GLASS NEWS

Witch bottles

Sandy Davison

In Glass News 21 (January 2007) page 12, I wrote a short by the rosemary. Sometimes seawater or earth is used
article on Rituals Connected with Broken Glass. Since instead. Another variation is within the disposal of the
that time I have become aware of other uses of broken bottle; some witch bottles were thrown into a fire and
glass connected with historic buildings. when they exploded, the spell was broken or the witch
supposedly killed.
During restoration of the marble floor in the chapel at
The Vyne in Hampshire, broken glass was found between Historically and currently, the bottle is placed in an
the timbers supporting the floor. This is thought to have inconspicuous spot in the house: at the farthest corner of
been placed there as a deterrent to rats. At Chastleton the property, beneath the house hearth or fireplace, under
House in Gloucester a hoard of several incomplete the floor, plastered inside walls. The witch bottle was
broken green glass wine bottles and a Bellarmine jar was believed to be active as long as the bottle remained
found buried at the bottom of a basement staircase hidden and unbroken so people went to a lot of trouble to
leading up into the house. I restored these items and on a hide their witch bottles.
recent visit to the house was discussing them with the
house steward. She informed me that many witch marks Other devices to prevent witches from entering buildings
had been found throughout the house including those were based on the superstition that witches were
carved into window sills; and that the current thinking compelled to count anything in their path, such as broom
about the glass/ceramic hoard was that they were witch bristles, piles of stones, broken glass and ceramics etc. In
bottles. The origins of the witch bottle tradition have the eighteenth century hollow glass ‘walking sticks’ filled
been dated at least to the 1500s and it was prevalent in with tiny beads were sometimes hung above entrances.
Elizabethan England, especially in Anglia.
• Maple, Eric. The Dark World of Witches. New York:
A traditional witch bottle was a small blue or green glass A.S. Barnes & Co., 1962
flask, about 70 mm high. There were also larger and
rounder witch bottles, up to 230mm high, known as • Pennick, Nigel. Secrets of East Anglican Magic.
Greybeards, Bellarmine jugs, Bellarmines, or Bartmanns. London: Robert Hale, 199
Bellarmines were made of brown or grey salt-glazed
stoneware. They were named after a Catholic Inquisitor, • Semmens, Jason. "The Usage of Witch-Bottles and
Cardinal Roberto Bellarmino (1542-1621), who Apotropaic Charms in Cornwall" Old Cornwall 12,
persecuted Protestants. Bellarmino was involved in the No. 6 (2000) pp. 25–30
trial of Giordano Bruno (1548-1600), the Italian
philosopher, mathematician and astronomer, who was Some of this information comes from wikipedia at:
burned at the stake after being found guilty of heresy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_bottle
Bellarmine bottles were embossed with a representation
of Robert Bellarmine’s bearded face, thought to ward off See also the features on an 18th century glass witch bottle
ill-will. The witch bottle was meant to protect against evil in:
spirits and counteract spells cast by witches. • Current Archaeology “How to kill a witch”, no 169,

The bottle was prepared by placing inside the victim's 2000, pp34-6, and at
urine, hair or nail clippings. In recent years, the witch http://www.archaeology.co.uk/british-features/how-
bottle has taken on a lighter tone, filled with rosemary, to-kill-a-witch-the-reigate-witch-bottle.htm
needles and pins, and red wine. It is believed that, after • British Archaeology “Urine to navel fluff: the first
being buried, the bottle captures evil, which is impaled on complete witch bottle”, no 107, July / August 2009
the pins and needles, drowned by the wine, and sent away and at
http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba107/news.shtml

Glass News 28 July 2010 5

Swords into Plough Shears…

Colin Brain

This short exploration of how 17th C glassmakers may How were these things made? Robert Charleston in his
have made use of military technology sprung from a “Vessel Glass” chapter for “English Medieval Industries”
discussion with Mark Taylor during our first glass- suggested that they were made by forging helical strips of
blowing lessons. Finding that gathering glass on the end iron around a mandrel … isn’t that the same way that
of a blowing-iron is not as easy as it looks, even with the they made musket barrels?1 What size was a civil war
iron close to horizontal, prompted a question about how musket barrel? Some quick research on the internet
17th C glassmakers managed. We know from suggested that a common bore for a civil-war musket was
excavations what sized pots they used. With these pots about 17mm, with a wall thickness of about 2.5mm
they would have needed to gather with irons inclined at giving an outside diameter of about 22mm! So it then
greater than 45 degrees to the horizontal if they wanted to seemed plausible that late 17th C blowing irons could
use the glass from near the base of the pot. have been made by the same blacksmiths who made
musket barrels, or even that the glass makers used actual
This led to the subsidiary question – what were their musket barrels as blowing irons, as there may have been
blowing irons like? From the Latin edition of Neri / times when these were cheaper than getting special ones
Merret and from Jung’s notebook we have some made2.
illustrations from the 1670s, supported by those from
Diderot a century or so later. Some of these show the The obvious next step was to try this out. Having ruled-
irons to be bell-mouthed or with flanges on the end. out dismembering a civil-war musket, the obvious
However, it is clear that some of these irons were approach was to make up irons from suitable mild-steel
unsuitable for using with a ‘chair’ because their external tube. 7/8 inch diameter, 12 SWG seamless drawn tubing
‘pipe handles’ would make them very difficult to use on comes very close to the required sizes and had the
the arms of a ‘chair’. There was clearly a range of advantage of being available locally. This tube was cut
different types of iron in use, depending on whether to a typical musket barrel length (1170mm), mouthpieces
windows, bottles, or vessel glasses were being made. So were turned from commercial wooden dowel rod and two
without knowing which irons matched which uses the blowing-irons were made up for practical trials during the
documentary evidence was not a great deal of help. second glass-blowing lessons with Mark.

Archaeological evidence was however rather more Even for a beginner, these blowing irons proved easy to
helpful, and analysis of some moils (remains of the glass use. If anything, marvering the paraison was easier than
from the end of the blowing irons, also called ‘rod-end with Mark’s normal smaller-diameter irons, with a
cullet’) excavated from a late 17th C glasshouse in tendency to form a more cylindrical than tear-drop shape
Dublin confirmed that these vessel-glass pipes were made with less glass left (wasted) on the end of the iron. It also
of iron (from the iron-scale remaining on the glass) with had a tendency to give a more uniform upper bubble wall
an external diameter of about 22mm. They were not thickness during initial blowing. One concern had been
flared or flanged and indications are that the wall
thickness was around 2.5mm. 1 Dr Dave Starley, a metallurgy and weaponry specialist,
comments that this was a particularly common way to
Moils excavated from a Dublin glasshouse (left) form later, better quality barrels: they could also be
compared with some produced using ’musket barrel’ formed by welding along the length of a tube, formed by
blowing irons (right). The tube outside diameter is hammering the skelp lengthways around a mandrel. A
approximately 22mm barrel capable of surviving an explosive charge within it
would have been overdesigned compared to what was
Glass News 28 July 2010 required for glass blowing, but gun-smiths (or perhaps
specialist barrel makers) could have produced iron tubes,
without putting in the care and attention needed on gun
barrels, but using their normal tools. They could
presumably have made them lighter too.

2 At certain times (e.g. post civil war) musket barrels may
have been cheaper or faulty ones more readily available.
There were also cheaply made guns for the North
American Indian trade.

6

that the reduced thermal mass at the end of the iron, due Whilst going some way to answer the initial questions,
to the reduced tube wall thickness, would lead to more this short series of experiments has raised other
rapid cooling of the glass. However this did not appear questions. Were any other musket parts used for glass
to be an issue. Moil remains were collected and figure 1 making? It seems possible that they were. Both the
shows some of these compared with three excavated from French version of Neri / Merret and Jung’s notebook
Dublin, either side of a section of the steel tube used. The illustrate tools (presumably for carrying finished items to
moil thicknesses, evidence of bubble formation and scale the lehr) which look remarkably like the classic musket-
formation all appear comparable with the excavated barrel rest – an ornate ‘U’ shaped fitting. A pontil moil
pieces. from Dublin indicates that pontils were of a much smaller
diameter than blowing irons. Iron ram-rods perhaps?
Thus it appears plausible that late 17th century
glassmakers used musket barrels for blowing irons. In What did glassmakers do before muskets were invented?
fact, where else would they get 4-foot long straight thick- A visit to see Angela Wardle at MOLAS to discuss plans
walled circular iron tubes from? We have not yet been for the autumn meeting provided an opportunity to
able to check the relative ease of gathering at a steep enquire what evidence had been found for the sizes of
angle, but it was notable that glass adhered to both the Roman glass blowing irons from London excavations.
inside and outside of the tube thus giving a much larger Angela explained that these apparently came in three
gathering surface area. Certainly there is no indication sizes, the middle size being about 22 mm outside
that gathering would have been made more difficult with diameter! Some quick measurements on finds suggested
this type of blowing iron. The initial trials have shown that these irons had about 2.5 mm wall thickness… So
that the wooden mouth pieces need to be improved and perhaps it is not a case of “swords into plough-shears” at
that more care needs to be taken with applying linseed oil all, perhaps it is just the opposite – musket-barrel makers
to ‘russet’ the tubes to protect them from corrosion, but adopting glass-blowing iron technology.
these are the kind of practical lessons one expects.
This short piece has suggested that the current evidence
available on 17th century blowing irons is compatible
with them being made from musket barrels. Any
comments or further information on blowing irons or
other glass makers' tools would be most welcome. Colin
Brain, [email protected]

AHG Grant Report:
Making Late Antique Gold Glass

Dan Howells

Doctorial Research Project, British Museum

The medium known commonly as ‘Late Antique gold Gold glass inventory number 1863.7-27.1 in the British
glass’ dates to the fourth century AD and is found Museum collection, highlighting (in black) five areas of
predominantly in the form of vessels in the catacombs of excess gold leaf which have not been removed; and (in
Rome. In each instance, images depicting subjects such white), the accidently scored surface of the gold leaf
as secular people, saints and biblical episodes, as well as (Photograph: D. T. Howells, © Trustees of the British
pagan and Jewish images, appear executed in gold leaf Museum).
and effectively sandwiched between two layers of glass.
The images appear on the base of the vessel and, most 7
often, it is only the decorated base-disc that has survived.
The walls have usually, and often deliberately, been
carefully trimmed away.

Glass News 28 July 2010

An AHG research grant was last year generously from a material perspective this is certainly in error.
awarded to cover the costs of an extensive program of Glass in the Roman world was not an expensive medium.
experimental gold glass reproduction. The full results of Gold glass vessel components such as ‘pad base-discs’
the work will form an article in the forthcoming edited could have effectively been mass-produced, and the
volume on Byzantine glass to be published by the British fusing of the gold leaf between the glass layers, once
Museum. It will be further incorporated into a monograph learned, does not require any great skill. In fact, little
focused exclusively on gold glass based on my DPhil glass working ability besides the blowing of two simple
thesis undertaken at the University of Sussex in bubbles is required. The amount of gold leaf needed to
collaboration with the British Museum, due to be produce the image on a single gold glass vessel base is
submitted in July 2010. The glass-working itself was extremely small, and, furthermore, the amount of skill
carried out with the ‘Roman glassmakers’ Mark Taylor needed to produce the designs themselves was shown to
and David Hill. be far from outstanding. Indeed, many of the designs on
separate gold glasses are closely akin and it seems
Thanks to the scientific analysis of the British Museum probable that the imagery was mechanically transcribed
gold glasses carried out at the British Museum as part of using a simple overlaying grid from pre-prepared pattern
my DPhil, it was possible to use modern raw materials to books.
replicate the chemical composition of the fourth-century
originals. The working properties of the glass used in In addition to the actual production processes being
fourth-century gold glass production were thus accurately relatively simple, gold glass vessel bases frequently
reproduced for use in the experiment. The methodology incorporate a variety of telltale signs of carelessness,
used in the experimental reproduction process was sloppy workmanship and perhaps even elementary
predominantly based on the close examination of the gold glassblowing mistakes. These most often manifest
glasses, as well as the examination of the various themselves in the incision of the gold leaf iconography.
nineteenth-century and earlier fakes, forgeries and other Large areas of excess gold leaf and accidental scores
reproductions of gold glass in the British Museum which distort the service of the image are often visible in
collection. It also drew upon the writings of well known individual gold glasses, and are highlighted in the British
medieval scholars such as Theophilus, Cennino Cennini, Museum piece illustrated in this report. Although gold
and most specifically Eraclius, who discuss the working glass vessels may well have been valued, principally for
of glass and gold leaf in their respective treatises. the often Christian images they depicted, by those that
owned them, the material value of the objects themselves
Late Antique gold glass has often been viewed by leaves little doubt that they could be owned by men of
scholars as a luxury and thus a very expensive medium. rather more modest means. This important factor, until
Indeed, when secular people are depicted on gold glass now largely overlooked, has important ramifications for
the emphasis is often placed on the wealth and status of future discussions of gold glass function.
the subject through elements of costume and jewellery.
This project and the successful experimental reproduction
of the glasses themselves, however, demonstrated that

AHG Grant Report:
Anglo-Saxon glass-working in Canterbury

Rose Broadley

In 1983 rare evidence of Anglo-Saxon glass-working in crucibles and a range of glass waste – globules,
England was excavated from Church Lane, Canterbury fragments and ‘slag’, which may be either scum scraped
by Canterbury Archaeological Trust. The assemblage from the top of a molten batch, or more probably glass
came to my attention in 2008 when it was returned to the that fell into the furnace fire. There are two distinct
Trust from storage in London. The location of the site on pottery fabrics – one tempered with fine sand or quartz
Church Lane is potentially significant – the site was just and the other with large lumps shell or fossilised shell.
inside the city wall and next door to the church of St The latter fabric is a surprise as one would not expect
Mary Northgate, a Saxo-Norman foundation that was pottery tempered in this way to be used in a high-
certainly in existence by the late-11th century AD. The temperature operation like glass-working.
site is also very close to Canterbury Cathedral.
The ten shelly-ware sherds came from a coarse dark grey
The glass-working evidence consists of 15 fragments of pot that was coated with dark green glass (c.2-8mm
pottery vessels that had been used as glass-melting thick). Sherds from this crucible appear to have been
found in one small area, suggesting that it may represent
Glass News 28 July 2010
8

a unique depositional event. The remaining five sandy- archaeological context, will be forthcoming in the
ware sherds were made using a red clay, and were of conference proceedings.
much higher quality than the shelly-ware sherds. The
glass coating on them appears colourless, but was A piece of glass waste from Canterbury
probably pale green due to the presence of minor
amounts of iron, which was revealed during the Ultimately, the discovery that the
compositional analysis. The sherds from this crucible composition of the Church Lane glass was
also had a compact distribution, and it is thus possible soda-based means that the latest likely date
that the combined assemblage represents only two or for it is probably within the 10th century,
three vessels (there is both dark green and lighter green and this is very exciting as evidence of
glass on the shelly-ware crucibles, which suggests a glass-working from Anglo-Saxon England
minimum of three vessels overall), though no sherd links is rare. Coupled with the archaeological
were found. context, which shows early medieval
activity on the site beginning in the 9th
As glass was eminently recyclable, the glass surviving century, we can consider an approximate
here was probably missed during sweeping up and date range of 9th or 10th century for the
dumping of waste, or categorised as not reusable (e.g. the assemblage. The chance survival of this
‘slag’, or the glass adhering to the crucible or furnace glass-working waste provides us with a
fragments), or discarded due to solid impurities that tantalising view of a moment in time in late
would not break down and fuse with a batch of glass if Anglo-Saxon Canterbury when glass-
used as cullet. However, it is interesting to note that no working was taking place near what is now
pontil knock-offs or any other evidence of glass-blowing Church Lane. The evidence we have
were recovered. The distribution of the glass waste was suggests that this glass-working operation
confined to only three contexts (796, 797 and 825), which was relatively small-scale and probably
combined with the restricted distribution of the crucible short-lived.
sherds may indicate that the glass-working was a brief My grateful thanks go to Canterbury Archaeological
phase of localised activity. Trust for allowing access to, and sampling of, the
material; to Justine Bayley and Carlotta Gardner for their
A programme of technical analysis (XRF and SEM-EDS) involvement in the project, and to the Association for the
was completed by Carlotta Gardner and Justine Bayley at History of Glass for a generous grant that enabled me to
the English Heritage laboratories at Fort Cumberland, attend the 18th International Congress of the AIHV to
Portmouth, with the XRD analysis by the School of present my paper on this topic.
Geography and Geo-sciences at St Andrew’s University.
I presented a paper on this project at the 18th
International Congress of the AIHV in Thessaloniki in
September 2009 and a more detailed article, including the
results of the analysis and more discussion of the

Glass News 28 July 2010 9

Output of a crown glassblower in 1802 The new premises of the Roman Glassmakers (Mark
Don Tyzack Taylor and David Hill)

Recently I was kindly sent a copy of a work agreement Mark and David offer:
about an ancestor of mine who was a Crown 1. A wide range of glassblowing tuition, both one-
Glassblower. I thought some of the details might interest on-one courses and day-long sessions for small
other members. groups.
2. Group visits for up to thirty people in the form of
The document indicates that Joseph Tyzack of a 2-hour lecture-demonstration covering 2000
Monkwearmouth was indentured for eight years to gather years of glassblowing. Mark and David entertain
and blow his Crowns at a glassworks owned by Thomas and inform the audience with a ‘cabaret’ of
Burns and partners in Southwick. There is a mass of ancient glassmaking techniques. There is a live
detail on how disciplined and circumspect he was demonstration of the tools of the glassmaking
required to be, on pain of a substantial fine if he trade and the properties of glass itself, as well as
defaulted. For his work he was to be paid eighteen Roman, Medieval and later glassmaking
shillings per week, and be found accommodation and techniques. Mark makes reproductions of several
heating. But my astonishment arises because of the historical vessels, demonstrating the fruits of
output for which he contracted: he signed an agreement continuing research and experimentation.
to produce 1200 Crowns per week minimum. 3. A designated small furnace for preparing
experimental glass melts, as a service to
I set out to assess what seems to me to be a prodigious researchers.
output. If he worked ten hours a day, with an hour’s
break, six days a week, that would total 54hrs per week. New address: Unit 16, Project Workshops, Lains Farm,
He would have to blow a Crown every 2.7mins, for every Quarley, Andover, Hampshire SP11 8PX
hour in every day! I am no glassblower but surely that’s a Other contact details as before: 01264 889688
remarkable feat? www.romanglassmakers.co.uk

