6.00 from Provinciedomein Raversijde,
will then be at the Zeeuws Museum in Middelburg, Nieuwpoortsesteenweg 636, 8400 Oostende, Belgium.
Zeeland from February 16th until May 14th 2004.
Hugh Willmott
The glass on display comes from a wide variety of University of Sheffield
different contexts (thus giving rise to the exhibition’s
name) from seven sites in Flanders and four in Information Sought:
Zeeland. The pieces selected are of particular interest,
in some cases due to their scarcity, as with the Early Weather Glasses
example of a flask decorated with blue, green and red
vetro a fili from the Nunnery at Vrouwenpolder in Before the advent of the mercury barometer, in 1643
Zeeland. Similarly there is particularly fine by Evangelista Torricelli, it is evident that many water
assemblage from the castle at Middelburg, East glasses were used. Fig. 1 shows a copy we made at
Flanders. Other pieces have clearly been chosen as Barometer World and Museum based on a 1631 print
they are representative of more everyday wares, such included in most barometer books and now in The
as a well preserved group of kruisribbelbekers and a British Museum.
plain flask from Veere. Enthusiasts for window glass
will not be disappointed as fragments of grisaille, as Fig. 1 Modern copy of a 1631 weather glass
well as other plain and coloured windows, from
Slijpe, Aardenburg, Sluis, and Aldegonde are on
display; some finely executed figurative glass from
Walraversijde is particularly noteworthy.

A very reasonably priced publication, to accompany
the exhibition, provides a comprehensive and
colourfully illustrated discussion of the material. It
starts with a discussion on the nature of glass
composition, formation, decay and conservation,
followed by a useful review of the various types of
glass found within the eleven groups on display.
There is a brief discussion of these groups, including
a review of the forms and their context, copiously
illustrated with colour plates. Also included is a
catalogue of all the fragments in the display and a
glossary.

Glass News November 2003 14

John Bate's book 'The Mysteries of Nature and Art', Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington
3rd Edition 1654 (1st Edition 1634) illustrates a variety London SW7 2RL
of weather glasses. Robert Flood also illustrates a Tel: 020 7942 2122, Fax: 020 7942 2092
number of similar weather glasses although often E-mail: [email protected]
described in connection with health and medical
reasons. The principal shape would be a long drawn Wanted!
out tube with a spherical end in which to hold air (Fig.
2), although this could be shaped (Fig. 3). I am very interested in acquiring the Victoria and
Albert Museum's CD-Rom 'The Story of Glass' (for
PC). Unfortunately, the museum shop is no longer
able to provide it. Perhaps the readers of Glass News
know of any available new or second-hand copies? I
will pay a good price and cover the postage.

Please contact:
Bjarne Gaut, 65 Holgate Road, York YO24 4AA

Fig. 2, 3: Glass shapes of early weather glasses Books

To my limited knowledge there are no surviving early Venise et Façon de Venise
weather glasses of this type. Has anybody in the Verres Renaissance du musée
historic glass world come across any such items? Are
there any languishing in any museums around the des Arts décoratifs
world? It may be that the broken pieces are just put
down as alchemists' tubing. Any guidance or Edwin Baumgartner and Jean Luc Olivié
knowledge on this subject would be most welcome.
The catalogue accompanies the exhibition of the
Please contact: same name. It presents ca. 60 Venetian glass objects
Philip R Collins, Barometer World Ltd, Merton,
DevonEX20 2DS from the musée des Arts décoratifs, mostly
E-mail: [email protected] unpublished, representing the main typologies and
techniques used in Venice during the Renaissance.
Information Sought:
Pages: 150. Illustrations: 90 colour, 60 au trait.
Dalle de Verre
Available from: Musée des Arts décoratifs
I am a final year MA student in the conservation of
Stained Glass on the RCA/V&A course. I would be 107-111 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
grateful if anyone could assist with my research by:
Gothic: Art for England 1400-1547
- Contacting me if they have experience in
conserving dale de verre windows; Richard Marks and Paul Williamson, eds.
- Recommending UK sites with dale de verre
windows, particularly those showing signs of This definitive catalogue to accompany the
deterioration, that I could visit; exhibition includes essays by leading medieval
- Providing details of any published or unpublished scholars on subjects which encompass all aspects of
literature relating to the conservation of dale de verre life in this vibrant and influential time in English
windows (I have searched the usual sources (BCIN, history. Contains 410 colour and 65 black and white
JAIC) but haven't found any information). illustrations.

