Topic: Help with three 'swags and tails' small glasses

[Bluebell17]

Hi all,

These three small glasses I think came from my grandmothers house.
They are 4 inches tall and just shy of 2 inches across the bowl and likewise for the base.
They have a band of key detail from which hang swags and tails.
Any information on age etc would be very much appreciated.

Thank you
Dee

[Paul S.]

Hi Dee  -  regret your picture too small and lacks sharpness, so can't see the key you speak of  -  assume you mean as in Greek.
Possibly for sherry or port in view of the size and not of any quality, unfortunately, but that doesn't mean they don't have sentimental value for you.
The decoration is created by means of machine geometric acid etching - the glass is first dipped into a molten mixture of some form of pitch (the resist) which coats the glass entirely and which is then placed into the machine/lathe which will have a pre-set instruction for this particular pattern.
According to the machine setting, a sprung spike/stiletto of sorts cut through the resist and creates the design - whilst the glass revolves in the lathe.
Having cut the design through the resist, the glass is removed from the machine and dipped into acid which bites where the resist has been penetrated  -  the remainder of the pitch is then removed, and hey presto you have your design on the glass.
The process as carried out then would now be totally illegal.

Machine acid etching started some time in the 1860s, and probably went on well into the C20  ............   date wise my suggestion for this simple pattern would be c. 1900 give or take ten years, or similar, and regret of no commercial or real collectible value, but very useful of course.

Does this cover the 'etc'. you mention

sorry, meant to say .............    impossible to be definite regarding origin  -  could be from the U.K., but equally might be French, German, Dutch or more eastern in Europe.
 

[Bluebell17]

Hi Paul,

Apologies for the lack of clarity of the uploaded picture.
There were a number of glasses for sherry, port or wine that came from grandmothers on both sides. Although these don't have the quality of the others, we do use them. Your description of the process of how the design is created was most enlightening.....you covered the etc and then some lol thank you 😊
Dee

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