(The full work agreement can be found at ______________________________________________
http://www.dontyzack.care4free.net/joseph.html )
Archaeological Glass and Glazes
A demonstration of the crown glass technique
8 to 12 November 2010
___________________________________________________ UCL Institute of Archaeology

An update from the Roman Glassmakers This one-week course covers the principles and
archaeological evidence for glass production and trade
([email protected]) world-wide, from the Late Bronze Age / Egypt through
the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic Empires
Roman Glassmakers, Mark Taylor and David Hill have up to the medieval and early modern period in Europe.
now completed their move to new premises at Project
Workshops, near Quarley in Hampshire. The modern unit The course is designed for students taking the MSc at
has a light and airy furnace room, twice the size of the UCL in Technology and Analysis of
previous studio. The new purpose-built setup includes a Archaeological Materials, but caters also for students
main furnace as before, two glory holes, two interested in artefacts and conservation. We will NOT be
glassblowing chairs, a new lehr (annealing oven), and
proper siting for the glass lathe. 10

Glass News 28 July 2010

discussing typological aspects of glass artefacts, or Medieval Glass for Popes, Princes and
details of glass working. Participation is limited to 20 Peasants
students, on a first-come first-serve basis. The course is
taught predominantly by Thilo Rehren, and consists of David Whitehouse
ten two-hour slots (Monday to Friday 10-12 and 2-4 pm). With contributions by William Gudenrath and Karls
The course fee for participants not registered as students Hans Wedepohl
at UCL is GBP 450 for the week, and includes a
handbook and other teaching material, but no The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York,
accommodation or meals. 2010
$34.95
Please contact Professor Thilo Rehren at ISBN 978 0 87290 177 3
[email protected] for further information, or to book a 274 pages, softcover
place.
The Middle Ages lasted from the fall of the Roman
NEW PUBLICATIONS Empire in the fifth century AD to the rise of the
Renaissance in the 15th century. During this period,
Studies in Archaeological Sciences Europe was transformed, and so were glassmaking
practices. After the fall of Rome, all but the simplest
‘Lapis lazuli from the kiln': techniques were forgotten. But over the centuries the
Late Bronze Age Glass and Glassmaking quality, quantity, and repertoire of glassware increased.
In the later Middle Ages, local products were joined by
Andrew Shortland luxurious glasses imported from the Islamic world and,
by the 15th century, the stage was set for the golden age
Leuven University Press, 2010 of Venetian glassmaking.
ISBN 978 90 5867 691 7
€59.50 (appr) This exhibition catalogue is a selective introduction to
160 page, Colour illustrations medieval glass vessels, made in the course of more than
1000 years. They were intended for use and display: for
This book examines the history of the first glass, from its eating and drinking, lighting, worship, science and
early sporadic occurrence, through the height of its medicine. The book examine the history of medieval
production in the late second millennium BC, to its glass vessels, explores how some of them were made and
disappearance at the end of that millennium. It draws on explains how, by determining the composition of glass,
an exceptionally wide range of sources including ancient the chemist makes a valuable contribution to our
texts detailing recipes and trade in glass, iconographic understanding of developments in glassmaking in the
depictions in tombs and temples, archaeological Middle Ages.
excavation of the most important sites including Amarna
and Qantir, and the description of the glass objects A review will follow in the next issue.
themselves. The area covered includes the heart of
glassmaking and use in Egypt and the Near East, as well 11
as those areas where glass might have been traded, for
example the Levant and the Mycenaean Aegean. It also
considers the life of the glassmaker, their place in society
and relationship to other industries.

Particular emphasis is given to the use of scientific
analysis to provide information for the reconstruction of
the history of this glass. It is written from a non-technical
viewpoint and includes systematic glossaries detailing the
technical terminology used as well as the most important
sites, object types, periods and so on. The book is
designed for the student of archaeology demonstrating
how scientific analysis can assist in the reconstruction of
ancient material culture and the society in which it used.

Glass News 28 July 2010

Islamic Glass in the Corning Museum of A modern conservation-restoration approach was adopted
Glass, Volume One for this work, considering our cultural heritage in a broad
and integrated way with a view to correct diagnosis and
David Whitehouse suitable treatment. For example, the results of chemical
analyses of glass are linked to the art historical
This beautifully illustrated book presents 595 objects and interpretation and dating. This research, although only an
fragments that were made in the Islamic world from the initial exploration, has already resulted in some highly
sixth to the 11th centuries. Each entry consists of a colour relevant new insights.
photograph and detailed description, usually
accompanied by a comment on the history and Please send your contributions:
significance of the object and a list of similar pieces in
other collections. Most of the pieces presented here were Finds • Research • Ideas
in the collection of Ray Winfield Smith. Publications • Conferences • News

The Corning Museum of Glass / Hudson Hill Press, 2010 for Glass News 29
$75
ISBN 978 15 5595 355 3 by
Hardback, 430 pages
29th November 2010
A review will follow in the next issue.
to either of the editors:
The Production of Stained Glass in the
County of Flanders and the Duchy of Sarah Paynter
Brabant Fort Cumberland
Fort Cumberland Road
From the XVth to the XVIIIth Centuries: Materials
and Techniques Eastney
Joost Caen Portsmouth PO4 9LD

Brepols Publishers, Turnhout (Belgium), 2009 [email protected]
85 Euros
ISBN 978-1-905375-64-6 or
Hardback, English, 450 pp. 450 colour ill., 240 x 320 mm
Rachel Tyson
This book focuses on the materials and techniques used 25 North Street
in the art of stained glass in the Low Countries, and more
especially in the County of Flanders and Duchy of Calne
Brabant, during the Renaissance and Baroque eras. This Wiltshire SN11 0HQ
was without doubt the golden age of stained glass in this
region and stained-glass artists at the time were [email protected]
sometimes highly respected draughtsmen and painters.
THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE
The period under consideration starts with a prologue
(from the early fifteenth century) and ends with an HISTORY OF GLASS
epilogue (into the first decades of the eighteenth century).
Stained glass windows from the Low Countries were Registered charity 275236
highly desirable luxury products that were exported all
over Europe and so this research includes stained glass Board of Management
from the Low Countries found in Spain (Miraflores, Leon
and Seville), Portugal (Batalha) and England (Oxford). President: Caroline Jackson
Hon Secretary: Sandy Davison
Glass News 28 July 2010 Hon Treasurer: Jim Smedley

Members of Board

Denise Allen David Crossley Sarah Paynter
Justine Bayley Aileen Dawson Jennifer Price
Colin Brain David Martlew St John Simpson
John Clark Martine Newby Angela Wardle

12

Glass News

January 2011 Published by The Association for the History of Glass Ltd ISSN 1362-5195
www.historyofglass.org.uk

Number 29

Romano-Egyptian glass goblet depicting figures Welcome to Issue 29 of Glass News where changes
harvesting dates, found in a palace strong-room at include the addition of Suzanne Higgott and Rachel
Begram 1st or early 2nd century AD (height: 12.6 cm) Tyson to the AHG Board. We thank John Clark for
National Museum of Afghanistan. resuming his role dealing with subscriptions and
©Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet membership of the AHG.

See pg 3 for details of the new British Museum On a sad note, we are very sorry to have to inform you of
exhibition: Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient Road the sudden death of member Geoff Egan, who frequently
attended our study days. Amongst his wide-ranging and
incredibly learned research interests, he wrote on the
medieval and early post-medieval glass in London during
his many years working for Museum of London
Archaeology, recently moving to the British Museum as
Early- to Post-Medieval Treasure Co-ordinator. We will
greatly miss his scholarship and insights and his
willingness to share information.

Thank you to Martine Newby for organising the Autumn
2010 Study Day Glass in Art and Literature, a review of
which can be found on pages 7-8.

Important dates for your diary are 24 March 2011, when
the AHG visit to Nazeing glass works will take place,
and 19-20 May, when a two day conference on
Neighbours and Successors of Rome will take place in
York. Offers of papers are still welcome; further details
of these events can be found on page 2.

SUBSCRIPTION REMINDER

Subscriptions are due shortly, to cover the year April
2011 to March 2012.

Subscription renewals (£10, 15€, $20 US) payable to
The Association for the History of Glass Ltd should be
sent to:

John Clark
Association for the History of Glass
c/o Department of Archaeological Collections and
Archive
Museum of London
London Wall
London EC2Y 5HN

Glass News 29 January 2011 1

AHG CONFERENCE 2011 AHG SPRING STUDY DAY 2011

Neighbours and Successors of Rome: Hot Glass Study Day at Nazeing
traditions of glass production and use in Glassworks
Europe, the Mediterranean and western
Thursday 24 March 2011
Asia in the later first millennium AD
(c. AD 400-1000) As the Spring Study Day a visit to Nazeing glassworks
and museum in Hertfordshire has been booked.
19-20 May 2011
The owners of Nazeing Glass Works moved from
Plans are now well-advanced for the AHG conference Vauxhall in 1928. The factory now chiefly makes
which will be held in the King’s Manor in York. commercial glassware for industry; but has an important
historic background. The glass works had been traced
A number of important researchers have already back to 1612 in Vauxhall, started by Sir Edward Zouche
confirmed that they will contribute, including: and taken over in 1618 by Sir Robert Mansell and in
1673 George Villiers 2å Duke of Buckingham
Prof Ian Freestone (Cardiff) on late Antique glass
production; Dr Sylvia Fünfschilling (Basel) on Late The Hot Glass Study Day includes a welcoming talk, a
Antique glass in Ephesus; Yael Gorin Rosen guided factory tour, two lectures by BBC Antiques
(Haifa/Department of Antiquities, Jerusalem) on glass Roadshow glass expert Andy McConnell, tea and coffee,
after the end of the Roman/Byzantine period in the Holy buffet lunch and an accompanied visit to museum rooms.
Land; Dr Caroline Jackson (Sheffield) and Dr Harriet There is a factory shop selling a wide mix of Nazeing
Foster (Norwich) on the last Roman glass in Britain; products and glass from around the world.
Professor Elizabeth James (Sussex) on Heirs of Rome ?
Byzantine glass mosaics; Dr Daniel Keller (Basel) on the Price £39.50 per person.
changes from Byzantine to early Islamic glass in southern
Jordan and southern Egypt ; Dr Marie-Dominique Nenna Members wishing to visit the glassworks are requested to
(CNRS/Lyon) on the diffusion of HIMT raw glass and book through the Hon Sec Sandy Davison (email:
related material in the late 4th-5th century; Dr Sarah [email protected]) and to make their own way to
Paynter (English Heritage, Portsmouth) on aspects of the glass works at:
Saxon glass in Yorkshire; Professor Thilo Rehren (UCL
London) and Anastasia Cholakova on Glass supply and Nazeing Glass Works Ltd, Nazeing New Road,
consumption in Late Antique Dichin, Bulgaria; Dr St Broxbourne, Herts EN10 6SU
John Simpson (British Museum) on the current state of Tel 01992 464485
research on Sasanian glass.
See www.nazeing-glass.co.uk for map and travel details.
Nevertheless, there are still spaces in the programme
for more papers and poster presentations, and we will Future AHG and AIHV meetings
welcome offers of further contributions.
The AHG Autumn study day will be on the subject of
For further details please see the enclosed flyer, or Glass in Science and Medicine, organised by David
www.historyofglass.org.uk Martlew.

Bookings can be made through Justine Bayley at: The next AIHV congress is planned for September 2012
[email protected] in Slovenia.

Glass News 29 January 2011 www.aihv.org

2

AHG Grants Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient
World
Grants are available from the Association for the History
of Glass, for educational or research activities consistent (see photo on front page)
with the Association’s charitable aims. These could
include, for example, attendance at a conference to British Museum, Room 35
present a lecture or poster, a study visit, fieldwork, or 3 March-3 July 2010
publication of scholarly works. There are no restrictions
on who may apply or on the topics of applications, which The British Museum is soon to be hosting this exhibition
will be judged on merit. Multiple applications in different of some of the most important contents of the National
years will be considered with individual awards up to Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul. These are objects
£500. See also the AHG website for details which were long feared lost or destroyed in the decades
(www.historyofglass.org.uk). An application form may following the Soviet invasion of that country in 1979 yet
be downloaded from the website, or obtained from Sandy were revealed safe in 2004 after hidden safes under the
Davison, AHG Hon Secretary, 68 East Street, Thame, presidential palace in Kabul were cracked open following
Oxfordshire OX9 3JS. Email: [email protected] the fall of the Taliban. They had been hidden here at
considerable personal risk by a handful of Afghans and
CONFERENCES AND are now on a world tour.
EXHIBITIONS
Among the many exhibits are a selection of the glass
Society of Glass Technology vessels from Begram, excavated in the 1930s and
International Conference on the concealed in antiquity at the heart of a Kushan palace.
Begram, then as now, controlled strategic routes across
Chemistry of Glasses and the Hindu Kush mountains connecting northern
Glass-Forming Melts Afghanistan with what is now Pakistan. The glassware
includes painted, coloured, marbled, mosaic and cut
In celebration of the 300th anniversary of the birth of glass, mostly produced in Roman Egypt and dating to the
Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov late 1st or possibly early 2nd century. They must have
been imported via the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, as
4-8 September 2011 vividly described for the mid-1st century in the Romano-
Egyptian account known as the Periplus of the
Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford Erythraean Sea, and then carried up into Afghanistan via
Deadline for abstracts: 31 January the Indus valley. Along with the polychrome decorated
Early-bird registration deadline: 1 July Indian ivories and other objects found in these
strongrooms, they give a vivid hint at the consumption of
Lomonosov, a fisherman’s son from northern Russia, imported luxuries at an important gateway to Asia.
may be considered the father of glass chemistry and
sceintific glassmaking, and was particularly interested in Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World is
glass colour. Topics to be discussed include: chemical supported by Bank of America Merrill Lynch; for details
aspects of glass structure, ancient glass compositions, of the exhibition and a wide range of related events see
chemical analysis of glasses, chemical durability and www.britishmuseum.org
crizzling, corrosion of glass surfaces, coloured glasses,
porous glasses, and many more. GLASSAC 11 Glass Science in Art and
Conservation
Further details can be found at
www.lomonosov2011.sgthome.co.uk 10-12 May 2011
Bronnbach Monastery, near Würzburg, Germany
This will be held in conjunction with The Annual
Meeting of the Society of Glass Technology on 6-8 The third GLASSAC congress is an international meeting
September 2011. that tries to involve the chemical, physical and biological
sciences with art, archaeology and history of glass
Glass News 29 January 2011 artefacts. The theme is 'Innovative technologies in glass
art, design and conservation from the 19th to the 21st

3

century – the role of the sciences'. It will provide an centuries, the nineteenth, and twentieth century. It has
opportunity to discuss practical problems of intervention over three hundred objects on display, all from the
facing conservators and it will examine significant collections of the Murano Glass Museum. It covers the
developments in the science of glass that can show artists whole extraordinary 'adventure' of glass in Venice from
and the conservation community innovative possibilities. its arrival in the lagoon during the Classical age with
glass from distant lands, to the growing union of glass
Registration 300€ before 28 February; 350€ afterwards; and design that represents both the present and future of
reductions for students and accompanying persons. glass production on Murano.
For further details see: www.glassac.eu

Le verre en Lorraine et dans les régions The Corning Museum of Glass, New York
transfrontalières á travers les âges
(AFAV) 2011 celebrates the museum’s 60th anniversary, and
will include the following exhibitions:
17-18 November 2011, Metz
East Meets West: Cross-Cultural
The 26th annual meeting of the AFAV will be held at the Influences in Glassmaking in the
Musée de la Cour d'Or in Metz on the theme of the
archaeology of glass in Lorraine and its bordering regions 18th and 19th Centuries
through the ages, comparing the evidence on both sides
of the borders of Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, November 18, 2010 - October 30, 2011
Germany, Switzerland and France. It will look at
research, recent discoveries, conservation and When East met West in the courts and trade centres of the
presentation. 13th century, a fruitful international exchange was born
and lasted through several centuries. A new exhibition at
The call for papers closes in April 2011. Further details The Corning Museum of Glass will explore the resulting
can be found at: www.afaverre.fr/rencontres cross-cultural influences in technology, scientific
experimentation, and decoration among glassmakers in
Verre et Histoire Europe, China, and Japan in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Through a range of Museum objects from the early
This association in France exists to provide a forum for modern period, East Meets West will document the
different disciplines interested in the history of glass to European adoption of traditional Asian styles and
exchange research and ideas, to develop understanding of iconography, and examine the largely overlooked impact
glass. It organises regular conferences, debates, study of Westerners—missionaries, alchemists, and
days, visits and demonstrations covering all aspects of the craftsmen—on the development of new glassmaking
history of glass. techniques and formulas in the East.

For further details see the website: www.verre- The extension of the Silk Road to Italy in the age of
histoire.org or email [email protected]. Marco Polo (1254-1324) brought Eastern goods to
Europe, where such exotica was treasured. Influential
The Adventure of Glass tastemakers such as Grand Duke Ferdinando I de' Medici
Correr Museum, Venice and Elector Christian I of Saxony became enthusiastic
collectors of Chinese porcelain, sparking a demand that
11 December 2010-25 April 2011 spread beyond the courts. This growing fascination with
porcelain goods inspired imitation, and scientists
An initiative of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, throughout Europe attempted to replicate the material.
this exhibition is organised chronologically in four
sections: archaeological glass, the fifteenth to eighteenth These early experiments were closely linked to
glassmaking, based on a longstanding misconception that
Glass News 29 January 2011 porcelain was a vitreous, not clay-based, substance. The
alchemical knowledge needed to create glass imitating
porcelain was transferred from glassmaker to glassmaker
across the Continent. Their efforts resulted in the
production of a variety of opaque white “milk glass”
objects, which found a market alongside imported (and,

4

eventually, European-made) porcelain, satisfying the glass for foreign and local markets. The Museum’s
fashion for enamelled chinoiserie-style objects. scientific analysis by X-ray fluorescence of a few of these
objects in its collection has revealed that the composition
The new milk glass recipes were subsequently brought to of some of the white glass used in the East is closely
Asia by European Christian missionaries, along with related to the milk glass made by German craftsmen. In
other glassmaking formulas and skills that revolutionised East Meets West, Knothe suggests that a connection to
the industry in China. One such missionary and scientist, the community around Stumpf may be the reason for
Kilian Stumpf, organised a glassworks in Beijing in the such results.
1680s, extending the influence and innovations of
European alchemists to East Asia. Although the Chinese absorbed Western glassmaking
formulas and technology, they did not borrow European
“Until now, scholars have tended to focus primarily on forms or decorative techniques. Instead, they carried over
the influence of Eastern decorative styles on Western approaches from indigenous crafts such as porcelain
markets and objects,” said curator of European glass making and hardstone carving and further enriched their
Florian Knothe. “With this exhibition, we will showcase stylistic repertoire by using European glassblowing and
an incredible cultural and technological exchange that is, cutting methods. The exhibition showcases this dual
in fact, much more textured and fluid, with channels of influence with several examples of cameo glass vessels,
influence running in both directions. The role of Western in which the Western technique of overlaying opaque
craftsmen and scientists—such as Stumpf—in facilitating glasses of different colours is combined with local
advancements in Eastern glass manufacturing cannot be carving techniques and iconographic style.
overlooked.”
In addition to their taste for chinoiserie, Europeans
Drawing on the long tradition of porcelain making, welcomed Japanese designs, which introduced a new
glassmakers in China blew and enamelled opaque white range of shapes, forms, and motifs to the West. In
parallel, Japanese glasshouses adopted Western practices
into their production during the second half of the 19th
century. Glasses from the Satsuma Clan Factory, which
reflected the decorative influences of Dutch and English
cut crystal, became very fashionable table wares. An
exquisite set of geometrically cut Sakazuki decanters and
cups will be displayed in the exhibition.