Sherrie Eatman, Stained Glass Conservation Price: £45
Published by the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2003
Glass News November 2003 ISBN: 1 85177 4017
www.vam.ac.uk

15

THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE HISTORY OF Finds • Research • Ideas
GLASS Publications • Conferences

BOARD OF MANAGEMENT REMEMBER

President: Jennifer Price Glass News

Hon Secretary: Justine Bayley Glass News editor Sarah Paynter will be back from
maternity leave in Spring 2004. In the meantime,
Hon Treasurer: David Crossley please send your contributions by 30 March 2004

Members of Board to:
Juanita Navarro
Patricia Baker Juanita Navarro Ceramics and Glass Conservation
Victoria and Albert Museum
John Clark Martine Newby South Kensington,

Hilary Cool Ray Notley London
SW7 2RL
Ian Freestone Julia Poole e-mail: [email protected]

Charles Hajdamach Rachel Russell

Suzanne Higgott John Shepherd

Reino Liefkes Veronica Tatton-Brown

David Martlew

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Subscribers to Glass News currently receive personal membership of AHG at no extra cost.

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Glass News November 2003 16

Glass meeting is part of the “Fête de la Science” week,
News which is being held at the same venues from the 10th
to the 17th October, 2004.Experimental glass making
Number 15 May 2004 will be the topic of the meeting, with various makers
of replica glass present. There will be a visit to the
Published by collections of Mediterranean glass in the museum at
Toulouse. For further details please contact:
THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE HISTORY OF GLASS LIMITED
Marie-Thérèse Marty,
Reg’d Charity: 275236 ISSN 1362-5195 UTAH-Maison de la Recherche,
Université de Toulouse-Le Mirail,
www.historyofglass.org.uk 5, allées Antonio-Machado,
F-31058 Toulouse CEDEX 9,
Welcome to another bumper edition of Glass News France
and many thanks to everyone who has sent in articles Tel: 33 (0)5 61 50 43 99
and information. Fax: 33 (0)5 61 50 49 59
email: [email protected]
In this issue there is something for everyone, with
details of the New Acquisitions at the Stained Glass AHG visit and AGM
Museum, Ely, and all you ever needed to know about
choosing a glass conservator, in Conservation The Annual General Meeting of the Association for
Matters. Readers unafraid of exercise can try the the History of Glass takes place in the brand new
British Museum Glass Trail passing through around lecture theatre of The Fitzwilliam Museum,
30 galleries in 90 minutes! As usual we have details Trumpington Street, Cambridge, on Thursday, 25th
of relevant meetings and publications. November 2004. It is envisaged that the day will
include specialist papers on prominent aspects of the
The annual conference of the Society of Glass Museum's glass as well as visits to the galleries and
Technology is taking place at the University of reserve collections.
Liverpool as this issue goes to press. A day of this
conference focuses on the History and Heritage of For further information please contact Dr Julia Poole,
Glass and I hope to include a review in the next issue. E-mail: [email protected]

Finally I would like to thank Juanita for an excellent IN THIS ISSUE
job solo-editing the last issue of Glass News and
putting this one together, whilst I was on leave. page 2- Meetings, study days and colloquium
Juanita and I are continuing our editing double act for page 2- AHG study day review: the
future issues and our contact details are included on
page 11. archaeology of the post-medieval
urban glass industry
Sarah Paynter page 6- Conservation matters: how to
choose a professional glass
19th meeting of the AFAV conservator-restorer
page 7- The British Museum, a glass trail
AFAV [l'Association Française pour l'Archéologie du page 9- New acquisitions at the Stained
Verre] will be holding Éclats de Verre, their 19th Glass Museum, Ely
meeting, at Gaillac and Montans (between Toulouse page 10- Books
and Albi) on the 15th and 16th of October 2004. The page 11- Contact, subscription and
membership details

