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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: Frank on January 12, 2005, 02:38:52 PM

Title: Czech Chrysoprase Glass - who made it
Post by: Frank on January 12, 2005, 02:38:52 PM
Do any of you recognise the worn label from the Czech piece's on the first row of This Page (http://www.ysartglass.com/Ysart/NotYsart.htm)? Also found in pastel pink ground and pastel blue grounds.

Or of course the pieces.
Title: Czech Chrysoprase Glass - who made it
Post by: David555 on January 24, 2006, 01:11:20 AM
Hi Frank

Can you read any of the information on the worn label, I have a few new books on 1900's - 1930s Czech glass labels - the shape of one label looks like Karl Goldberg or Vaclav Dusek, but there are many with labels shaped like these. I have to say it (they) does look like a 1930s label shape wise.

I can't help but see the 'Cellophane' vases on the same page, remember I have one I thought was Monart, any progress

(http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/7258/glass2aw.th.jpg) (http://img80.imageshack.us/my.php?image=glass2aw.jpg)


Thanks


Adam
Title: Czech Chrysoprase Glass - who made it
Post by: Frank on January 24, 2006, 08:13:54 AM
I had always assumed they were 1950's or 60's. All that can be discerned on the label is Czech and Chrysoprase Glass.

As to 'Cellophane glass', again the theory is Bohemia but apart from one report of it being seen at Passau Glass Museum this has never been confirmed. When I went there a few years ago, I could not find any and there was no one available to ask.
Title: Czech Chrysoprase Glass - who made it
Post by: David555 on January 24, 2006, 04:11:21 PM
Hi Frank
 
Up until 1918 Czechoslovakia was part of Austria-Hungary which had within it Czech lands or the historical region of Bohemia. Most of the labels in my books up until 1918 have just the company name and region. They also often have the words 'Boheme', 'Bohemian Glassware/Crystal', or 'Made in Bohemia'.
 
After 1918 (around the 1920s) companies put 'Made in Czechoslovakia', 'Czecho', or 'Czech' on the labels although many retained the word 'Bohemian' in some way as it was a well established name with historical connotations.
 
The words 'Made in Czechoslovakia', 'Czech' or 'Czecho' occur regularly on 1930s - 1940s labels so I think your vase could be 1930s/40s, especially by its looks.
 
'Chrysoprase' as you will know is a gemstone (usually green) and I think it was used a lot by the Czechs - so this would indicate the 'style' or range of glass
 
I am sure you are aware of all I have said above, and that not having any other information about the company, 'Chrysoprase - a gemstone like glass' is the key word, there cannot have been many companies using this method or name for a range of glassware?
 
I will have a look for that key word
Title: Czech Chrysoprase Glass - who made it
Post by: Frank on January 24, 2006, 10:26:17 PM
chrysoprase glass is another name for aventurine, I have a bit more on where and how it is/was used in glass written down somewhere...
Title: Czech Chrysoprase Glass - who made it
Post by: David555 on January 25, 2006, 02:01:31 AM
Ahh I forgot about 'Chrysoprase Glass' - I remember you mentioning it in a thread or perhaps on your website.

So it could be a range name by a particular company 'Chrysophase' or a general name for a type of glass and used by lots of companies 'Chrysoprase Glass'

Quote
1838 the Choisy-le-Roi factory in France was producing uranium glass. In 1843 the French glassworks, Baccarat, started making uranium glass, which they called "cristal dichroide" and also introduced an opaque apple-green version which they named "chrysoprase"


http://www.glass.co.nz/uranium.htm

I am sure term 'Chrysoprase Glass' comes from the 'Chrysoprase' stone in some way - the stone is referred to often as a green opal

Thanks

Adam P
Title: Czech Chrysoprase Glass - who made it
Post by: Lustrousstone on January 25, 2006, 07:40:20 AM
I may be talking out of my hat here but I suspect that in the gemstone world chrysophase is a much perpetuated typo for chrysoprase, it's easier to say for a start.

Chryso is from the greek krusos for gold and prase from the greek prason = leek. Which kind of makes sense, green gold, i.e. highly valued semi-precious stone in green colour or green glass like the green stone

Chrysophase = krusos + phases.  Phases is the plural of phasis = greek for aspect. Hence Chrysophase = golden aspect. Which also makes sense as a made up name for glass containing gold.

It's to early for logomachy! I'll dig further later.
Title: Czech Chrysoprase Glass - who made it
Post by: Frank on January 25, 2006, 07:42:51 PM
Use Czaech as the base language :-) and it is Chrysophase.
Title: Czech Chrysoprase Glass - who made it
Post by: David555 on January 25, 2006, 09:12:46 PM
Hi

Christine - I looked it up in Wikipedia an apparently the stone does go by both names and has for some time. That will teach me to go by glass books alone  :oops:

Quote
Chrysoprase (also chrysophrase) is a gemstone variety of chalcedony (fibrous form of quartz) that contains small quantities of nickel. Its color is normally apple-green, but varies to deep green


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysoprase

So the glass term was taken from the name of the stone and it seems at some point despite its original naming by Baccarat as Chrysoprase the other name (I feel dizzy now) came into use for the same glass?