Technological exchange and stylistic influences
continued into the 20th century, with continued global
influences in glass design and the emergence of an
international scene of glass artists who skilfully
employed traditional techniques and newly interpreted
historic craft traditions.

Chinese-style cameo vase, possibly made by Mirror to Discovery: The 200-inch Disk
Thomas Webb and Sons, Amblecote, England, and the Hale Reflecting Telescope at
c. 1890. Palomar
Photo: Corning Museum of Glass
January 10-October 2011
Glass News 29 January 2011 Rakow Research Library, Corning Museum of Glass

In 1928, the famed astronomer, George Ellery Hale, had
a vision. He wanted to build the world’s largest
telescope—a research instrument that would allow
scientists to view the skies as never before. This
exhibition tells the story of the creation of the huge
mirror (known by the American public at the time as
“The Giant Eye”) that made Hale’s vision possible.

5

The creation of the largest single piece of glass ever ENQUIRIES
made was entrusted by Hale in 1929 to Corning Glass
Works using their signature Pyrex®, a special glass Enquiry about glass engraver George Pitt
designed to resist heat expansion. George V. McCauley, a Armstead/Armistead c.1761-1829
Corning physicist and engineer, set about achieving what
engineers at other companies had failed to do: casting a Carole Waterman is researching a relative, and would be
200-inch mirror blank. The largest mirror at that time, interested in any information about George
which was installed in the Hooker Telescope at Mount Armstead/Armistead. George Armstead was born c.1761
Wilson, CA, measured 100 inches. and died 15 December 1829, buried at Bunhill Fields.
The 1845 death certificate of his wife Judith (née
In March 1934, Corning poured a 200-inch disk, but part Goodchild) stated her husband George was a glass cutter.
of the mould broke loose during the pouring, ruining the He is referred to as a 'glass engraver and cutter' in New
blank. McCauley decided to continue with annealing (a Street Square, London in c.1793. The Baptist Magazine
process required to slowly cool the glass) as an Nov. 1832 includes a memoir of William Aikin (born
experiment. That imperfect disk has become an iconic 1770) which states Mr Aiken was apprenticed at the usual
object in the collection of The Corning Museum of Glass. age to Mr George Armstead, a glass engraver.
It has been suspended in the same spot for 60 years, since
the Museum opened to the public in 1951. If anyone has any further relevant information, please
send to one of the editors who will forward it to Carole.
The second attempt at pouring was successful, and after a
year’s annealing time, the disk was finished and taken by OBITUARIES
train to California. The creation of the disk, and its
journey across an economically depressed nation, Ada Polak
captured the public’s attention. Famed radio commentator
Lowell Thomas called the pouring of the disk “the 1914-2010
greatest item of interest to the civilised world in 25 years,
not excluding the World War.” The glass historian Dr Ada Polak, in 1973 a founding
member of the British National Committee of the AHG,
Photographs in the exhibition show the intensive process died in London on 25 October 2010, aged 96. She was
of the pouring of the disk and include imagery of the born Andrea Buch in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway, on
special railroad car that carried it across the country. The 19 September 1914. Although her interest in the
disk travelled upright on a padded railroad car for more decorative arts was wide-ranging, Dr Polak’s greatest
than two weeks. The train travelled only by daylight and enthusiasm and expertise was in the field of glass. She is
at speeds not exceeding 25 miles per hour. It made perhaps best known to glass historians for her
numerous stops along the way, with much fanfare in each groundbreaking survey of the history of glass and
city where it stopped. glassmaking from the medieval period to the industrial
age, Glass: its tradition and its makers (1975). In 1940
The disk remained at Caltech’s optical shop in Pasadena, she obtained a master’s degree at the University of Oslo
CA, for the painstaking process of polishing and for her thesis on ‘Norwegian Glass 1739–1753’. At the
grinding. Progress on the disk slowed as the nation Arts and Crafts Museum in Oslo she worked on an
became involved in World War II, but the disk was exhibition to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the
finally installed in 1948 in the Palomar Observatory, Norwegian glass industry. Her research provided material
where it remained the world’s largest effective telescope for her doctoral dissertation, which resulted in the
until 1993, aiding in the discovery of quasars, and the publication of Old Norwegian Glass, the standard work
first known brown dwarf star. The telescope is still in on this subject, in 1953. Dr Polak was Assistant Curator
use, although bigger telescopes now exist at places like of the Vestlandske Arts and Crafts Museum in Bergen
the Keck Observatory in Hawaii. from 1942 until 1948 and the first chairman of the
Association of Applied Arts there between 1945 and
Mirror to Discovery includes photographs, memorabilia, 1948, before marrying British lawyer Alfred Polak and
and other selected historic materials from the collections moving to London in 1948. From then on, she worked as
of the Library, as well as reproductions of photographs a freelance art historian, publishing widely on the
from the California Institute of Technology.
6
Glass News 29 January 2011

CONFERENCE REVIEWS

Ada Polak AHG Autumn Study Day: Glass in
Photo courtesy of Ada’s family Literature and Art

decorative arts but especially on a broad range of glass- 21st October 2010
related subjects. Books include Modern Glass (1962),
Norwegian Silver (1972) and Old Porcelain from This very enjoyable study day took place at The Wallace
Porsgrund (1980). Dr Polak was interested in historic Collection in London, organised by Martine Newby, and
trading ties between Norway and Britain (Wolffs and examined a diverse range of textual and pictorial
Dorville. A Norwegian-English House of Commerce evidence ranging from ancient Greece to the 19th
during the Napoleonic Wars, 1968) and took pride in her century.
role as ‘Deputy Curator in Britain’ for the Norwegian
industrial art museums and the Norwegian Museum of Marianne Stern travelled from the Netherlands to present
Cultural History. In 1981 she was appointed a Knight of her detailed research into the Greek terminology used
the 1st Class of St Olav for her promotion of Norwegian for glass and glassmaking. In the earliest years of
culture in the UK. Ada Polak was well known in Norway glassmaking no generic term existed for glass; the Greek
for her weekly column, ‘Om Antikviteter’ (‘About term 'hualos' was adopted over time. Evidence was
Antiques’), in the magazine Kvinner og Klær (Women discussed from Egyptian papyri from the 1st century BC,
and Clothes). She contributed articles and answered to the 8th century AD. Interestingly, the glassmakers
readers’ questions from 1964 until 1995. A warm and names included two women, one of whom made beads
enthusiastic communicator, in 1980 Dr Polak received a and the other, window glass.
Norwegian award for her contribution to popular science.
Denise Allen led us through Roman references to glass,
Suzanne Higgott particularly Pliny the Elder's many musings. These
quotes were beautifully illustrated by archaeological
Harold E. Henkes examples of the related glass, and a natural obsidian
mirror attached to the wall of a house in Pompeii. Tim
1918-2010 Leary then discussed a number of Latin texts and riddles
referring to glass. A theme of the Roman references was
Prof. Dr. Harold Henkes passed away in September 2010 their comments on the optical qualities of glass.
at the age of 92. He was a member and Board member of
the AIHV, and contributed papers at the congresses of Martine Newby magnificently surveyed the depiction of
1991 (Vienna), 1995 (Amsterdam) and 1998 (Venice- table vessels and manners in glass from the 1st to the
Milan). He was a respected ophthalmologist in his 18th century (and all in 25 minutes!). In Roman frescoes
professional life. In the world of glass studies, he co- the transparency of the glass appeared to be more
ordinated the documentation of the glass collection of the important than the accuracy of the form. The plentiful
Museum Boymans-van Beuningen in Rotterdam, and will medieval paintings had recurring themes, many showing
be remembered by many of us for producing the unused beakers left upturned on the table or over the tops
catalogue Glas zonder Glans/Glass without Gloss: Utility of flasks before use. The large numbers of plain beakers
Glass from Five Centuries Excavated in the Low in medieval paintings were supported by archaeological
Countries, 1300-1800, Rotterdam Papers 9, in 1994. evidence from sites such as those in 14th-century
Tarquinia. In the post-medieval period examples were
Glass News 29 January 2011 shown of wine glasses being held by the foot, and glasses
being rinsed and wiped before refilling; a practice that
ended in the 19th century when the new style of dining 'á
la russe' placed multiple glasses for different drinks on
the table.

Christopher Sheppard was undaunted by the interruption
to his paper by a fire alarm and evacuation, and the
arrival of three fire engines! He showed a selection of
Venetian and façon de venise glasses and their parallels
in contemporary paintings. As he commented, it would

7

be difficult to believe in the existence of some of the but were spread over so many venues that a courtesy bus
more elaborate vessels depicted were it not for the service was provided to link them.
existence of their surviving glass parallels. He questioned
whether some of the Medici-commissioned glass might Eight glass-related heritage walks / talks had been
be Florentine rather than Venetian, given that there is organised - Wordsley Church, Dial Glasshouse,
documentary evidence for glassmaking in Florence. He Stourbridge, Amblecote Pubs, Canals, Amblecote,
cautioned against the close dating of styles, as vessels are Oldswinford Church and Wollaston - covering some of
often seen in paintings many years later than their first the main pillars of the glassmaking communities. We
attributed date. only had time to take in two of these (Wordsley Church
and Stourbridge). They were both well researched and
Sue and Colin Brain discussed their research into the entertainingly presented, by John Levett and David
17th-century Fellows of the Royal Society including Hickman respectively and built a picture of the
Aubrey, Merret and Pepys, and the Fellows' observations interdependence between the glass industry and church
into the world of glassmaking. Pepys evidently found his and town communities. At Holy Trinity Church
post-theatre visit to watch glass being made the most Wordsley the top coat of arms in the east window stained
entertaining part of the evening! These Fellows give a glass was that of the Bishop of Lichfield and I wondered
picture of scientists learning from the skills and how many of the congregations appreciated the role in
knowledge of glassmakers, not vice versa. encouraging glass making played by an earlier holder of
this office. Similarly David pointed out where both the
The day finished with a fascinating look at the world of Art School and the Working Men’s Institute had been
'musical glasses' which receive little coverage today, but during the Stourbridge walk and I wondered just how
were quite familiar in the 18th and 19th centuries when much of the high international reputation earned by the
Mozart and Beethoven were amongst those who wrote Stourbridge glass industry was due to the education
for them. John Smith showed various examples of the provided within those walls, and of the potential damage
instrument, consisting of a case of differently sized done by separating education and craft in more recent
beakers played by running wet fingers around the rims. times.
Benjamin Franklin invented a variation, the glass
‘armonica’ in 1761, where the graduated glass bowls Broadfield House hosted ‘Glorious Glass History’, which
were mounted horizontally. Other glass musical featured rare glass archive material, including catalogues
instruments included keyboards, xylophones and flutes. and recipe books, and a map showing the location of
Glass music continues to be performed and recorded about 100 glassmaking sites in the area. There was also
today, for example by Dennis James, a musician living apparently a ‘Leaders of Industry’ oral history project
near the Corning Museum of Glass, New York. that has been undertaken by Dudley Archives and Local
History Service, but somehow we missed this. There
Many thanks to Jenny Price and Martine for chairing the were four heritage lectures as well that we did not get to:
sessions of this fascinating and revealing day. The Chance Brothers Archives; Dudley’s Archives; Jack
Wallace Collection is always a convenient and most Lloyd (1879-1975) Master Engraver and Designer; and
comfortable and well-resourced venue for a study day. “Three Unions and a Deportation”. In fact the list of
heritage events we missed is far longer than those we did
Rachel Tyson get to. There were also: two book launches (Charles
Hadjamach, “20th Century British Glass” and Graham
Report on the Stourbridge International Fisher, “Jewels on the Cut”); a talk on 75 Years of the
Festival of Glass 2010 Welsh School of Architectural Glass; blowing (and
drinking from) a yard of ale; two confident collecting
The 2010 International Festival of Glass was held in the sessions; Ghanaian bead making and a talk by Gianni
Stourbridge glass quarter from 27th to the 30th August. Toso on “Craft: A language, idea or fine art?”.
The festival is normally held every two years and the
heritage activities discussed here represent only a fraction Next time we’ll need to make sure we are there for the
of what was going on. With only a short time there we whole four days but I expect even then we will not get to
had carefully planned our schedule beforehand. This see everything.
proved useful, since organising that number of ‘glass
people’ is a challenge for any organising committee. Colin Brain
Events centred on the newly-refurbished Ruskin Centre,
8
Glass News 29 January 2011

25th Annual Conference of the The second day of the conference explored glass from
Association Française pour l’Archéologie other periods with informative papers on Iron Age beads
and bracelets, the latest finds from a number of Roman
du Verre and Medieval sites including a tightly dated 3rd-century
(AFAV), Orleans, May 2010 A.D. assemblage from Chartres, a group of late Roman
vessels from Mâcon and a varied collection of late
For British delegates, the AFAV annual meetings are a Medieval fragments from Vannes in Brittany.
delightful combination of restorative mini-break and Presentations by Hubert Cabart are invariably learned and
scholarly gathering. The 2010 meeting was held at the engaging, and this year he treated delegates to a first
Musée des Beaux Arts in Orléans and celebrated the glimpse of a remarkably well-preserved deposit of 16th-
innovative and highly decorative work of Bernard Perrot, century glass vessels from the Chateau de Dieulouard
his family and associates. The first presentations (Meurthe-et-Moselle). The 2011 AFAV meeting in
examined the movement of glassmakers, including nearby Metz will hopefully provide a chance to see more
members of the Perrot (Perrotto) family, from Altare in of this important group of glass.
Italy to France during the 17th century, and the
establishment of glassworks under royal patronage at Another fascinating paper from Alain Riols told the story
Orléans by Bernardo Perrotto in 1668. Much of the first of the bead-makers of the village of Langeac (Haute-
morning was devoted to discussion of the contribution of Loire) who built a thriving and largely cottage-based
the Perrot glassworks to glass technology, in particular industry in the later 19th and early 20th centuries,
the development of their distinctive transparent red glass. supplying iridescent beads to adorn the glamorous
products of Parisian couture. One of the last presentations
We were shown the extraordinary variety and luxury of of the second day was scheduled to allow Marie-
the pieces produced by the Perrot workshops, including Dominique Nenna time to dash back from the British
glass portrait medallions, exuberant baroque table pieces, Museum’s conference on Byzantine glass and introduce a
colourful mould-blown bottles and the magnificent inlaid skilfully produced and well edited film summarising the
tabletop belonging to Louis XIV, portraying the excavations of the glass making furnaces of the Wadi
Judgement of Paris. After the day’s presentations we had Natrun in northern Egypt.
the opportunity to see many of these pieces in the
museum, brought together for an exhibition to mark the AFAV meet just once a year, but these two-day
300th anniversary of the death of Perrot, though sadly the conferences give everyone an opportunity to find
glass tabletop was too delicate to travel to Orléans. something of interest amongst the variety of subjects
covered and to discover what is exciting specialists in
less familiar areas of glass research. The 2011 conference
is in Metz in November and further details are available
on the AFAV website:- www.afaverre.fr (see pg 4).

A well illustrated press document from the Perrot
glassworks exhibition is still available at:-
http://clarc.regioncentre.fr/telechargements/dossier_press
e_bernard_perrot.pdf

Sally Cottam

A Bernard Perrot glass girl leaping 9
over a barrel.
Photo: Sally Cottam

Glass News 29 January 2011

AHG Grant Report:
Study on Blaschka Glass

Astrid van Giffen

Assistant conservator, The Corning Museum of Glass, New York
[email protected]

Thanks in part to the generous funding of the early plants, invertebrate models and flower models.
Association for the History of Glass, I was able to attend Compositions of mounted samples were determined with
and present at the 18th Congress of the International SEM-EDS. Initial results show a large variety in
Association for the History of Glass (AIHV) in compositions, especially in the coloured glasses.
Thessaloniki, Greece in September 2009. I presented the
initial findings of my research on the Blaschka glass The dominant clear glass was a soda-lime glass which
collection at Harvard which includes the famous was found in all of the groups. In addition there were 4
Harvard Glass Flowers. The Blaschkas were a father and other clear glass compositions. SEM images also
son glassblowing team active in and around Dresden in showed that some of the pink glasses were unstable.
the 19th and 20th centuries. Many had an altered composition layer around the edges
with significantly less alkalis than the bulk of the glass.
They are best known for the incredibly realistic models
of invertebrate animals and plants that they made for A continuation of the research, which included the study
universities and natural history museums all over the of the Blaschka invertebrate model collection at
world. The models are made primarily of glass but other National Museums Scotland, was presented at the
materials such as metal wires, paint, waxes, and resins ICOM-CC glass and ceramics working group interim
were used as well. Less well known are the glass eyes, meeting held in Corning, NY, USA in October 2010.
glass jewellery and early plants they made before the This second presentation focused more on the
making of models dominated their business. conservation issues associated with the Blaschka
materials, especially their constructions and
The research, done while I was a conservation fellow at deterioration and the damage caused by incompatibility
the Straus Center for Conservation of the Harvard Art of the materials used in the invertebrate and flower
Museum, focused on gathering chemical compositions models.
for the glasses used by the Blaschkas and comparing the
different groups of materials, namely the jewellery, eyes,

The Blacshka Harvard glass flowers. 10
Photo: Astrid van Giffen

Glass News 29 January 2011

AHG Grant Report:
The composition and origin of glass and gold glass tesserae

from the Roman villa at Southwick, Sussex
Liz James, Jeff Leigh, Nadine Schibille

In Romano-British Mosaics (BAR, 1984), Neil Cookson raised some interesting issues about possible provenance
listed twenty-three known examples of glass tesserae and date. It should be noted that the Southwick site was
from Roman Britain. Gold glass tesserae however, are dug seriously on at least three occasions after about
known only from five sites: the Roman-British villa at 1840 and these excavations destroyed the archaeological
Southwick (originally 11 but now 7); Capel St Mary in contexts. In addition, reports suggest that the villa was
Suffolk (2 but both since lost); the Flaxengate site in recognised as such and investigated by local people
Lincoln (2 but both since lost); Union Street Southwark, since at least 1815. We also measured the thickness of
London (1) and Shadwell, London (1); and a single gold gold leaf in the tesserae as this might offer a means to
glass tessera at Dunadd in Argyll. Since Romano-British calculate the quantities of gold used in tesserae. The
gold glass tesserae are of such rarity, it seemed that a gold leaf in the Southwick tesserae was taken from at
project looking at their composition would be of least two different samples.
considerable historical interest.
The project is still in progress as we complete our
In 2005-6, Nadine Schibille obtained analytical data analyses of gold glass tesserae from other sites and we
from eight of the Southwick gold glass tesserae using intend to publish a full report of our findings and
ED-XRF. This project aimed to carry out further conclusions. We would be very grateful for information
analyses using a SEM on the Southwick tesserae. These about glass and gold glass tesserae from Romano-British
analyses suggested that the Southwick gold glass fall sites.
into four self-consistent groups: one of high-magnesia
and high-potash glass (suggesting a different origin in Thanks are owed to Ms. J. Greenaway, Curator of
terms of chronological attribution and/or location); and Archaeology, Reading Museum, Mr. Mike Helias,
three different sets of low-magnesia low-potash natron University of Brighton, Ms. D. Heyworth, Curator of
based glasses. All the glasses contain some manganese, Archaeology, Lincoln Museum, Ms. C. Macdonald,
and several contain considerable amounts of antimony. Curator of Archaeology, Ipswich and Colchester
Three of the tesserae contained unusually high levels of Museum, Dr Sarah Paynter and Mr. Roger Wilkes,
lead for glasses supposed to be Roman, and this has English Heritage, Fort Cumberland, Southsea.