Glass News May 2004 1

International Colloquium AHG Study Day Review

Le verre plat de l’Antiquité au XVIIe The archaeology of the post-
siècle et les experimentations medieval urban glass industry
contemporaines
The Association for the History of Glass held a study
This colloquium will take place at the end of May, day in London, on the 9 March, to discuss the
2005, at the Musée de Bavay – Sars-Poteries (Nord) archaeology of the post-medieval urban glass
near to Mauberge (North East border of Belgium). industry. We heard from nine speakers on a variety of
The areas studied are the countries of Europe and the perspectives, including archaeological excavation,
Near East. For each period of history, participants will investigating archives, sampling, scientific analysis
discuss differences of technique and style, production and preservation of glass-houses.
sites and the public and private use of window glass.
People who wish to attend should contact the The study day was introduced by David Crossley and
organisers by the 11th June 2004, at: the presentations began with a remarkable group of
glasshouse remains in and near Stourbridge, described
Comité scientifique, by Pete Boland (Dudley Council). This glass industry
Colloque Verre Plat, declined markedly during the 20th century and
Institut du verre, research and site-specific assessments showed that,
21bd Pasteur, after closure, demolition was usually swiftly followed
75015 Paris by redevelopment for other purposes. However it was
demonstrated that a wealth of information regarding
E-mail: [email protected] glass-making, its techniques and evolving technology
can survive, offering major potential for future study.
Open weekend at Project Dudley Council's Historic Environment Team started
Workshops to research the ‘lost’ sites of the Borough's glass
industry in the 1980s, in response to a national
There is an open weekend on the 5th and 6th of June initiative by English Heritage: the Monuments
featuring all of the artists at Project Workshops, near Protection Programme (MPP). This seeks to define
Andover in Hampshire, where glassmakers Mark the archaeological significance of the glass and other
Taylor and David Hill are based. Mark and David industries so that statutory protection (listing or
specialise in reproducing a range of high quality scheduling) might be afforded to the most significant
reproductions of Ancient Roman glass vessels entirely survivals. At the outset of MPP there were only two
by hand. Their work is run as a business, but research or three Stourbridge glass-works recorded in the local
into glass production during the Roman period Sites and Monuments Record. However more than 50
features strongly. They use glass and colourants with sites in Dudley Borough where archaeological
authentic compositions for the period and can provide remains may well survive have now been identified
a fascinating insight into the techniques used to and accurately located. This paper highlighted the
produce different glass forms on the basis of their results of archaeological evaluations and surveys
research and experimentation. undertaken on a number of 18th- and 19th-century
glass-house sites. These took a variety of forms, and
For details visit the websites at www.project- examples included examination of the exceptionally
workshop.co.uk and www.romanglassmakers.co.uk or well-preserved Red House glass-house and the
telephone 01264 889889. truncated New Dial works, and excavations at Dudley
Flint Glass Works, Canalside Works at Audnam and
the exceptionally small Novelty works at Wollaston.
Particular emphasis was paid to the construction and
survival of flues, which in some cases showed
evidence of modification in order to divert heat into
secondary chambers.

