Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
British Galleries, Room 122c

Dish

1872 (design registered)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
Extensive glass table services became increasingly popular towards the end of the 19th century. Cheaply made, in pressed glass, such elaborate sets became widely available.

Materials & Making
The technique of press-moulding glass with the aid of a hand-operated machine was first perfected in the United States of America in the early 1820s. It took only two people to shape a measured quantity of hot glass in a heated metal mould. By simply depressing a lever, a metal plunger was lowered into the glass, forcing it into the patterned mould. By the 1830s this method had spread to Europe and Britain, giving rise to stylistic changes and revolutionising the availability of glassware. The technique made the mid- to late 19th century the first period of true mass production. In the 1890s the introduction of steam-powered presses improved quality while cutting costs even further.

People
In 1847 John Sowerby established the first factory in Britain devoted exclusively to the manufacture of pressed glass. By 1882 it had grown to the largest in the world, employing between 700 and 1000 people.

Design
The pattern is made in imitation of expensively cut lead glass. Pressed glass never rivalled the prismatic brilliance and precision of real cutting, but it provided a cheap substitute, affordable to all but the poorest.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Press-moulded glass
Brief description
Dish, England (Gateshead-on-Tyne), made by Sowerby & Co., Ellison Glass Works, 1872-1900, C.106-1984 .
Dimensions
  • Height: 6cm
  • Maximum width: 28cm
widest top 28cm , widest base 20.5
Style
Marks and inscriptions
Diamond registration mark for 12/2/1872 (Diamond registration mark)
Gallery label
British Galleries: Handling collection(27/03/2003)
Credit line
Given by M. J. Franklin
Object history
Made by Sowerby & Co. at Ellison Glassworks, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear
Summary
Object Type
Extensive glass table services became increasingly popular towards the end of the 19th century. Cheaply made, in pressed glass, such elaborate sets became widely available.

Materials & Making
The technique of press-moulding glass with the aid of a hand-operated machine was first perfected in the United States of America in the early 1820s. It took only two people to shape a measured quantity of hot glass in a heated metal mould. By simply depressing a lever, a metal plunger was lowered into the glass, forcing it into the patterned mould. By the 1830s this method had spread to Europe and Britain, giving rise to stylistic changes and revolutionising the availability of glassware. The technique made the mid- to late 19th century the first period of true mass production. In the 1890s the introduction of steam-powered presses improved quality while cutting costs even further.

People
In 1847 John Sowerby established the first factory in Britain devoted exclusively to the manufacture of pressed glass. By 1882 it had grown to the largest in the world, employing between 700 and 1000 people.

Design
The pattern is made in imitation of expensively cut lead glass. Pressed glass never rivalled the prismatic brilliance and precision of real cutting, but it provided a cheap substitute, affordable to all but the poorest.
Collection
Accession number
C.106-1984

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Record createdDecember 13, 1997
Record URL
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