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Jug

Jug

  • Place of origin:

    Venice, Italy (made)

  • Date:

    1500-1525 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Calcedonio glass

  • Museum number:

    5575-1859

  • Gallery location:

    Glass, room 131, case 9, shelf 3

  • Download image

Glass is an ideal material to imitate semi-precious stones, and the ancient Romans were specialists at this. 'Calcedonia' glass was developed on the Venetian island of Murano around 1450. It was called after chalcedony, a naturally occurring hardstone. Details concerning its manufacture were kept secret for many decades. It involves mixing many different colours of glass in layers as well as a special heat treatment during blowing.

Place of Origin

Venice, Italy (made)

Date

1500-1525 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Calcedonio glass

Dimensions

Height: 21.4 cm

Descriptive line

Jug, glass, Italy (Venice), 16th century

Labels and date

EWER
About 1580-1600

Venetian glassmakers were renowned throughout Europe for their skill. Here Roman glassmaking techniques have been used to make fragile glass look like chalcedony, a semi-precious stone. It is unlikely that the ewer was ever used. Instead, its owner would have seen it as a conversation piece, to be admired by friends.

Italy, Venice

Chalcedony glass
Museum no. 5575-1859 [2008]

Materials

Glass

Categories

Glass; Drinking

Collection code

CER

Download image
Qr_O1433
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