Topic: Wine glasses etched grasses?

[bat20]

Hi all,try saying that title quickly after a couple ,i've still got a naff camera but these two glasses have polished pontils and a lovely ring with etched grass species or bamboo?,giving them a sort of oriental feel,my gut feeling is they are first quarter of the 20th century,anyone got any thoughts on these two,many thanks.

[bat20]

Sorry,done it again i mean engraved.

[nigel benson]

Suites of glass with this style of engraving can date from the 1860's. There was a fashion for using grasses or ferns that reflects to both the Aesthetic and Arts & Crafts Movements.

They were generic, that is to say made by most British manufacturers and some were made over a long period of time.

Nigel

[bat20]

Thanks Nigel,they were together when i found them and different sizes  so i would think the last ones of a suite left in someones glass cupboard,i like the thin stems, wide feet and the wavy ground the grass springs from, i suppose they would fit into the naturalistic design of the arts and craft movement pretty well,thanks again.

[Paul S.]

This is Christine's 'pteridomania'

hope people won't object to my adding a pic or two of some similarly decorated pieces, and to Nigel's informative comments, and my own opinion would be to suggest that as a style this decoration appears to have also been not uncommon in a variety of places on the Continent of Europe  -  there appears to be a lot of thought that Bohemia was a probable starting area.
Silber & Fleming is awash with just about every type of table glass etc. showing fern engraving, and much of their glass was sourced from outside the U.K.

Interesting to see 'Walter's tumbler' in the attached pix, showing that ferny engraving looks to have continued well into the C20 (the date of his glass is 1932) - plus a bluebird

see also Neil's worthy contribution to this subject of fern decoration   .......  "The obsession with ferns at that time was unbelievable and was primarily down to the fact that ferns have no male or female parts and therefore could be discussed by ladies without their having to faint in embarrassment.  From that to Miley Cyrus in only 130 years!"

[nigel benson]

Good extra info Paul 

[bat20]

Nice collection,thanks Paul.

[nigel benson]

Hi,

For one of my images of a decanter in this vein see: http://www.glassfairs.co.uk/preview-gallery-19and20c.html Scroll down 12 clicks and click on the middle of the three images for a slightly bigger photo

Hope you enjoy, Nigel