Salisbury Cathedral Glasshouse
Colin Brain

[email protected]

This short note outlines evidence for late medieval Dean and Chapter that the Bishop would acquire the
glassmaking in the close of Salisbury Cathedral. This glasshouse in exchange for a large house in the Cathedral
glasshouse seemed to have started in about 1465. In that Close called “The Wardrobe”. This agreement document
year Cathedral fabric accounts show that 230½ loads of gives a strong indication of where the glasshouse was and
timber were purchased for the glasshouse and Thomas that it consisted of two buildings, which appear to have
Harnelyn was paid to look for suitable sand. Both of survived until the 19th century. In 1571 there is mention
these suggest a glasshouse start-up, rather than routine of firewood being purchased for the use of the glaziers.
continuing operations. Glassmaking-related references This is the last definite mention related to glassmaking at
continue periodically until about 1491 and there are at the Cathedral that has been found so far. The accounts
least two references to buying relatively small amounts of suggest that only two people were involved in working
soda for the glasshouse (4lb and 12lb). It is not until the glasshouse: a glazier and his assistant.
1558 that there is clear evidence that glass was being
made there again, with sand and soda being purchased, There are several other strands of information that may
some of the latter from local pewterers. Then, on 15 be related. In 1573 William Overton was appointed as a
October 1568 it was agreed between the Bishop and the canon of Salisbury Cathedral. William Overton is

Glass News 29 January 2011 11

thought to have been connected with glassmaking at It has been suggested in the past that the term
Buriton in Hampshire before moving to Salisbury. From ‘glasshouse’ at Salisbury Cathedral referred simply to a
1576 to 1579 there are records of glassmakers at stained glass workshop, but in the light of the information
Buckholt near Salisbury (just over the border in found so far, that appears unlikely. A ‘load’ probably
Hampshire). In 1579 Overton moved to Staffordshire to refers to a quantity of 500 billets, so 230½ loads would
become Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield and within have been well in excess of 100,000 billets of firewood –
three years glassmaking names from Buckholt started to quite a lot for simply heating a workshop or firing a small
appear in local records there. A published document muffle furnace for the staining process. A billet was
suggests that Overton owned at least one of those apparently between 36 and 40 inches long with a
glasshouses. circumference of 10 inches. Similarly what appears to
have been nine cartloads of sand provided for the opening
The firewood for the Salisbury glasshouse is recorded as of the glasshouse does not fit with simply assembling
being brought from a considerable distance (from windows. It has also been suggested that the Bishop
Rockbourne and Whythorn Hill), so each load would acquired the glasshouse to close it down to prevent it
probably have represented a day’s return journey for a from being a nuisance to his palace. The fact that it
cart. Whythorn Hill is just south of the Salisbury- continued working for a number of years after the
Southampton road near Whiteparish and the Ordnance exchange tends to negate this explanation. Also “The
Survey map for the area still refers to one of the woods as Wardrobe”, which still stands, is a very substantial
“Glaziers copse”. Records of the Earl of Pembroke’s property and a simple stained glass workshop would
estate from the 1570’s also refer to a coppice by this appear to be a relatively poor exchange. The amounts of
name in this locality. This suggests that coppiced billets sand and alkali noted do not seem to match. This may be
provided the firewood for the glasshouse furnace and that because the soda referenced was used as a flux for
the glaziers must have consumed considerably more soldering the glazing lead, rather than for glass melting.
timber than the 34 loads mentioned in 1464/5 for the
name to have endured for over five hundred years. It is The records seen so far appear to tell only part of the
not clear if there were any sand deposits of glassmaking story, but they strongly suggest that the conventional
quality in the Salisbury area. The wording of the wisdom that English medieval glasshouses were short
accounts suggests that the sand was in the vicinity of the lived and forest-based is not universally true.
city. Sand has been dug from the Aldebury area, a couple
of miles to the east of the city. This sand is part of the I am most grateful to Suzanne Eward, Salisbury
extensive Bagshot beds that include the Alum Bay sands Cathedral Librarian, and Peter Saunders, who recently
used extensively for glassmaking. Sand for glassmaking retired as curator of Salisbury Museum, for their help in
was also dug from these beds in the last century from a finding this information. In order to keep this note brief,
pit approximately nine miles from Salisbury, relatively detailed reference citations have been omitted, but if you
close to Glazier’s Copse. would like to follow these up please contact me at
[email protected].

Fourteenth-Century Glass Distilling Vessels from Oxford
Rachel Tyson

[email protected]

In 2006 excavations at Peckwater Quadrangle, Christ 2000, 168-78). These are often large groups from the
Church, Oxford, by John Moore Heritage Services, dissolution debris of monastic sites, for example St
uncovered a stone-lined pit [496] from which 616 John’s Priory, Pontefract and St Leonard’s Priory in
fragments of glass were excavated, mostly pale green Stamford. A few earlier fragments may come from
'forest glass' distilling vessels. The context was dated to distilling vessels, such as a fragment of tubing from a
the 14th century, probably before 1350, by the associated 14th-century pit at Ludgershall Castle, but these finds are
pottery. This is significant as it is the earliest datable ambiguous. The Christ Church assemblage is the largest
glass distilling equipment to have been found in Britain. group of distilling vessels found after that from
While contemporary documents such as Chaucer’s Pontefract.
Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale of the 1380s or 90s attest to the
use of glass distilling equipment in the 14th century, all The basic medieval distilling set consisted of a cucurbit
previously confirmed archaeological examples have which contained the liquid to be distilled, usually with an
come from 15th-century or later contexts (see Tyson inturned rim. This vessel was heated from beneath. Over

Glass News 29 January 2011 12

this sat the alembic, which had a domed top where the distilling vessels, although some bases had been
boiled liquid condensed and ran down into a collecting subjected to intense heat, or had degraded inner surfaces,
channel that ran around the inside of the vessel, made by and these will be published as part of Paul Blinkhorn's
folding the body of the glass. From there the distillate pottery report for the site.
was channelled down the alembic’s tubular spout into a
smaller receiver. Other arrangements of vessels were All distilling vessels found in England are likely to have
also used, some shown in medieval depictions such as been made in English glasshouses, such as those
those in Thomas Norton's’ Ordinall of Alchimy of c.1477 documented in the Surrey/Sussex Weald from the 13th
(British Library Add Ms 10302). These vessels can be century onwards. Similar vessels were made at least as
difficult to diagnose from small fragments, and over 400 late as the 17th century.
fragments from Christ Church could not be ascribed to a
particular vessel. There are various possibilities as to what these distilling
vessels were being used for. Alchemy is documented in
Others from Christ Church, however, are diagnostic of Oxford in the 13th century, by figures such as Robert
distilling vessels. Characteristic fragments of the alembic Grosseteste, who was Chancellor of Oxford and Bishop
included the collecting channel, and broken sections of of Lincoln, and Roger Bacon, known as a ‘master of
tubing. Some slightly everted rim fragments were similar experiments’ who allegedly had a laboratory on Folly
to rims known to come from alembics as they survived Bridge in Oxford (Holmyard 1957, 115-19). Alchemy
with the collecting channel still attached. Convex was not necessarily a 'get rich quick' scheme, but a more
fragments with external pontil marks may have either general philosophical exploration, and probably included
come from the domed tops of alembics or the convex broad chemical experimentation. Distilling was most
bases of other vessels such as urinals or cucurbits. commonly used to prepare medicinal remedies such as oil
Contemporary illustrations sometimes show alembics to of Benedict and flower oils, and was carried out on a
have finials on the dome, and a hollow rounded finial or small scale in households as well as by apothecaries and
knop found at Christ Church may be one such example. in monastic communities. Monastic houses also prepared
A number of inturned rims probably represent cucurbits pigments for writing and illustrating, and alcoholic
of varying diameter. Cucurbits from some other sites liqueurs and aquae-vitae.
have ledges or rings below the rim to support the
alembic, but no evidence can be seen of anything similar Three tableware vessels were also found in the pit at
from Christ Church. Chaucer describes how 'an erthen Christ Church: a 14th-century goblet decorated with
pot' was 'ycovered with a lampe of glas', and the junction mould-blown fins attributed to the area between the
was then sealed with clay ('enlutyng')(The Canon's Rhine and the Meuse; a beaker with mould-blown ribs
Yeoman's Tale, lines 760-7). probably from the same area; and a more unusual almost
colourless vessel that appears to come from a bowl with a
The widely everted rims from the site are more difficult relatively flat base decorated with concentric opaque red
to classify. There is a noticeable difference between trails, and an inturned rim.
'thick' and 'thin' rims. The thicker rims are likely to have
been from more robust vessels used in conjunction with The Christ Church excavations will be published in due
the distilling vessels, or for other methods of preparing course; the archive report will be housed at the
pharmaceutical or household preparations (see Oxfordshire County Museum Resource Centre (Acc. No.
Moorhouse 1993). The thinner widely everted rims 2005.122).
resemble those found on urinals, used for the common
medieval medical practice of uroscopy, diagnosing health References
through the examination of the colour and consistency of
urine. It was essential to have a clear view of the liquid, Holmyard, E J, 1957 Alchemy, London
so the glass was usually blown very finely with a rounded
convex base so the view of the urine was not impeded Moorhouse, S A, 1993 Pottery and glass in the medieval
(Tyson 2000, 149-53). Again, vessels of this form are monastery, in R Gilchrist and H Mytum (eds), Advances
also specified in recipes for other household preparations in monastic archaeology, BAR 227, 127-48, Oxford
(Moorhouse 1993).
Tyson, R, 2000 Medieval glass vessels found in England
Several rims of narrow-necked flasks were found, and c. AD 1200-1500, CBA Research Report 121, York
their context suggests that these may have been used as
the receivers for the distilling set. The receivers could 13
have been ceramic; as Chaucer shows (above), pottery
and glass distilling vessels were sometimes used together.
The pottery from Christ Church showed no specific

Glass News 29 January 2011

NEW PUBLICATIONS Glassmaking in Ireland: From Medieval
Times to the Contemporary
Roman Cameo Glass in the British
Museum John M. Hearne (ed.)

Paul Roberts, William Gudenrath, Veronica Tatton- Irish Academic Press 2010
Brown and David Whitehouse English
Hardback
British Museum Press 2010 272pp
112pp, c.150 colour drawings, 16 pages of line drawings ISBN-10: 0716531062
ISBN-13: 978-0714122670 ISBN-13: 978-0716531067
ISBN-10: 071412267X £45
£30
A treasure-trove of fascinating information for the
Cameo glass represents the ultimate achievement in scholar, collector and enthusiast alike. In this, the first
Roman luxury glass, and the British Museum has the comprehensive survey of glassmaking in Ireland, the
world's largest and finest collection. This comprises over evolution of the industry from the sixteenth through to
seventy pieces, including two of only a dozen surviving the twenty-first century is chronicled, and the impact of
complete cameo glass vessels: the celebrated Portland technological innovation and human invention examined.
Vase, the greatest surviving example of Roman cameo Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, the contributors
glass, and the Auldjo Jug, each with its complex and use archaeological, architectural, artistic, historical,
intriguing history. The catalogue, begun by Veronica economic and pictorial evidence, along with the results of
Tatton-Brown and William Gudenrath of the Corning new research, to present an illuminating and fascinating
Museum of Glass, has been revisited and enhanced by account of glassmaking in Ireland that is accessible to the
Paul Roberts of the British Museum and David academic and general reader alike. Among the many
Whitehouse and William Gudenrath of the Corning topics covered are the origins of Waterford glass and its
Museum of Glass. re-emergence in the 20th century, the invention of lead
crystal glass, the origins of studio and contemporary glass
This publication presents the collection in its entirety for in Ireland and how advanced Irish glassmaking was
the first time. Each piece is illustrated in colour and line compared to English glassmaking of the period.
drawing, with full description and discussion. The book
also presents the results of ground-breaking new Le camp de la flotte d’Agrippa à Fréjus:
research. The authors construct a comprehensive context, les fouilles du quartier de Villeneuve
using archaeological, technological, iconographic and (1979-1981)
typological evidence to look at the origins of cameo glass
and its place in contemporary Roman art and Christian Goudineau, Daniel Brentchaloff
craftsmanship. They also propose a relative and absolute
chronology for cameo glass, and suggest possible models The early Roman vessel glass, pp 185-275
for the organisation of the workshop(s) that produced it. S. Cottam and J. Price

Glass News 29 January 2011 Editions Errance, 2009
French/English
ISBN-10: 2877723984
ISBN-13: 978-2877723985
c.£35 at Amazon

This substantial chapter presents an assemblage of over
4,000 fragments of glass from salvage excavations at the
Argentière site in 1975 and rescue excavations at the
Aiguières site between 1979 and 1981. The chapter,
written in English, contains full catalogues, a detailed
commentary and abundant illustrations and colour
photographs of this important group of early Imperial
glass.

14

Altino: Glass of the Venetian Lagoon BOOK REVIEW

Rosa Barovier Mentasti, Magherita Tirelli (eds) Medieval Glass for Popes, Princes and
Peasants
Vianello Libri, Treviso 2010
English David Whitehouse, with contributions by William
167pp, numerous colour illustrations Gudenrath and Karl Hans Wedepohl
ISBN 978-887-200-3367
The Corning Museum of Glass 2010
Accompanies the recent exhibition ‘Altino: vetri di ISBN 978-0872901773
laguna’ at the Archaeological Museum, Altino, to 274 pages, paperback
celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the museum. Includes $34.95
more than 400 glass finds showing continuity from
Roman times to the present. This book accompanies the Corning exhibition of the
same name that has recently ended. After a surge of
The Beautiful Rooms are Empty: exhibitions and publications on medieval glass in the last
Excavations at Binchester Roman Fort, two decades of the 20th century, much less has been at
County Durham 1976-1981 and 1986-1991 the forefront of the museum world in the last decade, so
this is a most welcome exhibition. It is described as a
Iain Ferris 'selective introduction', and includes a catalogue of 128
vessels dating between the 5th and 16th centuries, largely
2010 Durham County Council of western European production, and with the majority
Two volumes, hardback dating between the 12th and 15th centuries.
£35 + £8 p&p
Visit the website at http://www.durham.gov.uk/ and go to The introduction includes a very readable summary of the
>Environment and planning > Archaeology > background history to the Middle Ages, and an
Archaeology publications for sale interesting section on 'Glass in legends and literature'.
Email: [email protected] This is followed by a discussion of the glass types found
Tel: 0191 370 8712 in each sub-period, with lavish colour illustrations of
medieval depictions to demonstrate their uses.
The full excavation report from the important campaign Particularly interesting is the section on the late 12th-
of work carried out at Binchester in the late 1970s and century Hedwig beakers (one of which appears on the
1980s by Iain Ferris and Rik Jones is now available. This cover) and an outline of the seven current different
two-volume publication includes full analysis of these theories for where these enigmatic vessels were made.
excavations as well as substantial wider contextual The most likely origin is considered to be the Norman
material about the fort and the history of research there. court in Sicily (in contrast to the British Museum's choice
There is a considerable section devoted to the outstanding
assemblage of more than 2000 fragments of Roman glass 15
from Binchester in the second volume, Part 2. The glass
was studied and catalogued by Jenny Price and Sally
Worrell, with chemical analyses by Sarah Paynter. The
discussion of the glass covers 28 A4 pages, including 8
pages of illustrations. The catalogue fills a further 35
pages followed by 5 pages of analytical results.