Glass News May 2004 2

Bob Jones (Bristol City Council) reviewed recent establish the likely survival and significance of
work on the development of the Bristol glass industry. physical remains. Series of maps provided
The city has long been recognised as an important information on the location, scale and layout of the
early centre for the development and production of glasshouses and how these changed over time. Trade
commercial glass products and extensive directories provided lists of glass manufacturers dates
documentary and pictorial evidence is available, both of works opening and closing and illustrations in the
of the 18th- and 19th-century urban landscape and of form of advertisements. Rate-books were more
the glassworks themselves. he earliest authoritative difficult to use but provided valuable information on
reference to glass-making being conducted in Bristol the owner / occupier, dates of works opening and
dates from the mid-17th century and by 1700 the closing or being altered or demolished. They could
industry was well established. The glass-houses were also provide a guide to size.
clustered along the river Avon. Coal for the glass-
houses was obtained from the East Bristol coal fields Glass-making was part of Birmingham’s ‘toy’ trade –
and raw materials, sand, refractory clay and kelp (for the skilled production of small, easily-transported
soda ash) were also readily available. The industry high-value items, using techniques such as glass
flourished during the 18th century, encouraged by the pinching and cutting. Birmingham’s first known
huge growth in trade with the New World, together glass-house was erected in 1757, and another was
with the associated growth in related industries, such established in Edgbaston Street in 1778 by Isaac
as sugar refining and brewing. The profits to be made Hawker. The growth of the glass industry followed
from the industry attracted the attention of the major the development of the canal system, and all
merchants of the city who increasingly came to subsequent glass-works were alongside canals,
control many of the more prosperous glass-working beginning with Hawker’s Park glass-house in 1787.
operations. Up to the 1830s Birmingham’s glass manufactories
contained single furnaces under large brick cones, but
The preservation-quality of the glass-house sites is subsequently the ‘shed’-type of glassworks containing
variable, since most were comprehensively two or more furnaces was introduced. Steam power
redeveloped after disuse. There is only one above- for glass cutting was introduced c.1800 and the engine
ground survival, in Prewett Street, re-used as a house became a standard feature of Birmingham’s
restaurant. Up to the beginning of 2004, only two sites flint glass manufactories. The peak of flint glass
had been archaeologically investigated at all production in Birmingham was from the 1840s to the
comprehensively. One of these, in Avon Street, end of the century and the town’s glass-makers were
investigated 15 years ago and awaiting publication, innovators in pressed and coloured glass. F & C Osler
produced evidence for the adoption of the Siemens of Birmingham produced the glass fountain which
furnace and will be studied further in advance of a was the centre-piece of the Great Exhibition of 1851.
future planned development. Analysis of another site, When pressed glass production moved to Manchester
close by, to be published in the near future, has and Newcastle upon Tyne in the 1860s,
revealed that the works started production some time Birmingham’s glass-makers concentrated on blown
before 1700. Possibilities for future research include glass-ware and new methods of etching and
the Redcliffe Wharf glass-house, which has 17th- engraving. The industry declined in the face of
century origins and offers a good chance of survival. increased competition from overseas and only one
Another glass-house, at Portwall Lane, probably in glass-works survived beyond the Second World War.
production from the first quarter of the 18th century,
has already been the subject of limited archaeological Of the eighteen 18th- and early-19th-century glass-
evaluation that suggested remarkably good survival. works so far identified, only four had above-ground
Almost complete preservation in situ of this remains: Icknield (probably parts of the building),
glassworks complex is being sought in the course of Belmont (boundary wall), Aston Flint (canal-side
negotiating a development strategy for the site. wall) and Islington (owner’s house). However site
inspection and documentary evidence suggests that
Mike Hodder and Toni Demidowicz (Birmingham below-ground remains survive in several cases,
City Council) gave a rapid assessment of including the bases of the cones and caves (flues). For
Birmingham’s glass-making industry. This example, the well-known and much-used illustration
presentation illustrated how historic maps, trade of the Aston Flint Glass-works (founded in 1800)
directories, rate-books, as well as site inspection had shows how it is located on land sloping down to the
been used to define the nature and development of the adjoining Birmingham and Fazeley Canal. The
industry as a whole, to identify individual sites, and to original canal-side wall survives and, although there

