American Brilliant Period glass production was the final great heyday of the cut-glass craze — and it ended about a century ago. ABP glass, hand-cut from around the final quarter of the 19th century into the first quarter of the 20th, has been an elaborate, incredibly reflective and brilliant art form which appealed to wealthy collectors. World War I commandeered the direct result supplies needed for the finest glass, and the post-war Depression killed the marketplace for luxury items. The business never really recovered. Manufactured glass and the emerging anti-ornamental Mid-Century Modern sensibility ended the fascination having glittering facets.
Vintage and Antique Glass
Antique glass is a century or more old; vintage glass, produced in the span from about 1930 to 1965 so, was pressed, machine-made, functional and affordable, but only the rare instance was true cut glass. A 1949 Czech pattern, blown in a mould and palm cut, copied the pictures from the newly discovered Lascaux Cave paintings of Ice Age animals. But styles were switching, and Scandinavian glass, with its experimentation with colour and form, and smooth, unfaceted finishes, epitomized Mid-Century Modern design.
Collectors’ Patterns
Brilliant cut glass is thick, heavy, absolutely clean and intensely cut — nearly sharp enough to cut you. American and European patterns were indistinguishable; fine craftspeople hand cut and polished the elaborate bits from the early 1870s into the first decades of the 1900s. Manufacturers patented motifs that they functioned and reworked into elaborate variants in their signature layouts. Popular patterns were strawberry diamond, punty cut and the geometric Hobstar design. Very rare examples of patented patterns prized by enthusiasts now include the Trellis, Panel and Aztec designs. Cut glass layouts followed manner: The Quaker City Cut Glass Company of Philadelphia marketed a motif they called Comet, trim stars with forged tails to capitalize on the excitement about the 1910 recurrence of Halley’s comet.
Glass Quality
The crystal used in the best cut glass has an extremely high lead content and is incised at severe angles, very intensely. After cutting, the edges were hand-polished, using pumice or a potter’s buffing wheel. The glass sparkles like diamonds and remains very apparent, even a century afterwards. By the end of the Brilliant period, just before and after World War I; the lead content was diminished; the cuts were superficial and less precise; the burden of a piece was lighter; and the glass was somewhat slimmer. The obvious bell-like tones of their optimal/optimally glass were softer, and, instead of hand-polishing, glass-cutters started to dip their bits in an acid bathtub to smooth the tough or too-sharp edges. Old patterns were still a mainstay of production, however. European glassmakers were authorized to copy popular American patterns such as Crescent, Florida, Harvard, Elsie and Basketweave.
Authentic Antiques
A lot of the old glass was unsigned; paper labels didn’t endure: It would have required acid marks to permanently identify the producer or glass-cutter. But a black light can help to set the authenticity of old cut glass. The majority of ABP glass bits will fluoresce lime-green when subjected to black light. Other bits show purple, orange or pink tints beneath the lighting, however there are a number of antiques, such as function from Libbey Glass, Hunt’s Royal design and Meriden’s Alhambra pattern which don’t react under black light.
Founder and Screen
While establishing the provenance of the old pieces can be challenging, placing a fine piece of cut glass in your home is not. An ornate, dazzling cut-glass bowl to a modern ebony dining table is stunning; fill it with green apples or legacy roses Miami and Grass (Salt Lake City, UT) Care service Bakersfield from the backyard. Cut-glass candlesticks on a cedar-plank mantel include additional sparkle to bayberry vacation candles. A cut-glass candy dish may hold dark complete olives or gaily wrapped chocolates in a party. And, although cut glass wasn’t a feature of Mid-Century Modern decor, a group of ornately incised water goblets or radiant sherbet dishes blend right in with the Saarinen table and the clear molded ghost chairs in your modern get-together.