Glass News 29 January 2011

of the Levant in the recent BBC/British Museum’s Please send your contributions:
History of the World in 100 Objects, no. 57). Karl Hans Finds • Research • Ideas • Enquiries
Wedepohl provides a useful up-to-date summary of the Publications • Conferences • News
chemical compositions of the different medieval glass
types. for Glass News 30
by
William Gudenrath's chapter on medieval glassblowing
techniques, based on his experimental work, is one of the 1st June 2011
most valuable and original parts of the book. He
discusses the purpose of the kick, found on nearly all to either of the editors:
European medieval vessels, and the glassmakers’ use of Sarah Paynter
the jacks and the 'soffietta' to shape the vessel. Vessels
using only the jacks are shown to leave more noticeable Fort Cumberland
tool marks well below the rim; using a soffietta as well Fort Cumberland Road
only shows tool marks just below the rim, evidence that I
will be looking out for in future examination of medieval Eastney
vessels. Portsmouth PO4 9LD

The selection of vessels for the exhibition concentrates [email protected]
on 12th- to 15th-century glass. Each catalogue entry takes
up a page or more, with a written summary and an or
excellent colour photo. While many of the vessels will be
familiar to those having seen previous exhibitions of Rachel Tyson
medieval glass, interesting vessels include No. 111, the 25 North Street
two late 12th- to early 13th-century eastern
Mediterranean blue glass beakers with gilded and Calne
enamelled decoration, similar to, but a more unusual Wiltshire SN11 0HQ
form than, the more familiar Byzantine blue glass bottles.
No. 51 is a bottle painted with enamel in a similar style to [email protected]
the 'Aldrevandin' beakers thought to have been made in
Venice in the late 13th to early 14th century, with an THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE
inscription showing that it was used for “oil for the sick”. HISTORY OF GLASS

This is primarily an exhibition catalogue, and the Registered charity 275236
inclusion of only complete or near-complete vessels gives
a distorted view of the range of glass in circulation. Thus Board of Management
no examples of 13th- to 14th-century high-lead glass
from Germany are shown, one of the three compositional President: Caroline Jackson
types in this period and striking in their garish Hon Secretary: Sandy Davison
appearance, although they are discussed in Wedepohl's Hon Treasurer: Jim Smedley
discussion of glass types. Germanic-produced beakers
dominate by a large margin, while there are few stemmed Members of Board
goblets, and no uroscopy vessels in the catalogue,
although again, they are discussed in the introduction. It Denise Allen Aileen Dawson Sarah Paynter
is however impressive just how many medieval vessels Justine Bayley Suzanne Higgott Jennifer Price
survive intact given the severe corrosion that occurs on Colin Brain David Martlew St John Simpson
excavated glass, and the selection will have made a John Clark Martine Newby Rachel Tyson
striking impression on visitors to the museum. David Crossley
Angela Wardle
Rachel Tyson

Glass News 29 January 2011 16

Glass News

July 2011 Published by The Association for the History of Glass Ltd ISSN 1362-5195
www.historyofglass.org.uk

Number 30

First century glass vessel made in the form of a fish (length 200 mm) and found at Begram (see page 5). National
Museum of Afghanistan (©Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet)

Welcome to another issue of Glass News! Read on for details of the next AHG meeting, kindly
organised by David Martlew, to be held in London in
Firstly thank you to Justine Bayley, Caroline Jackson, November on the fascinating topic of ‘Glass in Science
Daniel Keller, Sandra Davison, Jennifer Price, St John and Medicine’.
Simpson and everyone who contributed to the hugely
enjoyable two day meeting in York on the 19th and 20th A visit to Gloucester Cathedral is being planned for the
of May ‘Neighbours and successors of Rome: Traditions spring 2012 AHG meeting. Details are still being
of glass production and use in Europe and the Middle finalised but the day will involve learning about the
East in the later first millennium AD’ (see the making of a stained glass window, how to ‘read’ a
photograph on page 2). There will be a review in the window and studying examples from the 1300s to the
next issue of Glass News. In the meantime abstracts can late 20th century. For details contact:
be obtained from the conference website: [email protected]
http://www.historyofglass.org.uk/meetings.html
1
Glass News 30 July 2011

Delegates at the recent two day meeting ‘Neighbours and successors of Rome’ in York, taken outside the Kings Manor (©
Tassos Antonaras)

CONFERENCES AND 12:00 Lunch (not provided)
MEETINGS
13:00 Association for the History of Glass - AGM
AHG AUTUMN STUDY DAY All are welcome to attend this meeting, but only
Incorporating the AGM Members may exercise a vote.

Glass in Science and Medicine Second Session: Glass the stuff of Physics
13:30 lenses in Roman Egypt: Archaeological and
Thursday 17th November 2011 Papyrological Evidence
Science Museum’s Dana Centre Jane Draycott (Nottingham University)
14:00 Antimony glass and Newton’s Telescope
South Kensington, London Anna Marie Roos (Oxford University)
14:30 Pioneers in optical glass manufacture
Provisional Programme Michael Cable (Sheffield University)

10:00 Registration and Refreshments 15:00 Refreshments

First Session: Glass the stuff of Chymistry Third Session: Glass the Once and Future Thing
10:30 Glass and the Alchemists 15:30 Two Centuries of Scientific Glassblowing
Dedo von Kerssenbrock-Krosigk (Glasmuseum Paul Le Pinnet (British Society of Scientific
Hentrich, Dusseldorf) Glassblowers)
11:00 Islamic Chemical Glass 16:00 Optical Fibres and the Struggle for Glass
Susan Mossman (Science Museum) Purity
11:30 Glass for medicine and distillation in medieval John Parker (Sheffield University)
Europe 16:30 X-actly so! Glass and the development of X-ray
Rachel Tyson (independent researcher) methods in analysis
Margaret West (West X-Ray Solutions)

17:00 Close

Glass News 30 July 2011 2

If you would like to attend, please send your full contact • Ralitsa Georgieva (Bulgarian Academy of
details, a stamped, addressed envelope and a cheque Sciences)
for £35.00 (non members), £25 (AHG members), or
£10.00 (students) payable to The Association for the • John Parker (University of Sheffield)
History of Glass Ltd to: • Michael Cable (University of Sheffield)
• Antonio Pires de Matos (University of Lisbon)
Sandra Davison, Hon. Sec. AHG • Dedo von Kerssenbrock-Krosigk (Glasmuseum
Email: [email protected]
Postal address: Hentrich, Dusseldorf)
68, East Street, Thame, Oxon OX9 3JS • Marco Beretta (University of Bologna)
• Martina Bertini (Aberdeen University)
Receipt by email, with SAE or on the day. • Sarah Paynter (English Heritage)
(Participants who normally live outside the UK may pay • Andrew Smith (Avon Archaeological Unit)
upon arrival at the venue in UK sterling). • Sally Haden (Private Researcher)

Members wishing to attend the AGM only may do so On the afternoon of Tuesday 6th September we plan a
free of charge. walking tour of the stained glass in the Oxford Colleges,
conducted by expert Mr Paul Sancasciani.
Society of Glass Technology
Annual Meeting 2011 The Registration Fee for attending the History &
Heritage Seminar is £65 per day, and includes lunch and
Seminar on the light refreshments.
History & Heritage
See http://www.oxford2011.sgthome.co.uk/ for further
of Glass details.
Part of the Annual
Conference of the CVMA Corpus Vitrearum Forum for the
Conservation of Stained Glass:
Society of Glass
Technology STAINED GLASS AFTER 1920: TECHNOLOGY AND

5th - 8th September 2011, Oxford CONSERVATION

This year the SGT Annual Conference will be held at Lisbon
Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford on September 26th 28th September 2011
4th-8th 2011. This International Conference on the
Chemistry of Glasses and Glass-Forming Melts is in This three day Forum for the Conservation of Stained
celebration of the 300th anniversary of the birth of Glass Windows is being held under the auspices of the
Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov, the great Russian Portuguese Committee of the Corpus Vitrearum and the
scholar and Father of Glass Chemistry in Russia. International Committee of the Corpus Vitrearum for the
Conservation of Stained Glass.
The History & Heritage seminar forms part of this
conference. On each of the four days (5th to 8th 20th and early 21st century stained glass presents
September) we will have presentations from a wide particular technical features related to changing
range of speakers including: aesthetics. New technology and materials represent a
great challenge to conservators and conservation
• Isabelle Pallot-Frossard (Laboratoire de scientists. The next forum intends to develop an overall
Recherche des Monuments Historiques, Paris) approach to this subject and motivate related discussion.
Art historical issues are central to the debate as well as
• David Dungworth (English Heritage) an integrated vision of artistic production in the period.
• Richard Jaques (English Heritage) Workshops are a specific aspect of contemporary stained
• Tobit Curteis (TC Associates) glass heritage which deserve particular attention.
• Jonathan and Ruth Cooke (Stained Glass
There will be two full days of oral presentations and
Conservators) poster sessions, covering materials and techniques and
• Alun Adams (Swansea Metropolitan University) conservation measures. The morning of the third day
• Anna Marie Roos (Oxford University) will be spent viewing stained glass in Lisbon.

Glass News 30 July 2011 3

Papers will be offered in English, French and German. A special thematic session entitled “Hyalos-Vitrum-
Simultaneous translation will not be provided at the Glass: Ten years later”, including review articles and
conference. outstanding papers dealing with vitreous material of the
Mediterranean region, will be held to celebrate the ten
Monday, 26th September year anniversary of the Conference Hyalos-Vitrum-
• Concepts in a changing universe Glass, organized in Rhodes, Greece, 3-5 April 2001.
• Materials and techniques
The conference will be themed on the topics:
Poster session 1. History and objects
Reception 2. Structure and Properties
3. Dating techniques and applications
Tuesday, 27th September 4. Technology (Raw materials, Furnaces, Melting, and
• Conservation measures Forming)
5. Corrosion of ancient materials
Conference dinner 6. Modern aspects of corrosion of materials
7. Conservation
Wednesday, 28th September
Morning: site visits in Lisbon: Contact: Email:
L. Filippaki; Tel: 0302106503801; Email:
• Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Fátima [email protected]
• Instituto Nacional de Estatística A. Korda; Tel: 0302106503301;
• Casa Museu Anastásio Gonçalves [email protected]
Afternoon: visit to Sintra, Palácio da Pena
Registration
Information regarding the conference will be updated at: Registration fee before September 30, 2011 will be 180
http://www.dcr.fct.unl.pt/eventos/portal_factory/Docum euros (70 euros for students). After September 20, 2011
ent/forum‐for‐theconservation‐ of‐stained‐glass‐windows the registration fee will be 220 €. A number of
reasonably priced hotels will be available to host the
History, Technology and Conservation of participants.
Ancient Metals, Glasses and Enamels
http://www.aegeussociety.org/en/index.php/call-for-
Athens, Greece papers/cpf-history-technology-and-conservation-of-
November 16-19, 2011 ancient-metals-glasses-and-enamels/

The N.C.S.R. “Demokritos”/Institute of Materials Association Francaise pour l’Archeologie
Science, The National Technical University of Athens du Verre (AFAV) Metz 2011
(NTUA)/Department of Chemical Engineering and The
National Hellenic Research Foundation 18th-19th November
(NHRF)/Institute for Greek and Roman Antiquity is Metz, Lorraine
organising this International Symposium on “History,
Technology and Conservation of Ancient Metal, Glasses At the 26th annual meeting of the AFAV, participants
and Enamels”. The official language of the Symposium from France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and
will be English. Luxemburg, including archaeologists, researchers and
conservators, will exchange data and ideas relating to
The emphasis will be on topics related to the technology the history of glass. The aim is to compare the results of
of fabrication and of conservation of ancient materials, research on both sides of the borders of Belgium,
focusing on findings from Greece and the adjacent areas. Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland and France.
The symposium will also focus on understanding and
predicting the chemistry and technology of the For more information see www.afaverre.fr
fabrication, behaviour, corrosion and properties of
ancient materials (copper-bronze-steel-brass-lead,
glasses and enamels).

Glass News 30 July 2011 4

AHG Grants They were made by inflating the glass while it was hot
and adding trails of glass to the body, and sometimes in
Grants are available from the Association for the History a different colour, to create very distinctive fins. The
of Glass, for educational or research activities consistent composition of the glass resembles that of Roman glass
with the Association’s charitable aims. These could made in Egypt yet there are no known parallels, either
include, for example, attendance at a conference to complete or fragmentary, for these vessels from the
present a lecture or poster, a study visit, fieldwork, or Roman world.
publication of scholarly works.
Some of the answers were provided at a conference held
There are no restrictions on who may apply or on the at the British Museum last March when Dr David
topics of applications, which will be judged on merit. Whitehouse and Bull Gudenrath, both from The Corning
Multiple applications in different years will be Museum of Glass, spoke about the significance of the
considered with individual awards up to £500. See also Begram glass and how the fish-shaped vessels were
the AHG website for details made. Bill drew gasps from the audience as first he
(www.historyofglass.org.uk). showed a specially filmed video of him making a copy
and then theatrically produced not just one, but two,
An application form may be downloaded from the copies at the front of the lecture-theatre. The video is
website, or obtained from: now posted on the BM’s website. He also showed that
Sandy Davison, AHG Hon Secretary, the techniques of making the glass fish were not
68 East Street, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 3JS. particularly complicated although the way in which the
Email: [email protected] fins were trailed were so distinctive that they could be
regarded as the sign of a particular glass-worker.
EXHIBITIONS
The workshop where these were made remains
Afghanistan: Crossroads of the unlocated and may never be found but David pointed out
Ancient World that this could be located somewhere in India as the
first-century text known as The Periplus of the
At the British Museum until the 17th July Erythraean Sea – a unique account of Red Sea and
western Indian Ocean trade at this period – refers to the
Glass from Begram export not just of Roman glassware from Egypt but also
raw glass. Much of this was probably turned into beads,
The current BM exhibition Afghanistan: Crossroads of bangles and inlays but the implication of the fish-shaped
the Ancient World contains nineteen of the roughly 180 vessels from Begram is that some was fashioned into
glass vessels found in the ancient Kushan storerooms at glass vessels by someone who had picked up the basics
Begram. Many have very close parallels from the of glass-blowing and set up shop in a world where this
Roman world which also support a date of about 100 was a complete novelty.
AD for the sealing of the rooms. These include mosaic
glass and ribbed bowls, facet-cut beakers, a drinking It is not difficult to see how even the cheapest and most
horn, a jug decorated with gold foil, another that appears mass-produced types of Roman glassware were given
almost black, and a stunning series decorated with exorbitant prices in places like India or Afghanistan in
scenes painted in brightly coloured vitreous enamels. All the first century but imagine the response when someone
functioned as tablewares but, whereas some are very says they can make a vessel that looks like a fish, is
common, others were probably relatively expensive. unknown even in Rome and, to cap it all, rests perfectly
on a table as its fins act as supports.
However, some of the vessels found at Begram remain
something of a mystery and these include as many as Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World,
twenty-two that are in the shape of fish (see the supported by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, is at the
photograph on the front cover of this issue) and other British Museum and has now been extended until 17
creatures. Three of these are shown in the exhibition. July; for details of the exhibition, the glassworking
demonstration and a wide range of related events visit
www.britishmuseum.org

Glass News 30 July 2011 5

EXCAVATION

Excavation of Roman glassworking waste
from St Algar’s Farm, Somerset

Excavations in 2010 at a Roman villa site at St Algar’s research on the glass finds, and a report will appear in
Farm near Frome in Somerset, led by Ceri Lambdin and the next issue of Glass News.
Robin Holley with the Bath and Camerton
Archaeological Society, uncovered over 400 fragments Further excavations will be carried out between July 25th
of Roman glass. This included typical glassworking and August 7th 2011. It is hoped that more evidence of
waste and fragments of 4th-century vessels, as well as the glassworking will be found, and visitors are
22 ceramic glass crucible fragments. welcome, preferably in small groups; please contact Ceri
Lambdin in advance at: [email protected] or
This is the first Roman glassworking site known in the 01225 761026.
south-west, and the first rural Roman glassworking site
from Britain. The AHG has generously given a grant for

AHG Grant Report:

The investigation of spiral decorated Iron Age Scottish glass beads
with an emphasis on their technology of production

Martina Bertini

PhD student in Analytical Chemistry, University of Aberdeen
[email protected]

The first time I met Dr Fraser Hunter during a visit at the This study used the most modern state-of-the-art
National Museum of Scotland (Edinburgh), he was analytical techniques, such as LA-ICP-MS (Laser
approaching a display case in the archaeology collection. Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass
His first words in carefully placing a beautiful Iron Age Spectrometry), which enabled us to gather a huge
spiral decorated Scottish glass bead under my nose were: collection of compositional data, including a large
‘We know virtually nothing about them’. It has been two number of trace elements, with such as small impact on
years since, and our first meeting developed into a the specimen that is virtually invisible to the naked eye.
fruitful collaboration, which also saw the precious
partnership of the Marischal Museum of Aberdeen. From the analysis it emerged that all of the glasses were
of the soda-lime type, with natron as a flux. The pattern
The beads represent a mystery of Scotland’s past. These of trace elements points to the use of costal
complex and brightly coloured objects are often Mediterranean sands, probably form the Levant or Syro-
represented by stray finds, with little or no archaeological Palestinian area. The compositional characteristics and
context. On the basis of new excavations, such as Birnie the high degree of homogeneity found fits the broader
(Morayshire) and Culduthel (Inverness-shire), they are Roman glass composition, and the compositional
thought to date back to the 1st to 2nd century AD, and consistency between glasses of the same colour, suggests
their peculiar distribution in Aberdeenshire and the wider that ancient glass makers were using standardized recipes
area of the Moray district only makes them even more and had control over the achievement of determinate
interesting for the investigation of glass working hues, rather than employing unintentionally achieved
technology at the fringes of the Roman Empire. colours.

Glass News 30 July 2011 6

Surprisingly, most of the beads seem to be produced with until now, failed. Thanks to the generous funding from
what appears to be cullet and waste glass, often the Association for the History of glass, that financed part
contaminated with different colours, which might have of this project, it was possible for me to establish a
reached Scotland as a result of trading activities in collaboration with VICARTE (Facultade de Ciencias e
privileged trading centres located at the northern Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa), which
frontiers. allowed me to experimentat with some of the methods
that might have been employed by the Scottish craftsmen.
Figure 1. Different views of bead FJ 138, found at The first step of the study consisted of the investigation
Callievar Hill, Cushnie (Aberdeenshire). The bright of the internal structure of some of the beads with 3D
turquoise colour, obtained with the addition of bronze µCT (Tridimensional micro-Computer Tomography)
and little amounts of lead to the melt, is only visible when with Synchrotron radiation. The analysis gave excellent
the bead is observed with strong transmitted light results in the identification of features pertaining to
(©Martina Bertini). different techniques, such as winding, trailing a glass
The location of the manufacturing centre is still stinger into a decoration, and gathering chunks of waste
uncertain. However, together with the stylistic originality glass into a new bead.
of the spiral design, the poor quality of the materials
used, clashing with the mastery with which the beads Secondarily, the production of replica beads was
were realized and pointing to the use and re-use of a attempted. The methods used were a lost-wax casting
material that must have been rare and precious to the technique, as suggested by Prof. Julian Henderson further
ancient glass workers, hints to a local production for to the finding of a bead encased in a mould in the Meare
these artefacts, rather than the exportation of finished excavation in the late 70s and 80s, and the winding
objects. method proposed by Mrs Rosemarie Lierke. Whereas
Amongst this wealth of information however, the Prof. Henderson’s technique proved to be long, complex,
technique used in the manufacture of spiral decorated difficult, wasteful of precious material, required strict
beads seemed to remain out of grasp. In fact, according to control of temperatures and materials and produced
Dr Hunter any attempt of producing replica beads had, features on the artefact that do not match the marks on
the analysed beads, the experiments carried out following
Glass News 30 July 2011 Mrs Lierke’s method gave positive and encouraging
results. The latter technique in fact, involving the
manufacture of a triangular shaped bead, and the coiling
of the spirals onto its corners, produces well trailed
spirals in a minimum working time and with no waste of
glass. Once the triangular bead is formed, its corners can
be sunk back into its body with the simple administration
of heat, or with the help of a marver, producing
characters, which are unmistakably linked to the
originals. The project is still in progress and more
conclusive data will be published in full once the work is
complete.