Glass News May 2004 3

is no trace of the cone, modern buildings and a car gathered through archaeological investigation. This
park between them are on ground raised up over the paper also highlighted recent research on Silkstone,
original slope to form a level surface, therefore where a glass-house is known from historical
probably burying and preserving remains of the documents to have operated late in the 17th century
glassworks. Only two sites have so far been and possibly early in the 18th century. A small
investigated by excavation or watching brief. Debris excavation revealed a deep stratigraphic sequence
from Hawker’s glass-works was found in a former with three phases of glass working from the 1660s to
water-channel during excavations in advance of the c.1700. No structural remains of a furnace were
Bull Ring development and a watching brief on the visible but large quantities of glass-working waste
Aetna Glassworks revealed a probable annealing were recovered from well-stratified and dated
furnace. Archaeological work is being required at two deposits, including glass fragments, frothy glass
other sites in advance of development: Oppenheim’s, waste, crucibles, moils, threads, pulls, droplets,
Birmingham’s first glassworks, on Snow Hill, where a chunks, runs and slag. Over 400 samples of this
desk-based assessment suggests fragmentary survival, material were analysed (using chemical analysis,
and Soho (1805), where survival can be demonstrated using an X-ray spectrometer attached to a scanning
from a series of building plans. electron microscope) to identify the chemical
composition(s) of the glass manufactured at Silkstone.
The morning session was concluded by Hugh The results showed that some forms of debris
Willmott (University of Sheffield) who discussed provided a coherent picture of the chemical
recent research into the South Yorkshire glass compositions of the glasses manufactured (e.g.
industry, as well as future directions for research. threads, runs, pulls, droplets and chunks). However
Over the last 30 years, the South Yorkshire glass the glass adhering to the inner surfaces of crucibles
industry has received considerable archaeological and often had a chemical composition differing from that
historical attention. In particular, the excavations of the contemporary glass-working waste because the
undertaken by Denis Ashurst at Bolsterstone and glass and the crucible had reacted together. Despite
Gawber, as well as his documentary research at the limited extent of the excavation at Silkstone, it
Wentworth and Silkstone, have created a much was possible to identify two types of glass that were
clearer picture of the operation of the industry in the made there: a green glass and a white glass. The green
region. This presentation focused on recent smaller- glass was always a high-lime low-alkali glass, a type
scale work, primarily on sites at Catcliffe and of glass which appears in Britain late in the 16th
Silkstone, the latter also described in David century (perhaps brought over by the Lorraine and
Dungworth’s talk, that produced new information to Normandy glassmakers) and continued in use for both
complement the existing picture. At Silkstone, glass- window and vessel glass at least until the 18th century.
working waste was recovered including crucibles that The Silkstone white glass was initially a mixed alkali
were smaller than other 17th-century types and glass (i.e. roughly equal proportions of soda and
contained green glass residues. Other waste included potash), but around 1680 this was replaced by clear
moils, paraison ends, sections of glass rod and small lead glass.
pads of glass formed by the attachment of a pontil
iron to the base of a vessel in order for the rim to be Colin Brain followed with a presentation focusing on
finished. Fragments of splashed vessels were also the evidence for the production of crystal glass in the
recovered, thought to be examples of ‘Nailsea-style’ last third of the 17th century. Although English and
glass although a century earlier than the type made in Irish lead crystal glasses were the international
Bristol. The talk concluded with a brief discussion of yardstick for 300 years, we know little of their
the direction of future research in the region and origins. The importance of obtaining data through
potential sites for investigation, including a large post-medieval archaeology, particularly of production
1920s glass-works at Chesterfield (Derbyshire), sites, was emphasised. Examples included
where the problems of sampling large quantities of establishing the types of fuel used and examining
waste were highlighted. crucibles to determine when closed pots were
introduced and whether their use was restricted to
David Dungworth (English Heritage Centre for coal-fired furnaces. Glass fragments from the site of
Archaeology) began the afternoon session by John Ordaccio’s 1674 glasshouse in Smithfield,
discussing sampling strategies and priorities for Dublin, where lead-glass was produced, had been
laboratory work. Scientific techniques of analysis examined. The simulated manufacture of glasses was
have the potential to provide detailed information also used to investigate lead glass production, for
about glass working to complement the information example whether lead was added to the glass batch in

Glass News May 2004 4

the form of lead-rich glass in an attempt to stop lead A planning application for a large apartment block,
oxide being reduced to metallic lead and reducing the with basement car parking, provided the opportunity
life of the glass making pot. This was a particular for archaeological investigation requested by the
hazard with a reducing furnace atmosphere. Assistant County Archaeologist (ACA) for Greater
Manchester, in line with PPG16 and following
Ian Ayris (Newcastle upon Tyne City Council) recommendations from the Monuments Protection
outlined the archaeology and adaptive re-use of Programme survey of 1998. A brief for evaluation
buildings associated with the Newcastle upon Tyne trenching was prepared by the ACA, who also
glass industry, specifically the history of the monitored the project on behalf of Manchester City
Lemington site, charting the planning and Council, and the work was undertaken by Oxford
archaeological background to the conversion of this Archaeology North (OA North) under the direction of
well-preserved late-18th -century cone. Glass Ian Miller. Significant differences between the
manufacture was one of the largest and most furnaces as revealed by excavation included improved
important industries on Tyneside in the 18th century, gas flow design and the introduction of the Frisbee
with concentrations of glass-houses on both flanks of feeder for fuelling the furnace from below. Interesting
the medieval town. However the industry suffered an details of the annealing house and various workshops
early decline as mining, engineering and shipbuilding have also come to light, and knowledge of the glass
overwhelmed many of the earlier industrial activities items manufactured at the works has been expanded.
in the 19th century and upstanding remains are few. A Whilst surviving catalogues depict a wide range of
brief overview of the surviving aspects of the industry press-moulded, cut and engraved, high-quality glass
and recent archaeological activity in the area was items produced at the works, the excavated material
provided and opportunities for future research were enhances the record and may provide considerable
also outlined, such as the current regeneration of the information of the manufacturing process.
Lower Ouseburn area to the east of the city centre,
wherein Mansell’s early-17th -century complexes were Finally Andrew Smith (Avon Archaeological Unit,
established. Bristol) gave a review of research at the Nailsea
glassworks (1788-1873). This was based on a desk-
Norman Redhead (Greater Manchester top study, started in 2002, which is now approaching
Archaeological Unit) and Ian Miller (Oxford completion and is intended for publication on the
Archaeology North) described the archaeological WWW. It provides a summary of museum deposits of
investigation of the Percival, Vickers & Co, British excavated material and site-archives from known
and Foreign Flint Glass Works; the first excavation to archaeological interventions at the New House and
be undertaken on a 19th -century glass-works in Old House cone-sites, from 1975 onwards, and a
Manchester. The Manchester industry concentrated review of the technology and the social and economic
initially on traditional fine-cut and engraved table- impacts on the community. A chronology was
wares before turning to mass-produced pressed glass. developed using documentary evidence, in particular
By 1850 there were 18 factories in Manchester and two annotated plans, one dated to ‘the 1830s’ and the
Salford, with at least a further 19 established in the other firmly dated to mid-1870, which have been
second half of the 19th century; but in the early 20th compared with later maps. Little information has as
century the industry died out. The Percival Vickers yet been provided by archaeological investigation,
works was the largest of an important group of 19th- with one exception, although additional questions
century glass factories in Manchester. Documentary have been raised. For example, the functions of
evidence for the works is slight, although cartographic Belgian lehrs and French kilns can be guessed at, but
sources demonstrate the evolution of the site from its no evidence has been found for their form and it has
inception in 1844 to its demise in 1914. It was ideally not been established whether these are generic terms
placed alongside the Rochdale Canal in the thriving or whether they were units imported from the
industrial suburb of Ancoats, and was originally respective countries. In the presentation the
equipped with two furnaces, each designed to interventions were outlined chronologically and
accommodate ten melting pots. The works had compared with the 1870 plan and the modern site-
expanded by 1888 to incorporate a third, larger, centered map.
furnace thus offering considerable potential for
exploring the evolution of kiln technology if the kilns
survived under the concrete raft of the modern
factory.