One point though Christine, Frank's pieces don't look like the normal clear green Chrysoprase (an H anyone) glass I see?

In any case it's not a range name it's a generic form of glass - mmm that widens the hunt.

Mind you if it had been narrow I am sure Frank would have acquired an attribution by now - he is after all an excellent researcher :)  :wink:


Adam P
Title: Czech Chrysoprase Glass - who made it
Post by: Lustrousstone on January 25, 2006, 10:17:03 PM
You have to remember that Wikipedia is written by ordinary people not experts. Every dictionary (and I have large versions of several of the reputable ones) I have looked in only gives chrysoprase as the stone and the Google references seemed to be mostly jewellery or gemstone sellers not mineralogical sites. I was only trying to suggest the origin of the name. Brand names are often made up on the basis of greek and latin derivations with subtle twists to suit the product. We do it at work. I'm pursuing a Czech lead and will get back
Title: Czech Chrysoprase Glass - who made it
Post by: David555 on January 25, 2006, 11:15:45 PM
I do see what you mean Christine or do you prefer Lustrousstone which is a very beautiful and apt name in this context

Why our very own English language is made up from Latin/Greek/Anglo Saxon with some other more exotic influence thrown in. I do agree with your approach, but I think the original 1840s Baccarat product name Chrysoprase is at least safe (Glass Museum) and that name was taken from the stone which I feel you broke down most eloquently in a previous post.

Can we both agree that however the minerals name was derived it is green and that the glass is green - that old uranium content.

That brings me to a question I hope you don't mind me asking - 'Uranium Towers' as you mentioned your job, does this relate to a scientific bent or a love of Uranium, fluorescent and Vaseline Glass.

I have to agree on companies taking words and throwing a subtle twist - in ‘Murano Board’ we are debating 'Aventurine' products, a word worth breaking down in itself, but for Nason we have the label for a product Avventurina.

Thanks

Adam P
Title: Czech Chrysoprase Glass - who made it
Post by: Lustrousstone on January 29, 2006, 08:13:56 AM
David Thank you for your reply (which for someome reason I've only just seen  :shock: ). I prefer being called Christine and Uranium Towers just seemed apt as we have shelves and boxes full of the stuff in all of the colours from Victorian to 60s. I do have a chemistry/biochemistry degree, mostly unused, but now I work with words a a technical editor on oil industry stuff, in the main.

Back to chrysophase. I emailed my Czech friend and this is the correspondence, with only the personal bits edited out.

ME

It's my turn for some help. I've become interested in collecting glass and have joined a glass message board to widen my knowledge. Anyway there is a big debate  (who made it and when) about a Czech glass vase with a label on it that says Chrysophase and Czech. Does the word mean anything to you? Have you heard it used as a brand name or in connection with glass ware? I can guess the lingistic roots of the word from an English point of view, but I was just wondering about it from a Czech viewpoint.

JOSEF

Chrysophase is not a Czech word and i have never heard it in connection with glass ware. Chrysophase is chrysoprase in English. In Czech we call this variety of Chalcedony chryzopras. I'd  guess the vase is apple green. Chryzopras used to be mined in Bohemia. It was used for decoration of chapels in Bohemia in the 14th century.

I was trying to find Chrysophase on the Czech Internet with no result. I have never heard it used as a brand name. If the vase is green i'd guess that the manufacturer used the word in order it would sound more attractive.

The answer doesn't get us any further but it was worth trying
Title: Czech Chrysoprase Glass - who made it
Post by: Frank on January 29, 2006, 10:22:28 AM
These also come in pastel blue and pastel pink.
Title: Czech Chrysoprase Glass - who made it
Post by: Ivo on January 29, 2006, 11:45:29 AM
Chrysoprase is the opaque Annagreen colour developed by Baccarat in 1848 and I do not think it was produced in great quantities.  Very easy to misspell for english speakers.
Title: Czech Chrysoprase Glass - who made it
Post by: David555 on January 30, 2006, 12:38:18 AM
Thanks Christine

I enjoyed your last post, very interesting it not coming up at all on the Czech search engines.

Quote
Chrysophase is not a Czech word and i have never heard it in connection with glass ware. Chrysophase is chrysoprase in English


As your friend Josef suggests 'the manufacturer used the word in order it would (vases) sound more attractive.

I can get no further than you after lost of searching - what do you think Frank? - Christine has had a good look and it seems to become more of a puzzle :?  :?


They are lovely vases all the same


Thanks


Adam P



P.S. Welcome back Ivo :)
Title: Czech Chrysoprase Glass - who made it
Post by: Frank on May 11, 2006, 02:40:05 PM
New information.

Harrachov glassworks introduced chrysoprase c 1827 a coloured glass that is a mixture of uranium glass with bone or alabaster glass.

Spelling of chrysoprase corrected here and in other threads.

Obviously much earlier than this threads subject! But it does show the term was used by Harrachov. If anyone has a piece of this glass can they check if it is Uranium glass?

(Source withheld as part of ongoing research)