I wish to thank Dr Fraser Hunter and the National
Museum of Scotland, Mr Neil Curtis and Mrs Margot
Wright and the Marischal Museum of Aberdeen for
entrusting me with the rare and precious specimens that
made the subject of my PhD studies. Thanks are due to
Dr David Martlew for his help, support and
encouragement and to Prof. Pires de Matos and all of
VICARTE’s staff for allowing me to use their excellent
facilities, and for their teaching and kind collaboration.
This work was made possible by funding from the
Association for the History of Glass, the College of
Physical Science of the University of Aberdeen and
VICARTE, Universidade Nova de Lisboa.

7

Figure 2. Investigation of the internal structure of two Class 13 Scottish spiral decorated glass beads (Marischal Museum
reference n. 15514 and 15543) with 3D CT with Synchrotron light. The analysis highlights differences in density between
different glasses, and makes it possible to see the outline of bubbles and cavities in the matrix. In this picture, the lead-
rich yellow decoration is easily distinguished from the less dense soda-lime glass, and from the twirls of bubbles under

the centre of the spiral (©Martina Bertini).

Figure 3. (Top row) three final stages in the production of moulded beads: a grooved bead just extracted from the mould
and cold-worked for the removal of spruing, flashing and parting lines; the enamelling stage and a finished bead after
polishing. (Bottom row) Lampworking for bead making and one of the examples of spiral beads successfully produced
with this technique (©Martina Bertini).

Glass News 30 July 2011 8

New Discoveries of Glass in a Roman Grave at York

Hilary Cool

The York Archaeological Trust is currently conducting one who had been consulted over the items from both this
very large scale excavations over a five year period in and other graves at Hungate, the Trust asked me to write
Hungate. The site lies to the west of the River Foss and in this little piece.
the Roman period lay to the east of the legionary fortress.
Last year some richly furnished graves were found, one In addition to the glass finds, the individual in this grave
of which contained both a glass vessel and beads from a has been buried with a plain jet bangle and a colour-
necklace. One of your eagle-eyed editors saw them coated pottery beaker from Trier placed inside a Dales
illustrating an article about the site in the magazine ware cooking jar. The glass vessel was a small indented
Current Archaeology and asked the Trust whether they blue/green unguent bottle (Price and Cottam 1998, 177-
could provide an article for Glass News. As I was the 9).

Small indented bottle from Hungate ‘glass grave’ (©York Archaeological Trust).

The bead string consisted of small cubic beads in opaque dated to the third century and the beaker to the early to
mid green, opaque mid blue and opaque blue with red mid third century.
and white chevron with a single square-sectioned and
asymmetrical rounded biconical jet bead. The So it seems likely that the person in this grave was
distribution of the beads look as though they were buried somewhere in the last two thirds of the third
probably worn as a necklace. Unfortunately the Hungate century.
area is a brown field, former industrial area and this has
not aided the preservation of the bone so we have no Whenever you are faced with a burial, the first question
skeleton against which to judge this. to ask is ‘who was buried?’. Given the soil conditions at
Hungate we cannot get any help from the skeleton. The
The necklace contains bead types which were in use by grave cut was a size suitable for a small adult so an
AD 230 as the distinctive polychrome beads were found adolescent might also be possible. Elsewhere during the
in the fortress baths drain deposit of AD 160-230 at third century strings of small glass beads like these have
Caerleon. In the cemetery at Brougham they were found very strong links to females when osteological evidence
in graves of the last third of the third century. The glass survives. It would be highly unusual for a male to have
flask is a third century form, possibly more common them. The pattern generally observed in Roman Britain
later in the century. The jet bangle is not closely is that it is young girls who tend to be buried with lots of
dateable but would not be inconsistent with a third jewellery like this when the skeleton can be sexed. So it
century date. My friend and colleague Ruth Leary who is likely we are looking at the grave of a teenage girl
has looked at the pottery vessels says the jar can be here.

Glass News 30 July 2011 9

York was a very cosmopolitan place in the third century. fashion for native Romano-British women in the third
The Emperor Septimius Severus had died there in AD century, but if there was one place in northern Britain
212 and the man who was to become known as where a young British girl would have been able to see
Constantine the Great was acclaimed emperor in the city new foreign fashions and seek them out, it was York.
in AD 306. The suite of grave goods has many
similarities with those buried with young people at The excavations at Hungate are due to finish in 2012 and
Brougham, and there it is very likely we are looking at at that point the work of post excavation assessment and
the cemetery belonging to an auxiliary military unit and analysis will start. Teasing out the information from
their families that had been raised in the lands beyond both this grave and the others, as well as exploring the
the Danubian frontier and moved to Cumbria. history of the site from the Roman period up to the 20th
century promises to be a fascinating journey.
So are we looking at a teenager from a foreign family?
Very possibly. But we should also remember that There is a website devoted to the Hungate excavation at
teenage girls in many periods are likely to be attracted to http://www.dighungate.com/
new fashions. Wearing bead necklaces was not a normal

Green, blue and polychrome blue/ red/white beads from Hungate ‘glass grave’ (© York Archaeological Trust).

The Price and Cottam reference is, of course, Price, J. Cool, H.E.M. 2004. The Roman Cemetery at Brougham,
and Cottam, S. 1998. Romano-British Glass Vessels: a Cumbria: Excavations 1966 and 1967, Britannia
Handbook CBA Practical Handbook in Archaeology 14 Monograph 21 (London).
(York).
Zienkiewicz, J.D. 1986. The Legionary Fortress Baths at
More information about Brougham and Caerleon can be Caerleon: Volume II the Finds (Cardiff).
found in the following works:

Glass News 30 July 2011 10

The Investigation and Conservation of the Glass from Lacock Abbey

Hazel Gardiner
UCL, London

Recently, about 300 fragments of archaeological The glass has no early documentation but was probably
medieval stained glass and leads from Lacock Abbey in found during excavation of the abbey church foundations
Wiltshire were rediscovered by the National Trust. They by archaeologist Harold Brakspear in 1898, and possibly
were excavated in the late nineteenth or early twentieth also in earlier investigations by Charles Henry Talbot,
century and until the National Trust encountered them a who owned the abbey in the late nineteenth century. An
few years ago, had sat unremarked in metal biscuit tins in excavation in 2006, of the abbey drainage system, also
an outbuilding. The glass is now with University College uncovered a number of fragments of stained glass which
London, Institute of Archaeology, where documentation were recorded and conserved by the National Trust at that
and conservation is being undertaken by students of the time.
MSc Conservation for Archaeology and Museums
programme. Of the fragments now at UCL, there are many examples
of coloured and flashed glass, many pieces are grozed
Excavated fragmentary window glass provides much of and shaped and most have some evidence of painted
the evidence of medieval stained glass from the smaller decoration. Of the selection studied so far, a number of
religious houses in Britain, so the investigation and these bear traces of stylised leaves, and some have cross-
conservation of the Lacock glass should provide a hatching. Such features could indicate a pre-1260 date,
valuable addition to this resource. tying in with the earliest building campaign. [Fig. 1].

Lacock Abbey, now a National Trust property, was
originally an Augustinian nunnery. Founded in 1230, the
abbey buildings were substantially complete by 1247,
with just one later addition: a Lady Chapel to the abbey
church, built in the early fourteenth century. Repairs and
restorations would, of course, have been made to the
glazing in the course of its history, and there may also
have been later glazing campaigns, but much of the
stained glass would correspond approximately to the date
of the buildings. At the Dissolution in 1539, the abbey
church was demolished.

Figure 1 (©Hazel Gardiner) Figure 2 (©Hazel Gardiner)
There are also a number of fragments readily
Glass News 30 July 2011 recognisable as parts of quarries. These are painted with
delicate, stylised freehand foliage, although these have no
cross-hatching. Another fragment, painted with a distinct
oak-leaf, appears to be an example of the increasing
naturalism found in depictions of foliage in the second
half of the thirteenth century [Fig. 2].

11

Some of the fragments retain some translucency, while As little medieval glass survives from religious houses in
for those in the poorest condition only a blackened, England, and thirteenth century glass is particularly rare,
hollow pseudomorph of the original glass might survive, it seems that the Lacock glass could prove a valuable
or laminating iridescent layers might have completely research resource. More details about the glass and a
replaced all original glass. However, the painted surface discussion of the conservation and investigation options
may remain readable even when no original glass under consideration will be published in a forthcoming
survives. issue of Vidimus (www.vidimus.org).

Although the evidence is hidden beneath layers of mud, Hazel Gardiner is currently a student on the MSc
and much of the glass is in a poor state, with a little Conservation for Archaeology and Museums programme
careful investigative conservation most fragments may be at UCL.
read and documented [Fig. 3]. Analysis would yield
further data about the glass and its composition.

Figure 3: Before cleaning (left) and after cleaning (right) with an image of a tracing made of the decoration on the
fragment (inset) processed using Photoshop (© Hazel Gardiner)

Daniel Thomas Howells

May 1984-April 2011

It is with great sadness that we note the loss of Dan observations and insights into, and new discoveries
Howells who died suddenly in April of this year. Dan about, a range of issues about gold-glass, from
completed a BA at Winchester and an MA at Reading. iconography and patronage to issues of manufacture and
Whilst working as a field archaeologist, he applied for an design. Indeed, Dan took himself to the Roman
AHRC-funded collaborative doctorate at the British Glassmakers and learnt how to blow glass and
Museum, investigating Roman pewterware. Fortunately, experimented impressively with ways of making gold
he was unsuccessful and instead was offered, and glass. Dan completed his doctorate successfully and was
accepted, a collaborative award to study the Late Antique working on publications arising from it. We hope to bring
gold-glass in the Museum’s collections (see Glass News these plans to fruition.
28). Dan said he had thought he would be a Roman
archaeologist; instead, he became an expert on gold glass All of us who knew him will remember Dan’s grin, his
and never regretted it. We never regretted it either. friendliness, his willingness to share his work, his
enthusiasm for glass studies, his interest in everything
Dan was an intelligent student with a questioning mind that was going on around him. The passing of this
and enormous potential. His research on the British promising young scholar is a blow to us all.
Museum’s collection provided significant new
12
Glass News 30 July 2011

One of the gold glass replicas that Dan produced Colleagues at the University of Sussex are planning an
working with the Roman Glassmakers (© Roman event on campus to celebrate Dan Howell’s life and his
Glassmakers) contribution to glass studies. It will take place in the
afternoon of Wednesday 26 October 2011 in the Meeting
House. We will exchange memories of Dan, and erect
either a tree or a bench on campus in his memory. All are
welcome; please put the date in your diary and let us
know you are coming and whether you would like to
speak about Dan.

We would like to collect memories of Dan, both to read
out at the event and also to print up into a booklet. If you
have a memory, please send it to Sam Dunnett. If you
would like to contribute to the cost of a tree or a bench in
Dan’s memory, Sam Dunnett is in charge of the
collection. Please make cheques payable to Liz James.
For all information, contact Samantha Dunnett:
[email protected]; Samantha Dunnett, HAHP,
School Office, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton
BN1 9QN.

PUBLICATIONS

Les Verres Antiques D'Arles ‘Ancient Glass and Various Antiquities
from the Frits Lugt Collection’
Daniele Foy
Ruurd Binnert Halbertsma
A catalogue of ancient glass in the collection du Musée
Départmental Arles Antique, covering in excess of 1000 This catalogue of the Frits Lugt collection of ancient
objects. glass and other antiquities in the Fondation Custodia
Paris contains descriptions and colour illustrations of 90
Editions Errance, Paris, 2010 objects.
Price: €65
Hardback, French text, 525 pages, many colour Fondation Custodia,Paris, 2010
illustrations Price: £29
89 pages, many colour illustrations
A review will follow in the next issue of Glass News.
‘L'avventura Del Vetro Dal Rinascimento
al Novecento Tra Venezia e Mondi
Lontani’

Aldo Bova

The catalogue of the Trento exhibition of Italian glass
from the Renaissance to the 20th century in Venice and
surrounding areas.

Skira, Milano, 2010
Price: €69
Hardback, 565 pages, Italian text, many colour plates

Glass News 30 July 2011 13

Archaeological Evidence for The final few chapters of the Guidelines make up a
Glassworking reference section, which includes where to go for help, a
glossary, a bibliography, a chronological overview of
Guidelines for Best Practice development in glassworking and a summary table for
Sarah Paynter and David Dungworth quick reference.

English Heritage, Swindon, 2011 BOOK REVIEW

Islamic Glass in The Corning Museum of
Glass

Volume One: Objects with Scratch-Engraved
and Wheel-Cut Ornament
David Whitehouse

The cover and an example page from the new guidelines Corning, New York, 2010
Price: $95.00
Available free of charge by contacting: Hardback, 430 pages ISBN 978-0-87290-175-9
[email protected]
This splendid volume is the first of three which will
Or download a free copy from the English Heritage provide a comprehensive catalogue of Islamic glass in
website at: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/ and go Corning. It follows the author's four previous volumes
to Professional > Publications > Guidelines and on the Roman and Sasanian/post-Sasanian glass in this
standards collection, and is published to the same format with
introductory chapters, full catalogue descriptions with
This latest edition in the English Heritage Guidelines individual commentaries, colour photographs and line
series focuses on the identification, investigation and drawings of each piece, scientific analyses, bibliography
interpretation of glassworking evidence at sites in and an index. It is informative, easy to use and a
England from the Bronze Age until the 20th century. pleasure to consult.
Comprising 12 chapters, with numerous photographs
and illustrations, this guidance draws on contributions Corning has one of the world's largest collections of
and case studies from experts in the field, including Islamic glass. Although much lacks archaeological
archaeologists, glass specialists, glassworkers and provenance, this is true of most collections and the fact
archaeological scientists. that most are sherds rather than suspiciously pristine or

It begins with an introduction to glass, including the raw 14
materials and how glass was made and worked, followed
by a chapter on the practicalities of investigating
glassworking sites, including research resources,
surveying, excavation, sampling, dating, conservation
and scientific analysis.

The middle chapters focus on the evidence of
glassworking, and the different types of features and
material that might survive, such as furnace remains,
crucibles and glass waste. Common glassworking
processes are described together with the diagnostic
waste they produce. There is also a chapter on material
commonly misinterpreted as glassworking evidence.

Glass News 30 July 2011

heavily restored objects adds to its value as a source of workshops and more compositional analyses of the
study and comparison. The manner in which they are different groups would be instructive as only three
analysed and presented adds to that, and sets a very high vessels in this category were analysed by Brill
standard. (including an opaque turquoise blue bottle made from
plant ash glass and a green lead glass bowl). 31 of the
This volume contains as many as 595 objects, mostly wheel-cut vessels, including a relief-cut bowl with a
dating between the eighth and eleventh centuries, almost Kufic inscription ("happiness"), six molar flasks and
two thirds of which were collected by Ray Winfield twelve bottles of varying capacities were found in ninth-
Smith and mostly published here for the first time. eleventh century contexts at Fustat. Many others were
Others were collected by Jerome Strauss and Maurice acquired in Cairo or appear from their minimal
Nahman, a leading dealer-collector from Cairo, and weathering to have been found in Egypt whereas one
assumed to mainly come from Fustat (Old Cairo). A was acquired in Homs and yet others were acquired via
small number come from archaeological contexts, all the Iranian art market, including a small number said to
from excavations there directed by George Scanlon come from Gurgan province and the medieval city-sites
under the auspices of the American Research Centre in of Rayy, Saveh and Nishapur, all of which (like Fustat)
Egypt and published in the volume on the excavated were extensively mined by commercial excavators. The
glass (reviewed in Glass News 14 with corrections separation of pieces from the same findspot is illustrated
added here by Whitehouse). by the noting of a virtual join between two relief-cut
sherds now in Corning and Berlin (p.244). Several
This catalogue is divided into three sections, namely vessels show signs of grinding down of the neck
pieces decorated with scratch-engraving, wheel cutting following breakage of the upper portion and are
and cameo glasses, followed by an essay discussing probably modifications made by the art market (by
relief-cut glass with zoomorphic decoration. Separate comparison, a bell-shaped flask in the BM which was
appendices discuss the spectacular Corning Hedwig acquired in 1959 and published in Masterpieces of Glass
beaker, an unusual polychrome fragment and eight as cat. 139 is a pastiche whereby the fragmentary neck
fragments of carved rock crystal (including a waste of a separate vessel was added to the body but has now
fragment). been separated).

