Trick Glass thumbnail 1
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Trick Glass

1590 - 1650 (made)
Place of origin
Netherlands (made)

This boot is a joke or trick glass. When drinking from it with the tip of the boot turned downwards, the boot can be emptied without problems. If the tip of the boot is turned upwards, a vacuum is created in the toe of the boot and the final quantity of liquid will come out in a splash, straight in the face of the unsuspecting drinker.

Object details

Object type
Trick glass
Materials and techniques
filigree glass (a fili and a retorti), applied decorations, gilt
Glass
Glass-Blowing
Filigree (Glass)
Brief description
Trick glass in the form of a boot, blown filigree glass, probably Netherlands, 1590-1650
Dimensions
  • Height: 26.1cm
  • Greatest width width: 13.7cm
Styles
EUROPE
FACON DE VENISE
Gallery label
When drinking from this boot with the foot pointing upwards, the last draught will spout out suddenly.
Summary
This boot is a joke or trick glass. When drinking from it with the tip of the boot turned downwards, the boot can be emptied without problems. If the tip of the boot is turned upwards, a vacuum is created in the toe of the boot and the final quantity of liquid will come out in a splash, straight in the face of the unsuspecting drinker.
Bibliographic references
  • Cf. Dreier 1989, no. 46, shows identical boot in Berlin; another one is in Museum Poldi Pezzoli, cat. Milano 1983, nr. 88 (30 cm.) Cf. Coburg cat.1994, nr. 174 (our piece is mentioned) lists more pieces. There is a very similar boot cup in Maggi Vol IV 1604 (p.150). A very similar boot with white and blue fili canes is in the Musee du Cinquantenaire, Brussels (inv. 538) Chambon 1955, Nr. 53, Taf. XVII. This has four blue vertical canes alternated with eleven white ones. The raspberry prunts are gilt. (illustrated in colour on Museum leaflet in Object info file).
  • A similarly shapes boot in English delftware was at auction at Bonhams, New Bond Street, 31st Januray 2019, lot 80, from the Longridge collection. This is inscribed 'OH. MY. HEAD'
  • Cf Claudia Lehner-Jobst, „Das Gluck ist ein glasern Ding...“, Die Glassammlung Strasses, Vienna 2013, p. 40, a filigree boot glass from the Rudolf von Strasser Coll at Ambras illustrated.
Other number
8397 - Glass gallery number
Collection
Ceramics Collection
Accession number
5227-1901

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Record createdDecember 13, 1997
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1226/trick-glass/
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