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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: IrisH on May 15, 2018, 01:29:21 PM

Title: Stained Glass Exported to China in late 19 century to early 20 century
Post by: IrisH on May 15, 2018, 01:29:21 PM

Hi Everyone,

I am here in the west district of Guangzhou city used to be called Canton. It used to be a center place (especially in the Thirteen Hongs) that received all the glass from Europe and the U.S. during late 19 century to early 20 century. Many of the old houses applied lots of these imported stained glass in their windows. We have collected many of these kind of windows and glass fallen from these windows. As we have collected many different patterns and colours, we are going to have a mini exhibition of these glass. However, I need to have more historical information about all these glass and some professional terms of them.

Main questions:

1. What is the right term to this pressed pattern stained glass pane? (pressed glass?/pattern glass?/embossed glass?)
2. Name of these patterns (not general for floral as there are different type of floral obviously)
3. What are the main factories that produced this kind of glass? I heard that from the Addison Pressed Glass. correct?
4. Any historical information or stories about the exported glass to China, please let me know.

I just leave these questions for now. Look forward to hearing from you!!! Thanks in advance!

Title: Re: Stained Glass Exported to China in late 19 century to early 20 century
Post by: neilh on May 16, 2018, 07:26:09 AM

This isn't quite what you want but there is someone researching the links between the UK and Japanese glass in the 19th century, regarding the setting up of a Japanese sheet glass factory in Shinagawa in the 1870s - could they have exported to China?

http://www.japansociety.org.uk/event/sally-haden/

In the UK I would look to the firm of Pilkingtons for exporting sheet glass, though I don't know if they were active in your area of interest. The company has an archive:
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/a/A13532599

Title: Re: Stained Glass Exported to China in late 19 century to early 20 century
Post by: chopin-liszt on May 16, 2018, 11:00:53 AM

Welcome! :)
This is an interesting area to study, I don't know of anybody who is doing it though.
I have, over my lifetime, paid a lot of attention to the patterns in these
(I'm 60. This sort of glass is/was used extensively in bathrooms because it afforded some privacy, I had time to study the patterns...)
and the only ones that you have shown examples of I can say for certain that I've seen, in both Scotland and the Republec of Irleand is the daisy pattern that you show, and the one with acanthus-type ormalu-style swirls (in the same frame as the daisy).

I have never seen any of the others. I don't know if that helps or not.

Title: Re: Stained Glass Exported to China in late 19 century to early 20 century
Post by: Lustrousstone on May 16, 2018, 12:02:06 PM

Welcome to the board. It may help your research if we give you the correct terms. This is not what is normally called stained glass; it is figured glass, i.e., coloured or clear glass with an impressd texture or pattern. The colour is throughout the glass, so it is not stained. Another term is obscure glass. Pilkington and Chance were the big UK makers