The collection includes as many as 44 scratch-engraved The third group consists of cameo glasses: this is again
pieces (compared to seven in the Khalili Collection or a an unrivalled collection of 94 pieces. They are arranged
dozen in the BM). These appear to date between the according to manufacturing technique (always a strength
mid-eighth and ninth centuries. Most are transparent of Corning) and then by style.
deep blue, as is typical, but the compositions include
both natron and plant ash glasses implying production Space precludes further comments but in short this
both in Egypt and/or Syro-Palestine and somewhere volume is an essential point of reference for anyone
further east. One of the plant ash pieces was acquired in working on Islamic glass. Specific comments and
Aleppo and therefore may have been found in north parallels are made to other published collections and
Syria or Mesopotamia whereas one of the natron glass excavated assemblages, particularly those from Fustat,
fragments was acquired in Cairo. The forms are flat Serce Limani, Samarra and Nishapur, but it remains
dishes, bowls and bottles, decorated in varying quality unclear how representative these assemblages are and
with geometric and stylised floral designs although two how common any of the present categories really were
of the natron glasses show birds and one was inscribed. in antiquity. As with Islamic glazed pottery, there has
There is no evidence for the applied red and yellow been a tendency among dealers and collectors to elevate
pigment that is a feature of plates excavated at Samarra. the status and value of the objects from craft products
into works of art. Whitehouse's catalogue subtly
The second group consists of monochrome glass vessels undermines this thesis by, on the one hand, including
decorated with wheel cutting. This is the largest sherds alongside complete (restored) vessels but also
category and totals a staggering 447 objects, divided into presenting a much larger volume of pieces. However, it
six groups according to cutting technique. The also remains true that excavations at some major city-
popularity of this deep cutting tradition probably lies in sites such as Siraf and Merv failed to produce the
the earlier Sasanian world but the forms (whether quantities of "luxury" glass that might be expected and
straight-sided bowls, molar flasks or bottles) and many disproportionate circulation and recycling may prove the
of the techniques (such as slant-cut faceting or figural answer. David Whitehouse's forthcoming catalogues and
relief-cutting) are new, as are the colourless, deep blue, discussion of the glass from Siraf should be particularly
opaque turquoise and emerald green fabrics (the instructive.
remainder are naturally tinged to varying degrees). The
variety of styles, quality of workmanship and wide St John Simspon
distribution of finds imply production in multiple
15
Glass News 30 July 2011

Please send your contributions:

Finds • Research • Ideas
Publications • Conferences • News

for Glass News 31

by

18th November 2011

to:

Rachel Tyson
25 North Street

Calne
Wiltshire SN11 0HQ

[email protected]

THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE HISTORY OF GLASS

Registered charity 275236

Board of Management

President: Caroline Jackson
Hon Secretary: Sandy Davison
Acting Hon Treasurer: Angela Wardle

Denise Allen Members of Board Sarah Paynter
Justine Bayley Jennifer Price
David Crossley St John Simpson
Colin Brain Aileen Dawson Rachel Tyson
John Clark Suzanne Higgott
David Martlew
Martine Newby

Glass News 30 July 2011 16

Glass News

Published by The Association for the History of Glass Ltd
www.historyofglass.org.uk

January 2012 Number 31Text ISSN 1362-5195

MEMBERS AND SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. The Board
has decided that the cost of printing it in colour would
require an increase in the subscription, and that offering
an emailed version is more satisfactory for the moment.
Please email one of the editors (see back page) if you
would like a PDF copy. Subscriptions and memberships
for 2012-2013 are due in April, and a form is enclosed to
send with cheques to John Clark.

The editors would like to thank this issue’s contributors
for so much material, and please keep it coming for
future issues! See back page for contact details.

STOP PRESS!
The newly designed AHG website is shortly to be re-
launched at www.historyofglass.org.uk

Grotesque (1480s) from the Lady Chapel, Gloucester AHG meetings this year start on March 31st with a study
Cathedral (Photo: Richard Cann © The Chapter of day on stained glass at Gloucester Cathedral (see page 2),
Gloucester Cathedral) kindly organised by member Robin Lunn. If any other
members have ideas for study days please contact one of
Welcome to Issue 31 of Glass News! The recent AGM the committee.
saw various changes to the Board of Management. We
begin with a huge vote of thanks to Caroline Jackson who Autumn 2012 has a packed programme, with the AIHV
finished her term of office as President, one which she congress in Slovenia in September, as well as a meeting
has held since 2007. We also thank Sandy Davison for in memory of Sarah Jennings being organised jointly
her work as Secretary and fount of all AHG knowledge with the Medieval Pottery Research Group, to be held in
since 2006 as she stands down. Both Caroline and Sandy late 2012 at a venue in London. A workshop on British
have worked tirelessly and efficiently behind the scenes Crystal Glassmaking 1660-1760 is being planned with
organising an interesting and varied programme of AHG the Georgian Glassmakers (also known as the Roman
events, always ready to solve problems and answer Glassmakers) at Quarley near Andover. Please look out
questions, and will be hard to replace. The new President for details of these in the next issue and on the website.
is Justine Bayley, a long-serving Board member who has
previously been Secretary. Denise Allen, another familiar THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE
Board member, becomes the new Secretary, while HISTORY OF GLASS
Angela Wardle becomes the new Treasurer, having taken
over the books when Jim Smedley resigned nearly a year Registered charity 275236
ago. Last but certainly not least, a resounding cheer for
Sarah Paynter who has passed on the mantle of co- Board of Management
editorship after an incredible seven years service! Sarah
has co-edited Glass News with enthusiasm, originally President: Justine Bayley
with Juanita Navarro and then Rachel Tyson, and has Hon Secretary: Denise Allen
been a joy to work with. We extend a warm welcome to Hon Treasurer: Angela Wardle
Andrew Meek, a Scientist at the British Museum, who is
now co-editing with Rachel, and to John Shepherd who Members of Board
returns to the Board.
Colin Brain Suzanne Higgott Jennifer Price
For the first time we are offering to send a colour PDF
version of this issue of Glass News on request TO John Clark David Martlew John Shepherd

David Crossley Andrew Meek St John Simpson

Aileen Dawson Martine Newby Rachel Tyson

Sarah Paynter

Glass News 31 January 2012 1

AHG SPRING STUDY DAY CONFERENCES AND
EXHIBITIONS
Gloucester Cathedral
Stained Glass Study Day The 19th Congress of the Association Internationale pour
Saturday 31st March 2012 l'Histoire du Verre will take place in Slovenia in Piran,
the historical town on the Northern Adriatic Sea, from
11am-3.45pm Monday 17th September (registration from the evening of
Sunday 16th) through to Friday 21st September 2012. It
We recommend that you bring a pair of binoculars. will be organised by the University of Primorska, Science
and Research Centre, Institute for Mediterranean
10.45 am Meet in the south porch (the main entrance to Heritage in co-operation with the Association of
the Cathedral) - Coffee will be served in the Chapter Museums in Slovenia and ICOM Slovenia. The
House. Organising Committtee of the 19th Congress intends to
11.00 am How to 'Read' a Stained Glass Window: combine a full programme of lectures and poster sessions
illustrated by the Chapter House window; The Making including opportunities to visit museums and collections
of a Stained Glass Window, a short film ‘Art of Light’, in Ljubljana and Aquileia. During museum visits it will
in which a glazier explains and demonstrates the stages in be possible to see also the material stored in depots. A
designing, making and installing a stained glass window; two day excursion will be organised after the conference.
The excursions and post-congress tour will be organised
11.30 am Medieval Glass in the Cathedral. We move in co-operation with AIHV Italia and Museums in
into the Cathedral to study and discuss: Croatia. Special attention will be given to the glass from
The Great East Window (1350s): its historical context prehistory to the present in SE Europe and the Balkans.
and relationship to other glass in the south-west;
The Lady Chapel east window (various periods, but Congress Fee
primarily late 1400s); other medieval glass in the Lady AIHV members:
Chapel (late 1400s); the heraldic glass in the cloisters 220€until 30th June 2012, 260€thereafter
(1520s and 1540s) Students:
110€until 30th June 2012, 130€thereafter
1.00 pm Lunch in the Cathedral Function Suite (light Non AIHV members:
lunch incl. sandwiches) Please Note - There is a flight of 280€until 30th June 2012, 320€thereafter
stairs to negotiate to the Cathedral Function Suite Accompanying person:
110€until 30th June 2012, 130€thereafter
1.45 pm 19th-Century Glass
Study the glass of the companies most represented in the Accommodation
Cathedral, especially Hardman, Wailes, Clayton & Bell Piran and Portorož are tourist centres on the Slovenian
and Kempe (cloisters, nave, transepts, ambulatories) coast with numerous and varied accommodation
capabilities. We suggest you secure a hotel room or other
2.45 pm 20th-Century Glass accommodation in Piran (Hotel Piran, Hotel Tartini) or in
Christopher Whall (Lady Chapel) Contemporary glass the Bernardin hotel complex (Hotel Histrion, Grand
(Caroline Swash, Fiona Brown, Alan Younger, Tom Hotel Bernardin) because these are in the immediate
Denny) vicinity (by foot or a free city mini-bus) of the Trevisini
Palace and Bernardin Congress Centre where the
3.45 pm Finish congress will take place.

N.B. The announcement of this event attracted great Participants are responsible for securing their own
interest. There are only 28 places & these will be accommodation, the hotels will provide all participants of
allocated on a first – paid basis. Tickets £30 non- the AIHV 19/2012 conference with a discounted price.
members, £20 members and students, including lunch.
Please send cheques payable to The Association for the
History of Glass Ltd to Sandy Davison at 68 East Street,
Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 3JS. Cheques will not be
banked until just before the meeting.

Glass News 31 January 2012 2

We suggest participants book their accommodation as Society of Glass Technology
soon as possible, but by May 2012 at the latest!
Annual Meeting 2012
Post-congress excursion Excursion fee 198€
22nd September: Piran-Novo meston-Zagreb-Biograd The Society of Glass Technology’s Annual meeting will
23rd September: Split-Zadar-Poreč-Piran be held on 5-7 September 2012 at Cambridge University.
See www.cambridge2012.sgthome.co.uk for further
For further details and to book see www.zrs.upr.si details.
or email [email protected]
Association Francaise pour l’Archéologie
Glass Workers of Roman London du Verre (AFAV)
Bordeaux 2012
12 May 2012
The 27th annual meeting of the AFAV will be held on 9-
The Surrey Roman Studies Group’s 2012 Conference on 10 November 2012 in Bordeaux. See www.afaverre.fr
‘The Development of Industry in Southern Roman
Britain’ includes a contribution by John Shepherd on AWARDS
‘Glass Workers of Roman London’. The Conference will
take place on Saturday 12th May at Chertsey Hall AHG Grants
(Chertsey, Surrey) from 0930 to 1700 ish. For details see
Events at www.surreyarchaeology.org.uk. Grants are available from the Association for the History
of Glass, for educational or research activities consistent
5th International Festival of Glass with the Association’s charitable aims. These could
Stourbridge Glass Quarter include, for example, attendance at a conference to
present a lecture or poster, a study visit, fieldwork, or
24-27 August 2012 publication of scholarly works. There are no restrictions
on who may apply or on the topics of applications, which
The dates of the fifth International Festival of Glass are will be judged on merit. Multiple applications in different
now confirmed It will be celebrating 400 years of years will be considered with individual awards up to
glassmaking in Stourbridge and the 50th anniversary of £500. See the AHG website for further details
studio glassmaking worldwide and will include (www.historyofglass.org.uk).
exhibitions, performances, demonstrations, have-a-go
sessions and lectures. See www.ifg.org.uk. An application form may be downloaded from the
website, or can be obtained from the Honorary Secretary,
It will also incorporate the British Glass Biennale 2012, Denise Allen. Email: [email protected]
the UK’s major exhibition of contemporary glass in
association with the Worshipful Company of Glass Society of Glass Technology
Sellers and the International Festival of Glass. This is the Alastair Pilkington Award
UK’s top contemporary glass showcase and will feature
work of over 80 of the country’s leading glass artists. The The Society of Glass Technology has announced the
exhibition runs 28 August - 15 September. See inauguration of its Early Career award intended to
www.biennale.org/2012-biennale promote creativity and excellence in studies related to
glass. In association with the Mushroom Trust, the
Verre et Histoire: Society plans to make this award biennially and thereby
18-20 October 2012: Flacons, fioles et commemorate the most significant Glass Technologist of
the twentieth century, Sir Alastair Pilkington.
fiasques de la création à l’usage
Venue: Rouen and the Bresle valley At the SGT Conference Opening Ceremony, David
Martlew (Chairman of the SGT’s Board of Fellows)
This association in France exists to provide a forum for explained why Sir Alastair was the perfect role model for
different disciplines interested in the history of glass to this award. Within four years of entering the field of glass
exchange research and ideas, to develop understanding of studies, Sir Alastair made the invention which would
glass. It organises regular conferences, debates, study transform the windows of the world. His revolutionary
days, visits and demonstrations covering all aspects of the concept of forming flat glass by floating on molten metal
history of glass. made perfect window glass feasible - and affordable. The

For further details see the website: www.verre- 3
histoire.org or email [email protected].

Glass News 31 January 2012

skylines of today’s cities proclaim the huge social impact Revel took advantage of his many contacts at home and
of this quiet engineer’s inventive genius. abroad to found the collection of studio glass. One of the
earliest pieces he acquired directly from Sam Herman
Not content with the brainwave, Sir Alastair overcame who had made the work at Edinburgh College of Art. He
many obstacles and by determination, hard work and continued to develop both the studio and contemporary
integrity, brought his concept into commercial reality, to factory made glass by visiting glassmakers and
the benefit of all. He was honoured by the conferring of glassworks particularly when he had made contacts
the coveted Fellowship of the Royal Society in 1969, and within the country he was visiting or was attending one
his service to society was recognised in his knighthood in of the international glass conferences he enjoyed so
1970. Success never ‘turned his head’: he remained an much. Revel was widely respected in the glass
unassuming man always willing to help, encourage and community and often bought work for himself, always
mentor those around him. He led by example, and so with a view that it would eventually be given to the
earned the respect of the men who worked for him. museum.

President of the SGT, Brian McMillan, said that the Sadly Revel passed away on March 22, 2011 but the
whole arena of glass studies needed to promote and legacy he left in the glass collection ensures he will
develop creative researchers of this calibre. But not only always be remembered. The museum recently received
the hard sciences and engineering aspects. Sir Alastair the wonderful gift of the Dan Klein and Alan J. Poole
was sensitive to beauty in glass and to its long and Private Collection which, in part, I feel sure was a result
stunning history as a material. He encouraged those of Revel’s development of the post war collections.
whose field lay in the archaeology and conservation of
glass, its history and its heritage significance. He played a Rose Watban
major part in developing the Pilkington Glass Museum, Senior Curator Applied Art & Design
and encouraged it to portray not only the glass artefacts National Museums Scotland
but also the glassmaking techniques used in history.
EXHIBITION AND MEETING
This award is intended to stimulate creativity and REVIEWS
determination in any field of glass studies. It is open to
all researchers newly engaging with the study of glass, AHG Conference: ‘Neighbours and
irrespective of age, nationality, or field of study. Successors of Rome’:
Candidates will submit three published papers explaining
their work, and the award will be made at an international Traditions of glass production and use in
conference in Europe. Europe and the Middle East in the later
Further details may be found on the Society of Glass
Technology website at www.sgt.org first millennium AD
19-20 May 2011
OBITUARIES
The King’s Manor, York, was a stunning setting which
Revel Oddy d.2011 hosted a very successful two-day inter-disciplinary
conference broadly themed on the traditions and use of
Revel Oddy (one of the original 16 members of the glass in the East and West during Late Antiquity (4th-8th
AHG) joined what was then the Royal Scottish centuries). The presentations were split geographically
Museum in 1955 as an assistant keeper, curating British over the two days. The majority of the first day was
and European Glass, Ceramics, and Dress and Textiles. devoted to glass from north-western Europe.
He went on to become keeper of the department from
1974 until his retirement in 1983. Revel had previously Ian Freestone began by giving us an insight into
been employed at the V&A and he worked tirelessly to fluctuations in the supply of raw glass during the first
assemble both historic and contemporary glass for the millennium AD, focussing on the analysis of an
collection in Edinburgh. Well known for his quirky sense extraordinary assemblage of Roman glass from
of humour he always maintained that he knew nothing Basinghall Street, London. He proposed that glass
about any of the applied arts except for stained and production in Britain during the early medieval period
painted glass. In fact he knew a great deal and was likely to have been characterised by sparse
successfully filled many historical gaps in the collection punctuated periods of glassmaking using fresh glass
acquiring a wide range of 18th-century glass including imported from the East until the 8th century, after which
four exceptional Anglo-Dutch wine glasses and a there was a dependence on cullet.
decanter-jug and large bowl attributed to Ravenscroft.
4
Glass News 31 January 2012

Caroline Jackson and Harriet Foster followed with a very from the West. The day finished with a fascinating visit
detailed account of glass production and use in Britain to the York Glaziers Trust Bedern workshop, led by
during the 4th century. Interestingly, there appears to Sarah Brown.
have been a change to the use of ‘lower quality’ glass of
a different compositional type and colour in this period, The focus of the first half of the second day was the
suggesting changes in glass manufacture and vessel Aegean, gold-glass and mosaics. Anastasios Antonaras
production. Linking in with this, Martin Grünewald and began by discussing a remarkable Early Christian glass
Sonngard Hartmann then discussed the possible link workshop at Thessaloniki, leading us through the glass
between the change in glass composition and vessel and glassworking evidence. Of particular interest were
forms in the 4th century to the distribution of glass the stem beakers, some of which had stamped
workshops in northern Gaul and the Rhineland. inscriptions on their bases, and the different phases of
kiln use.
Helena Wouters subsequently led us through the glass
and glassworking evidence from several Merovingian Sylvia Fünfschilling followed with a detailed account of
sites in Huy, Belgium. The sheer volume of analytical the glass excavated from the Byzantine palace at
data presented was remarkable. Sarah Paynter next Ephesus, where there is evidence for glassblowing and
described the excavation and analysis of glass and the manufacture of tesserae. The recent acquisition of the
glassworking waste from Whitby Abbey, Yorkshire, Wilshere collection of Late Roman glass by the
which was all recovered during flotation of the spoil Ashmolean museum was then discussed by Susan
thanks to the late Sarah Jennings. Of particular interest Walker, who described how this is now allowing the
were some fragments containing very high levels of opportunity for research into the origins and manufacture
potash; this having resulted from potash-rich gases of this fascinating collection of objects.
produced by the wood-fuelled furnace.
Liz James then gave an account of Byzantine glass
’At the feet of the master’; Jenny Price in coffee-break mosaics and the transition in the use from stone to glass
discussion at The King’s Manor. © Sarah Paynter tesserae following the Roman period, illustrated with
images of some wonderful Italian wall and vault mosaics.
The afternoon saw the presentations move to focus on Following on from this, Nadine Schibille led us through
south-western Europe and the Mediterranean, in which some analyses of glass mosaics, drawing attention to the
Mario da Cruz began with a very informative and well- evidence for the re-use of Roman material, and craft
illustrated presentation concerning Late Antique specialisation in the manufacture of various coloured and
campanulate bowls from Gallaecia, in which he used gold-leaf tesserae.
stylistic indications to suggest that they were products of
regional glassmaking centres. Marie-Dominique Nenna The afternoon session moved on to focus on the Middle
then provided a thorough literature review of the East, which Daniel Keller began with an account of the
development and recognition of HIMT glass as a glass finds and usage phases of the 5th- to 9th-century
distinctive compositional group, drawing our attention to monastery of St. Aaron on Jabul Hārūn near Petra.
the work that still needs to be done with regard to our Distribution patterns and chemical analysis of this
understanding of its production, procurement and use. glassware allowed it to be placed into a social and
economic context, which provided evidence for a general
The presentations concluded when Ian Freestone briefly cultural change between the different phases of use.
summarised the work that has been undertaken to date
regarding the scientific study and conservation of the Yael Gorin-Rosen followed with a comprehensively
great east window of York Minster. Poster presentations illustrated presentation examining the typo-chronological
then followed; these covering a wide range of subjects changes in glass vessels characteristic of the Byzantine
from Roman, Byzantine and early Islamic glass from the and Early Islamic periods. St John Simpson then
East, to late antique vessel glass and glassworking waste provided an in-depth account of our current
understanding of Sasanian glassware, its archaeological
Glass News 31 January 2012 sequence and its production, again supported with some
excellent images. The final presentation, by Mark
Wypyski, discussed the results of the re-examination of
the Early Islamic collection of glass from Nishapur and
Samarra, and the potential to provenance this glass using
trace-element analysis.

