Beaker
1590-1650 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Tall cylindrical glass on a folded foot. The base is round and the top has been shaped by an octagonal clay form, which has been pushed in while the glass was still soft. The foot has been made by pushing in the lower part of the glass bubble, so it would fold double, thus creating a strong, sturdy base.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Clear green glass, blown, with blue spiral trails |
Brief description | Beaker (Passglas), Netherlands, 1580-1650 |
Physical description | Tall cylindrical glass on a folded foot. The base is round and the top has been shaped by an octagonal clay form, which has been pushed in while the glass was still soft. The foot has been made by pushing in the lower part of the glass bubble, so it would fold double, thus creating a strong, sturdy base. |
Dimensions |
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Styles | |
Gallery label |
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Credit line | Given by Mr. G.H. Payne |
Historical context | Drinking games were popular in many European countries including Germany and the Netherlands. There, special objects were made to encourage alcohol consumption in a social and playful manner. So called 'Passgläser' [measure glasses] have between 3 and 7 divisions marked sometimes with enamel, and sometimes, as in this example, with trailed threads. During a drinking game, each participant was expected to drink exactly to the next division or, failing this, he would have to continue to the next mark down, and so on. Although this type of glass was very common for drinking beer in the late 16th and 17th century, only a few have survived. A glass like this is shown on Rembrandts painting 'portrait of the painter with Saskia' in the Pinakothek in Dresden. |
Production | Glasses like this are often illustrated in Dutch still-life paintings of the period. (see Bibl. Refs) The trails on 17th-century examples are usually less precisely executed that the ones on late 17th-century pieces. |
Bibliographic references |
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Other number | 8696 - Glass gallery number |
Collection | |
Accession number | C.37-1958 |
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Record created | December 13, 1997 |
Record URL |
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