Topic: Religious icons on Victorian glass

[neilh]

Hi there,

I had the good fortune to view the Molineaux & Webb pattern book recently, covering their designs from roughly 1830 to 1870. One thing that interested me was my chances of ever identifying a very early piece of glassware from their first sketchbook, which covered items to about the mid 1840s.  Unfortunately most sketches from this period are basic line drawings and not detailed enough, except for one section. The sketchers of the pattern book went to town on the "Alters" section, a set of vases with religious iconography such as the "IHS" inscription on the body of the vase, or a crucifix shape for the stopper.

I've only kept my eye on glass sales for the last year or so and I can't recall seeing a single piece of religious glassware coming up for sale, I guess as the church doesn't tend to flog its stuff off... just waits for someone to steal it and claim the insurance :-)

I wondered if anyone has seen such pieces in the past... mid 19th century religious glassware... or are there any churchgoers here who have spied glassware at their local church and asked the priest about it? 

[malwodyn]

I suspect that much glassware for church use never gets identified as such. Occasionally we have spectacular pieces - such as the communion set made for Coventry Cathedral by John Walsh Walsh (illustrated in Eric Reynold's book).

I have one piece which I suspect started its working life in a church.  It is a small jug - good quality crystal with a "swirled" pattern.  What makes me think it was made for the church is that it has a silver rim (Birmingham hallmark).  I'll try to post a photograph.

[Bernard C]

Neilh — See:-

Lord's Last Supper Plate

John Derbyshire Newfoundland dog PWs — Why no TM or Reg. Lozenge?

Derbyshire green uranium Dog ?

Bernard C.