Mike Tite concluded by summarising some of the more
notable outcomes of the conference. In particular, how
coherent patterns of trade, production and use of glass
will only really begin to come if we all work together,

5

and persist with our research and analysis. Overall, the Glass Exhibits at Metz © Justine Bayley
event was a great success, providing an excellent mix of
science and art history, which was thoroughly enjoyed by A special exhibition ‘Archéologie et usages du verre’ had
all. Thanks in particular to Justine Bayley, Caroline been put on to coincide with the meeting, so all those
Jackson, Daniel Keller, Jennifer Price and St John attending had the benefit of seeing items from the
Simpson for organising the event, and all of those who Museum’s collections together with recent archaeological
chaired the presentations. finds from the surrounding area. The catalogue
concentrates on Roman and early medieval glass, but the
James R Peake galleries also contained some wonderful post-medieval
and modern pieces.
(Ed. – Thank you also to those who presented a good
selection of posters: Rose Broadley, Hanna Hamel, Justine Bayley
Daniel Keller, Mia Leljak, Katerina Mavromichali,
Martine Newby, James Peake and Daniela Rosenow) ‘L’en-verre du décor: archéologie et
usages du verre’,
AFAV at Metz
November 2011 Musée de La Cour d’Or, Metz Métropole,
2 rue du Haut Poirier, France,
The 26th meeting of AFAV (l’association française pour
l’archéologie du verre) was held in late November at the 18 November 2011–27 February 2012
Musée de la Cour d’Or in Metz. It’s a wonderful 15th-
century building, originally a granary, but with parts of The 26th international meeting of the association
the underground aqueduct that fed the Roman baths française pour l’archéologie du verre (AFAV), held at the
visible in the basement! Musée de La Cour d’Or in Metz on 18 and 19 November
2011, provided the occasion for our host museum to
Musée de la Cour d’Or, Metz © Justine Bayley mount a fascinating exhibition surveying glass excavated
The lectures were held in one of the ground floor and used in Lorraine over 3,000 years. The exhibition
galleries with medieval sculptures all around. The was conceived in conjunction with AFAV. The wide-
meeting was well-attended with around 100 participants ranging objects are drawn from the museum’s own
from all over western Europe. There were a total of 23 holdings, the Institut national de recherches
lectures as well as posters and a couple of films. The archéologiques préventives (Inrap), the Service régional
subjects ranged from Bronze Age beads to early 20th- de l’archéologie (DRAC Lorraine) and the Service
century glass containers from First World War trenches, archéologique of Metz Métropole, but also include a few
though with the majority of papers focussing on items from other French museums. The enthusiasm and
excavated Roman and early medieval glass assemblages, expertise of local archaeologist Hubert Cabart was the
many of them from cemeteries. A few presentations dealt driving force behind both the exhibition and the meeting.
with glassmaking, but most of these were only interim Several specialists who had worked on excavations
reports. An exception was the description of a community represented in the exhibition spoke about the finds at the
project in the glassmaking region along the Franco- meeting, providing a superb opportunity for participants
Belgian border where surveys of ruined buildings were to hear papers about, discuss and see the excavated
complimented by photos and artefacts still in the hands of material within a single building.
the last glassworkers’ families. As usual, the papers will
be published in the Bulletin de l’AFAV. Whilst the diversity of material excavated in recent years
will fascinate the specialist, the exhibition is also
Glass News 31 January 2012 designed to appeal to a much broader audience.

6

Displayed through two well-lit and inviting galleries, it incorporating some fine examples in Venetian style,
opens with a film showing a studio glassmaker at work, a including a few fragments with enamelled figurative
display explaining the basic materials and techniques of decoration and French inscriptions. A small final section
glass and a range of items illustrative of the diversity of looks at window glass from Roman times to the early
objects represented in the exhibition. 20th century, glass in scientific and photographic
equipment and the importance of glassmaking in Lorraine
Fragment of an enamelled drinking vessel. French in the 19th and 20th centuries.
16th century. Excavated in the ‘Espace Serpenoise’,
Metz, in 1984. Musée de La Cour d’Or, Metz A lavishly illustrated book, ‘Archéologie & usages du
Métropole, inv. 94.7.109; ‘Archéologie & usages du verre’, accompanies the exhibition (Editions Serpenoise,
verre’, cat. 128. ©Suzanne Higgott 2011, 128 pp, 18€, ISBN: 978-2-87692-904-3). A
Around 250 items illustrate a wide range of object types number of the exhibits are also published in a new book
and decorative techniques. They are broadly arranged by by Hubert Cabart, ‘La verrerie archéologique: Dieulouard
function. There are sections on glass jewellery from et l’Est de la France aux XVIe et XVIIe siècles’ (Presses
Bronze Age beads to Gallo-Roman bracelets; the Universitaires de Nancy, 2011, 20€, ISBN: 978-2-8143-
inclusion of glassware in Gallo-Roman and Merovingian 0102-3). Scheduled events during the run of the
burials; the Kuttrolf from the Gallo-Roman period to the exhibition (until the end of February 2012) include
17th century; and a great variety of medieval and musical performances on glass instruments, glassmaking
Renaissance drinking vessels from excavations, the latter demonstrations and children’s workshops.

Suzanne Higgott

ERRATUM

We apologise profusely for an editorial error in Glass
News 30, in which Hazel Gardiner’s article was
incorrectly entitled ‘The Effect of Historic Environmental
Conditions on the Stained Glass of New College Chapel’.
The article should have had the title ‘The Investigation
and Conservation of the Glass from Lacock Abbey’.

An Unusual 17th-Century Glass Fragment from eBay

Colin and Sue Brain

[email protected]

With the advent of the Portable Antiquities Scheme it is three prunts and a wavy vermicular collar below a
becoming more widely recognised that isolated finds can merese and an unfinished hollow moulded knop. The
provide useful historical information. This seems to be knop fracture is consistent with excess glass being
particularly true for the interesting fragment pictured ‘knocked off’ whilst the stem was being gripped with
overleaf. It was purchased on eBay in March 2011, as round shears. My thanks go to Bill Gudenrath of
part of a group of items, including an early clay pipe Corning Glass Museum and Mark Taylor of Roman
bowl, found ‘in the lower reaches of the Thames Estuary Glassmakers for their expert opinions on this point. It
over a period of years’. The fragment was described as does not have a discernible pontil mark, which would be
‘The stem of a large roamer? style drinking vessel / glass consistent with the glass having been discarded before
(heavy)’; under the circumstances a good description. transfer from the blowing iron. It is distorted as though
Subsequently the seller kindly clarified that it was found discarded when still hot. On the flattened side there
on the estuary coast between Faversham and Whitstable appears to be a set of shallow indentations which could
in an area where ‘pottery and glass shard’ finds are fairly be the impression of a prunt on another similar stem.
common. The metal is uneven with many cords and small seed and
gives every appearance of having been too viscous to be
The fragment is 61mm high and made of a thick light properly worked. Vestiges of a surface covering can be
yellow-green coloured glass. It appears to be part of a
stem with a hollow ‘roemer’ section, decorated with

Glass News 31 January 2012 7

seen in the picture; presumably a lime scale from paralleling manganese use in the earliest lead glasses
prolonged immersion in ‘hard’ muddy water. found on the site of Odaccio’s glasshouse in Dublin
thought to date from 1675/6 (given the amount of
© Colin Brain manganese in these glasses one would expect them to be
purple - we are still trying to understand this so further
We are not aware of any parallel for this form of discussion must wait until another time).
composite stem, but there are many separate parallels for
the lower (roemer) section and the upper knop. The colour of the glass is due to iron and a small amount
Comparison with such finds suggests that the most likely of copper in the mix. Based on this analysis,
date of manufacture, based on style, is the decade 1667- temperature vs viscosity characteristics were estimated
1677. The stem’s thickness may reflect a desire by using a spreadsheet developed and verified by Mark
British glass sellers for thicker glasses as articulated in a Taylor. The estimated melting temperature of 1300ºC is
1672 letter to Venice from the glass seller John Greene. the highest documented for a glass of this period and is
A quick semi-quantitative X-ray fluorescence analysis thought to be right on the limits of the glass furnace
was kindly carried out on the stem by English Heritage. technology available before the 19th century. This
The result suggests that the raw materials are similar to supports the observation about the glass being too
those of other glasses from the period 1660-77 but, as viscous to refine or work properly and may explain the
with the style, the combination appears not to have been use of fining agents. Normal practice seems to have
documented before. Significant features are: been to add alkali to the batch until the viscosity was
A low-level of alkali from purified plant ash (this form right, so there must have been a reason why this was not
of alkali was more common for British crystal glass done in this case. It could be cost, but that does not
before 1675 when saltpetre became commercially appear very likely – using insufficient ingredients to
viable); make a viable product can never have been a good cost-
A medium quantity of lime, similar to that in glass- cutting strategy! A more-likely possibility is that it was
production waste excavated near Aldgate (probably a deliberate attempt to reduce alkali in order to seek a
dating from the 1660s) and similar to that used later in more stable glass. That would be consistent with Robert
Bohemian crystal, but about half the level of that in Plot’s [erroneous] analysis of the causes of glass
high-lime-low-alkali glasses (lime appears not to have crizzling in his 1677 ‘Natural History of Oxfordshire’.
been used for high-quality 17th-century British
glassware after about 1677); The find site at the mouth of the Thames, coupled with
A low, but significant, level of lead oxide, similar to that the apparent ‘hard water’ surface deposit, suggest this
used in glasses from The Netherlands, Stockholm and stem was washed, or dredged, down the Thames. Had
Poland from around 1670s onwards, but significantly the glass been completed and subsequently broken it
lower than that previously found in British lead glasses; might have been thrown overboard from a ship, but it
A small amount of arsenic used as a refining agent (this seems unlikely that a waster would have been
use of arsenic is suggested by British documentary transported in this way. The glass is not buoyant, so it is
sources as early as 1668); not likely to have been brought by sea currents from the
A medium-level of manganese, apparently used as a Dutch coast. Since the Thames valley was home to the
refining agent rather than for colouring / decolouring, majority of glasshouses producing table glass in the 17th
century, it seems likely it was made there. The closest
Glass News 31 January 2012 glasshouse was probably at either Greenwich or
Woolwich. The stem’s survival means that it was not
recycled into the pot; the fate of most glassmaking
mistakes. This may imply that the glassmakers did not
wish to continue this particular line of experiment.

Given the sparse evidence for glass produced in London
before 1676 it is not possible to prove the origin of this
piece. However, one can conjecture that this piece is a
waster from an experimental glass batch produced
around say 1670-5. The discussion here has hopefully
showed that this conjecture is not obviously inconsistent
with the find, or the little we know about glass
technology and styles of the period. Of course this does
not mean that this conjecture is correct, but it still helps
to build a picture of the formative years of British flint
glass.

8

The St Algar’s Project
Ceri Lambdin

The St Algar’s Project started in late 2009 when I met In late August 2010, having produced a comprehensive
with the owner of St Algar’s Farm, West Woodlands, geophysics report and having acquired a further licence,
south of Frome in Somerset, to look at the Roman Robin Holley and I ran a small evaluation excavation,
pottery and other items that he had picked up since the with assistance from members of Bath and Camerton
1960s from a nearby field, after ploughing. Due to his Archaeological Society. The finds were typical of a
interest the site was briefly excavated in 1971 with a villa site, with pottery and coins spanning the 1st to 4th
large, shallow trench, and although the site was centuries. It soon became clear, however, that there was
subsequently scheduled it was not clear what the nature something unusual about this site. The large number of
or period of Roman occupation at St Algar’s consisted glass finds (400+) along with 22 crucible sherds from 5
of, and no fieldwork had taken place since. small evaluation trenches located within and outside the
villa building, indicated potential Romano-British glass
An assessment of the fieldwalking finds indicated working at the site. Approximately 90% of the glass and
occupation spanning the Roman period; the pottery crucible finds were excavated from one 3m x 3m trench
included over 50 sherds of Samian ware and over 70 located in front of the villa between the two wings.
sherds of New Forest ware, along with 2nd- and 4th-
century coins, a Polden Hill type brooch dating from Excavations in the summer of 2011, outside of the
AD75-120, and a stud from a 3rd- or 4th- century plate scheduled area also produced large quantities of glass
brooch. No report was produced for the 1971 excavation fragments and 55 further crucible sherds. The vast
but brief updates published at the time confirm that majority of glass and crucible was recovered from a
similar material was recovered. trench sited over the boundary ditch, along with vast
quantities of other Roman material.
A platform was faintly visible in the field, but as the site
was under permanent pasture the next logical step was It is hoped that in 2012, excavations can take place
geophysics. The results indicated the footprint of a within the scheduled area where geophysical hotspots
winged corridor villa within the scheduled area, indicate a glass working furnace could be located.
surrounded by three sections of 100m long boundary
ditches. To the west of the villa complex the geophysics Thanks to a grant from the AHG the glass from the 2010
showed a 40m square boundary ditch, on the same excavation was examined by Dr Rachel Tyson (see
alignment as that surrounding the villa, with a building report below).
within it.

AHG Grant Report:
St Algar's Farm, Somerset: late Roman glass and evidence for glass working

Written by Rachel Tyson for Ceri Lambdin and Robin Holley

Four hundred and thirty-four fragments of glass were and angular broken chunks. Misshapen lumps with
excavated from the 2010 evaluation trenches at St rounded, rough or pitted surfaces were probably waste
Algar's (see above for the background to the project). glass that had fallen into the furnace area. Broken
The assemblage included evidence for glass working chunks of glass may have come from layers inside the
and glass blowing, as well as a considerable number of crucibles. None were particularly large, unlike those
small vessel fragments. Twenty-two ceramic fragments found at Basinghall Street in London where it is possible
were confirmed by Wessex Archaeology to come from that some of the more sizeable chunks were from larger
glass crucibles, in coarse fabrics that could not be imported blocks of glass, or from the tank furnace
closely dated. The Project Group is grateful to the AHG excavated at the site (Shepherd and Wardle 2009, 34-6).
who provided a grant for specialist examination of the
glass. The most significant evidence that glass was blown as
well as melted was provided by 5-6 moil ends, the
Glass waste cylinder of glass remaining after the vessel was detached
At least 87 fragments were identifiable as glass waste, in from the blowpipe. All examples from St Algar's were
pale shades of green, yellow-green and blue-green (Fig. short and quite fragmentary, none with the complete
1). These included eight layers of glass detached from circumference present; some had iron staining from the
crucibles. Molten waste included both amorphous lumps blowpipe around the top. There was also at least one lid

Glass News 31 January 2012 9

moil fragment, from the wider discarded section of glass colourless glass. Similar but more widely everted
directly next to the cracked-off vessel rim. Its rim cracked-off rim fragments with horizontal abraded lines
diameter was estimated at c.70mm, which would accord below may come from related cups or bowls. These
with the diameters of the many fragments of conical were the most common vessel types in Britain in the 4th
beakers from the site. century (Price and Cottam 1998, 117-19, 121-3; Price
2000, 5).

Figure 1: Examples of glass working waste from St Figure 2: Selection of glass vessel fragments from St
Algar’s ©Rachel Tyson Algar’s ©Rachel Tyson

Glass blowing characteristically produces long drawn At least 12 fragments of indented vessels, a variation of
threads, formed when decoration or handles were added these 4th-century conical beakers, were identified. The
to vessels, often showing tool marks. Typical examples majority were S-curved body fragments of greenish-
were found at St Algar's in pale green shades. Other colourless or pale blue-green glass, with one fragment in
threads were formed when bits of dirt were hooked out colourless glass. It is likely that the rims would have
of the melting pot. Thin threads of glass would have been similar to other conical beakers. Two such
been formed to test the viscosity of the glass; and one examples, one covered by trailing, were found in 4th-
such example survived. A small number of fragments century contexts at Lankhills, Winchester (Price 2000,
may have been wasters (imperfect products that have 8-10, fig. 4.4).
been discarded) or possibly cullet that was partially
melted. Other 4th-century fragments included a funnel mouth of
bubbly greenish-colourless glass with a thick trail
This evidence demonstrates that glass was being melted applied around it below the rim, three fragments with
and blown at St Algar's; however, there is nothing to optic-blown ribbing, and three with thin applied trails;
suggest that the glass was being made from its raw others had wider trails that merge with the body wall.
ingredients on site. The pale colours suggest a late On one of these the trail curves round, similar to the
Roman date. looped trails seen in late Roman conical beakers from
Lankhills, Winchester and Leicester (Price 2000, 9, fig.
Glass products 4.6 & 9). A small greenish-colourless fragment shows
Up to 342 fragments of vessel glass were excavated free-hand incised decoration. This type of decoration can
from the same contexts (Fig. 2). Most of the vessel glass be dated to the 4th century, with similarly incised lines
was thin-walled and pale blue-green, pale yellow-green outlining the hunter and animals on an almost complete
or other pale greenish shades in colour, with a few shallow bowl with a hunting scene from Banwell, Wint
colourless, one yellow-brown and one olive green Hill, Somerset (Price and Cottam 1998, 124-5, fig. 51a).
fragment. The vessel forms that can be identified point
to a late Roman, 4th-century date. While the majority of the glass pointed to a late 4th-
century date for the assemblage, a few fragments were
The most common vessel fragments were from conical identified from earlier vessel types. A pale yellow-green
beakers with curved rims with cracked-off edges, gently body spout probably from a small jug dating to the later
tapering body walls and small slightly pushed-in bases. 2nd or 3rd century may have been used as a baby's
Some rim edges appear to have been smoothed, but feeding bottle, or possibly for pouring oil. Two
others remained rough. Many had abraded horizontal fragments of a greenish-colourless glass with thin
bands or lines, often very light and faint, just below the applied horizontal trails and an angular body turn
curved rim, and/or further down the body. They included suggest a discoid jug, which may be earlier in date,
base fragments of at least four beakers in pale blue-
green, four in pale yellow-green, and one in greenish- 10

Glass News 31 January 2012