Glass News May 2004 5

An early medieval glass- materials and processes which are as far as possible
worker’s dump, The Brooks, reversible, and consider the object's future context,
conditions of storage or display. Restorers undertake
Winchester work which entails greater intervention, involving the
replacement of some or all missing areas of an object,
Work towards full publication of a large assemblage thereby making it safe for handling, storage or display
of glass from a site in central Winchester has resumed and to aid in its interpretation. In practice many
after a gap of a few years, stimulated by fresh funding conservators now carry out some restoration within an
from the Winchester City Council's Museums overall ethos of conservation, and are therefore
Service. The deposits are dated to the early medieval referred to as conservator-restorers. In this article the
period, although some of the material within them is term conservator is used for the sake of simplicity.
likely to be cullet from the Roman period. Preliminary
cataloguing shows that there are more than 2500 There are many excellent conservators in the UK and,
fragments in the assemblage, weighing more than 5 although there is no system for licensing them, there
kg. More than half of the pieces are window are several systems of accreditation. However some
fragments, mostly in various green/blue hues, but also of these systems are fairly new so that all good
including brown, olive-green, green and bright conservators are not yet accredited. At present there
blue/green. Many are grozed, including several are eleven professional organisations, such as the
complete examples with interesting shapes. The rest United Kingdom Institute for Conservation of
of the material is mainly glassworking waste in the Historic and Artistic Works (UKIC) and trade
form of drops and dribbles, as well as warped and associations. Ordinary or associate membership of
worked window fragments; this too is mainly in such organisations usually denotes a commitment to
green/blue but also includes bright blue and green. professional standards and ethics and an interest in
Some pieces have very clear tool marks. Hundreds of keeping up to date with new approaches, techniques
tiny chips and fragments include some grozing waste. and materials. However, this class of membership
Vessel fragments of a variety of different appearances provides only a limited assurance of expertise. Three
comprise about 5% of the collection. The majority of organizations, UKIC, the Institute of Paper
the finds come from 17 contexts, and most are from a Conservation (IPC) and the Society of Archivists
single context, no. 15838. (SoA), jointly operate a newly developed
accreditation system under the aegis of the National
The current aim is to publish the catalogue, along Council for Conservation-Restoration (NCCR). Only
with a full discussion of the various scientific studies conservators who are accredited under this scheme,
that have been based on the material. It is hoped that including those whose specialism is glass, ceramics
publication will be achieved in 2005. and related objects, may use the letters ACR
[Accredited Conservator-Restorer] after their name.
Cath Mortimer and Mike Heyworth
E-mail: [email protected] Experience
It is wise to find an experienced conservator able to
Conservation matters: give advice or to undertake the required work. This
might be done through word of mouth or by
How to choose a professional glass consulting the Conservation Register (see below), a
conservator-restorer national database of conservation-restoration practices
meeting certain criteria. A professional conservator
It is important to define the differences between a will generally have a recognized qualification from
conservator and a restorer. Generally speaking, one of the established training courses, as well as
conservators undertake treatments which involve several years’ experience. If you have to use the
minimum intervention (and hence the greatest respect services of a conservator unknown to you, and if there
for the integrity of objects): careful investigation prior are several objects requiring conservation, the least
to any intervention, good documentation, the use of valuable can be conserved first so that results can be
seen. Before any work begins, it is important to have
Glass News May 2004 an in-depth discussion with the conservator
concerning the amount of work to be done, any past
documentation relating to the object(s),
documentation of the work including photography,
security, insurance and health and safety implications

