The advent of mercury glass or more accurately "silvered glass" marked the inception of the history of art glass. Art glass gains its name by representing objects more decorative than utilitarian.
Traced to 1840's Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), mercury glass rarely contained elemental mercury (both toxic and expensive), but instead produced its iridescent silvery appearance using silver nitrate heated with certain kinds of sugar.
The method of installing the silvery appearance in mercury glass was one of double-blowing a glass within a glass and cooking the coating solution as it spreads throughout the space between. Soon numerous mercury glass products ranging from practical containers to purely decorative pieces were being produced all over Europe, England, and even The United States.
In America, many Christmas tree ornaments that use mercury glass were manufactured in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries by such companies as The Boston Silver Glass Company and The New England Glass Company. The latter exhibited a large selection of mercury glass in an 1853 show in New York City.
|
|
|
Wildly popular in part because glass is cheaper than silver, fancier products with etching in inlays began to appear. Expensive looking goblets, vases, and tableware began enhancing homes at a fraction of the cost of their true silver counterparts. Mercury glass had the added appeal of being tarnish-free, since the silvering was protected from handling behind the outer layer of glass. Thus, oft-handled objects such as candlesticks, dinnerware, and even door knobs could be beautiful as well as durable.
Bohemian antique mercury glass is the most plentiful, followed by Nineteenth Century American mercury glass. Rarest are those of Great Britain, having only produced mercury glass for about six years. Edward Varnish and Fredrick Hale Thomson gained a patent during that brief period, and signed pieces produced by either are considered rare and pricey.
If you have items like these for sale, you may advertise them on this page.
If you know additional helpful facts on this subject, contact us!
Go back to Glossary Main Page.
|
