Description:
Two lead glass rectangular salts with open tops, made by the blow-over and crack-off process; they are characterized by thick colorless walls, heavy weight, and almost smooth interiors. These objects, often referred to as "pre-blown three mold" or "antecedents of blown three-mold," were not charted by the McKearins, the preeminent father and daughter team of American glass scholarship. A glassblower used a full-size open mold of two vertical parts to create these salts. He inflated a bubble of molten glass into the mold and continued to blow a thin bubble above the mold. The extra glass was cracked off leaving a rough rim on the salts that was ground down. The mold used to produce these has a base plate bearing a pattern of 17 rays radiating from the center to the edges. The sides have relief diamonds and on the ends have a 14 rays sunburst. The serrated rim is cut and polished; there is no pontil mark. Cut glass was a luxury in the early 19th century that few Americans could afford; these molded imitations of cut glass were affordable and approximated the look of cut diamonds, fans, and sunburst. Modern paper label on base of one salt reads "BH15."
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2000.25 |