6

(if any). A written estimate should be provided by the Conservation Register, or to have a search carried out
conservator, and an agreement made that should on your behalf, please contact:
further work be found to be necessary, the owner will
be informed before this is undertaken. Conservation Conservation Register
and restoration is labour-intensive and time- c/o UK Institute for Conservation
consuming. Expect to pay for this work. 702 The Chandlery
50 Westminster Bridge Road
What professional glass conservators can do London SE1 7QY
Conservators may give advice on the history, Telephone: 020 7721 8246
technology and deterioration of object(s), make Fax: 020 7721 8722
recommendations on the care of individual objects or Email: [email protected]
collections as well as preventive conservation, carry
out conservation treatments and make suggestions for For details of practices in Scotland please contact:
packing for transport and correct conditions for Scottish Conservation Bureau
storage and display. Telephone: 0131 668 8668
E-mail: [email protected]
Conservation will involve some or all of the
following: The British Museum
Examination and investigation - For use as
archaeological, historical and technological evidence, A glass trail
possibly leading to further scientific analysis, and an
assessment of deterioration and damage. The trail provided here allows the visitor to see most
Cleaning – After considering whether and how much of the glass on display in The British Museum, in a
cleaning should be undertaken. single visit. It is not intended to be fully
Consolidation – Impregnation, with a synthetic resin, comprehensive. If you are well focussed, these
of glass which is heavily deteriorated or where the displays can be covered within half a day. My trial
fabric of the objects is structurally compromised, a walk round took about 90 minutes but I wasn’t
process which must be considered as irreversible in dwelling on the detail. Please note that the Museum is
practice and should not be carried out lightly. subject to a programme of gallery closures for cost-
Bonding – The joining together of glass fragments saving purposes, as well as building work, and one or
with adhesive. more of the galleries may be closed, depending upon
Restoration – If necessary. This may involve taking the day and time of your visit. Therefore it is wise to
moulds off an object in order to create casts to fill the check the opening hours of galleries before you come
missing areas. (www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/visit/galleries.html).

What professional glass conservators do not do Enter the Museum by the Main (South) Entrance.
Conservators do not give financial valuations or buy Before the entrance to the Great Court turn left up the
and sell for profit. They do not alter the nature of Main Staircase. At the top of the stairs turn sharp
objects, for example by abrading surfaces, by drilling right, pass through the Money gallery (68) and into
into the glass, or grinding chipped rims of glass gallery 69 (Greece and Rome). Go up the stairs by the
vessels, by producing objects composed of fragments waterwheel, which is in front of you. On the
of more than one object of the same form, or Mezzanine are three substantial cases of glass
disguising restored areas with the intention of including core-formed and slumped vessels, mosaic
deceiving (fakes and forgeries). vessels, and a comparison of blown glass forms from
the eastern and western Roman provinces.
Sandy Davison FIIC ACR
The Conservation Studio Continue into gallery 70. Glass vessels are displayed
Email: [email protected] as individuals and small groups throughout but
halfway down on the left hand side is a large, free-
The Conservation Register standing case including a number of well-known
The Conservation Register can be searched online at pieces, such as a blue beaker encased in silver, a very
www.conservationregister.com. large cylindrical box and an obsidian horse’s leg

To receive further information of practices in 7
England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Eire in the

