Topic: Cranberry,a question of manufacture......?

[keith]

Nice cranberry bowl with applied decor' and threading under the rim,I assumed that cranberry glass was as it says,a 'gather' of cranberry coloured glass,however this piece appears to be clear with a thin coating(flash) of cranberry as you can see by the chip on the rim,is this the norm or is there more than one way of producing this type of glass,
                                                                                  Keith.

[keith]

Meant to put this in 'general glass' would a kind moderator move it for me,ta ever so,
                                                                                                      Keith.

[KevinH]

Mod: Moved from "British & Irish"

[jsmeasell]

Typically cranberry (aka gold ruby) is produced by first gathering ruby rolls that are lehred and then reheated (these look like large sausages). A small bud of gold ruby is cut off the roll and attached to a blowpipe and then shaped by a skilled worker called a caser. Then, the bud of gold ruby is covered with crystal, and the item is made by blowing in a mould and subsequent finishing to create the final shape. Thus, the cranberry color is a very thin layer on the inside of the item, and the crystal is on the exterior. 

[keith]

Thanks James,didn't realise they did that with cranberry,it's obvious with thicker walled cased glass but this is so well put together you can't tell there are two layers,ta,
                            Keith.

[Lustrousstone]

This was created in a similar way; except, I/we think they started with a clear gather. The coloured disc looked black because it was so concentrated. White frit was then marvered onto the glass bulb before it was opened out and spun before flopping into shape under gravity. The clear foot was the last bit to be applied. Unfortunately, we went on the spur of the moment without the camera.

[jsmeasell]

I wish I could see a better picture of this "blue' piece. I doubt that the applied foot goes on last, as there has to be a way to hold the piece when the foot is applied. I suspect the clear foot is put on while the piece is on the blowpipe; then, it's stuck up on the foot and cracked off the blowpipe to be warmed-in and finished to its final shape. Is there a punty mark on the outside bottom of the foot?

PS we're not talking cranberry here, so this discussion needs a new title and its own thread?

[Lustrousstone]

No but the technique was basically the same, but you're right about the foot. The punty mark was fire smoothed out I have a terrible visual memory and it was only last month  :huh: