Topic: Little etched glasses

[Cosi]

I have 8 of these little glasses. They are 9 cm high and 4 cm in circumference. They have no marks on the base.They appear to be hand decorated as the patterns on each one are slightly different. Can anyone tell me more about them please?

[Paul S.]

hi  -  older glasses of better quality usually have a ground/polished depression under the foot - circular in shape and shallow  -  indicating the glass was completed by attaching it to a pontil rod so that the rim or any other final finishing work could be done back at the glory hole  -  after being detached from the pontil rod, the 'scar' left from this break needed to be smoothed and polished  -  hence the depression.        You don't mention whether your glasses have that depression under the foot, and if not then these may be modern.
The decoration is not acid etched as you suggest  -  but was in fact created using a small copper wheel, plus some abrasive liquid or past, and is generally known as 'grape and vine' pattern  -  so wheel engraved.
This is a very common design on glasses intended for alcohol of one sort or another - in this instance, and bearing in mind the size of your glasses, possibly liqueur.

As far as I can see, there is nothing on these glasses that will enable you to determine origin  -  almost anywhere in Europe - and determining age will be equally difficult  -  if you have the depression under the foot then we might put head on block and say pre WW II - but very chancy.

If you flick them do they ring, to indicate lead glass??   -    am I seeing a hollow stem?        But whatever, they're attractive and always useful, and a good find.

[Cosi]

Thank you for all that interesting information. They do have a shallow, circular depression underneath. They "ting" quite beautifully and yes the stems are hollow. Is the hollow stem indicative of anything?
I'll need several of them to accommodate my wine drinking habits!

[ahremck]

It is my experience that the "ping" you get from glasses depends almost entirely on the shape of the glass and how you are able to hold it.  If you have two identical glasses in shape and you "Ping" them the crystal will have a higher pitch.  The story of crystal being identified by pinging is essentially a myth I believe. 

Ross

[Cosi]

They have a very clear and high-pitched ping. Thanks for that.

[Paul S.]

quote from Ross  ................ "If you have two identical glasses in shape and you "Ping" them the crystal will have a higher pitch.  The story of crystal being identified by pinging is essentially a myth I believe."
My reading of this Ross, is that your implied meaning of the first sentence seems to be negated by the second.

People use the word crystal with some disregard perhaps without knowing whether the glass in question is 'lead crystal' or not - which is what the word crystal is a contraction of.    Unfortunately, the word appears to be used often as simply the equivalent of 'clear glass', irrespective of whether the glass in question contains oxide or not.

If you have two equal glasses, then yes, I'd agree that the one made of lead glass will ring with a higher and more resonant sound than the glass made without lead oxide.        I collect very little in the way of modern drinking glasses, but would have thought that most modern glasses would be lead glass - albeit not always 34% - since it's a well known fact that the inclusion of the oxide improves refraction and assist with cutting, although since it seems some are now pressed, that that comment may be less important.

I don't think the op has commented on wear - although not a guarantee of age, it does help sometimes to suggest the glass at least isn't new.
The presence of the foot depression - the hollow stem - and the grape and vine, may well indicate perhaps pre 1940.

[Cosi]

I am learning so much!
As to wear - they certainly have an old look to them, ie not shiny and new.  I have only discovered one tiny chip on the rim of one of the glasses. As I am looking at the set together I am struck by how they differ very slightly in the size of the bowl (?) Each one is slightly individual and, interestingly, produces a slightly different note when pinged.
Thanks for your comments.

[ahremck]

Sorry Paul I realise I was not to clear.  I have two Stuart patterns of  Iced Tea/Pilsener shape.  One is glass, the other is normal Stuart crystal(see photo of the shape - the blue one is glass not crystal, the other is a standard "grapevine pattern - but I don't seem to have a photo handy).  That is what I meant by two identical shaped glasses.  The grapevine is naturally heavier and definitely rings with a higher pitch.

Modern glasses rarely have lead in them any more.  Only a few real lead crystal glasses and decanters are made any more.  Mainly by companies who have the high end market.  Poul Jorgensen recently pointed out that Orrefors has not used lead for about 60 years in their crystal - which surprised me.

Ross

[Paul S.]

quote from Ross  .........................   "Modern glasses rarely have lead in them any more.  Only a few real lead crystal glasses and decanters are made any more.  Mainly by companies who have the high end market.  Poul Jorgensen recently pointed out that Orrefors has not used lead for about 60 years in their crystal - which surprised me."

thanks Ross  -  I certainly wasn't aware of that information