Glass News May 2004

which, of course, is not man made glass but a cut the glass, for example the turquoise Venetian
stone. A little further on is the Portland Vase, betrothal cup and the Palmer Cup, a Syrian enamelled
displayed with its base disc next to the Warren silver beaker of the 13-14th centuries. Gallery 46, Europe
cup. 15th-18th centuries, contains two cases entirely
dedicated to glass, one to Venetian glass, one to later
Pass through galleries 71, 72, 73 and across the top of glass. Further documentary or enamelled glasses are
the West stairs into gallery 61 (Egypt). In a table case integrated into other case displays, including Tudors,
directly in front of the entrance are several New Northern renaissance and Italian renaissance. Look
Kingdom vessels including the well-known turquoise out for the lattimo glass flask with the portrait
blue glass jug bearing the name of Tuthmosis III medallion of Henry VII, among many others. Glass
enamelled in yellow. can also be seen in gallery 47 (19th century), including
the Brocard mosque lamp, and gallery 48 (20th
Continue through the Egyptian funerary gallery (62) century Europe and America), like the unusual vase
and into room 63 and turn right about halfway down by Chris Lebeau.
into gallery 56 (Ancient Mesopotamia) and then
through into gallery 55. In a case on the right hand You should now find yourself back in the Early
side of room 55 can be seen Mesopotamian Bronze Medieval gallery (41). From here go through “gallery
Age glass and related material, including two 40” (a corridor) and you will come back to the top of
cuneiform texts, one of the Amarna tablets on the the main stairs, where you began. If you are not yet
trade in glass and one of the recipes for making red exhausted, you can see two more important groups of
glass. A little further along may be seen 8th-9th century glass on the Main Floor below.
BC glass from Nimrud, including hemispherical
bowls, opaque glass ingots and the “Sargon” Vase. Go down the stairs and approach the front entrance,
turning right past the Cloakroom and then right again
Continue through galleries 54, 53 and at the top of the into the Egyptian Sculpture gallery (4). Halfway
North Stairs turn right into gallery 52 (Ancient Iran) down the sculpture gallery, turn left towards the
where there is a display of Sasanian glass in an island Parthenon Sculptures and immediately right, up a
case in the far right hand corner. short flight of steps into gallery 22 where you will
find the outstanding 3rd century BC assemblage from
Continue through gallery 51 and into gallery 50 Canosa.
(Prehistory); towards the end on the left hand side is a
reconstruction of an Iron Age chieftain’s burial To get to the Islamic Art gallery, retrace your steps
containing some very nice glass gaming pieces. back into Egyptian sculpture (4) and go straight
Continue into gallery 49 (Roman Britain) noting glass across it into the Great Court. Note the glass roof by
cremation urns (on the left), medicinal vessels (right Lord Foster. Turn left and walk round the Court to the
hand side) and, about halfway down on the right hand next exit left, follow the signs marked
side, a free-standing case of 1st-5th century AD North/Asia/North Entrance/Montague Place. Due to
Romano-British glass. development work, you are likely to be detoured
through the North America gallery (bead work), the
Continue into the Early Medieval gallery (gallery 41), Mexico gallery, then up a short flight of steps into the
where there is a lot of glass integrated into the Oriental galleries. Pass through Chinese Jade and into
displays. Here you will find a good range of early China (gallery 33), and in about the fifth bay on the
medieval European vessels, including characteristic right are several Qing Dynasty vessels. Halfway down
Anglo-Saxon forms, as well as gold-glass medallions the Oriental gallery (33) exit left and go down the
and the dichroic Lycurgus Cup, which is shown in North Stairs to Islamic Art (gallery 34). Here can be
reflected and transmitted light. seen early Islamic glass from Egypt, Syria and Iran,
lustre decorated glass, 13th-14th century gilded and
The Early Medieval gallery is a crossroads. If you are enamelled glass (including the widely illustrated
here in the afternoon (between 14.00-17.30), when “pilgrim flask”), and Iranian vessels of the 18th-19th
galleries 43-46 are open, proceed through the century.
Medieval gallery (gallery 42), where glass is to be
found in the superb enamelled metalwork, through Key glass objects in the BM can be accessed via the
rooms 43 (Pottery), and 44 (Horology – glass is of on-line resource “COMPASS”:
course integral to many of the objects) to the www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass
Waddesdon Bequest (gallery 45). Here, look out for Ian Freestone

Glass News May 2004 8