Ravenscroft Bowl thumbnail 1
Ravenscroft Bowl thumbnail 2
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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
British Galleries, Room 56, The Djanogly Gallery

Ravenscroft Bowl

Bowl
1676-77 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
Several large lead-glass basins of this type have survived, probably because of their gentle use in the bedroom rather than on the dining table. It is likely that the large helmet-shaped jugs made by George Ravenscroft (1632-1681) were intended to complement these basins.

Materials & Making
A small number of Ravenscroft's products have been positively identified by the presence of the raven's-head seal, as seen on the base of this bowl. Although this was used in 1676-1677 to guarantee that these pieces were made from an improved glass formula and would not become 'crizzled' (marred by a fine network of tiny internal fissures), in fact all of the marked examples are cloudy to some degree, as is this bowl. It is probable that after 1677 the chemical instability of Ravenscroft's formula, caused by insufficient alkali, was finally solved and that lead oxide was also added to produce what was, in effect, a new material: lead glass.

Ownership & Use
Jugs and basins were the traditional equipment for washing in well-to-do households. But since glass was ill-suited to use with hot water, the usual materials for jug and basin sets from the end of the 17th century were delftware, Chinese porcelain and eventually Staffordshire white stoneware and Pearlware; finally blue-printed earthenware was used. More expensive English porcelain sets were available after about 1770. Various types of wooden washstand were developed for jugs and basins in the 18th and 19th centuries, later incorporating soap dishes and toothbrush trays.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleRavenscroft Bowl (popular title)
Materials and techniques
Lead glass, mould-blown, with ribbing
Brief description
Bowl, England (London), George Ravenscroft at the Savoy glasshouse, 1676-77
Dimensions
  • Height: 10.3cm
  • Diameter: 26.3cm
  • Weight: 0.92kg (Note: Measured)
Dimensions checked: Measured; 11/01/1999 by sp/nh
Style
Marks and inscriptions
raven's head seal
Gallery label
British Galleries: LEAD GLASS BY RAVENSCROFT
George Ravenscroft's experience as a major importer of Venetian glass convinced him that he could make a type of glass that was more appealing to the British. In 1674 he took out a patent to make a 'perticuler sort of Christaline Glasse resembling Rock Cristall'. His operation, using Italian glass workers, was fraught with technical problems until 1676-1677, when he marked his (nearly) perfected glass with a raven's head seal. The heavy and slow-cooling lead-glass admirably suited a simple but elegant style.(27/03/2003)
Credit line
Wilfred Buckley Collection
Summary
Object Type
Several large lead-glass basins of this type have survived, probably because of their gentle use in the bedroom rather than on the dining table. It is likely that the large helmet-shaped jugs made by George Ravenscroft (1632-1681) were intended to complement these basins.

Materials & Making
A small number of Ravenscroft's products have been positively identified by the presence of the raven's-head seal, as seen on the base of this bowl. Although this was used in 1676-1677 to guarantee that these pieces were made from an improved glass formula and would not become 'crizzled' (marred by a fine network of tiny internal fissures), in fact all of the marked examples are cloudy to some degree, as is this bowl. It is probable that after 1677 the chemical instability of Ravenscroft's formula, caused by insufficient alkali, was finally solved and that lead oxide was also added to produce what was, in effect, a new material: lead glass.

Ownership & Use
Jugs and basins were the traditional equipment for washing in well-to-do households. But since glass was ill-suited to use with hot water, the usual materials for jug and basin sets from the end of the 17th century were delftware, Chinese porcelain and eventually Staffordshire white stoneware and Pearlware; finally blue-printed earthenware was used. More expensive English porcelain sets were available after about 1770. Various types of wooden washstand were developed for jugs and basins in the 18th and 19th centuries, later incorporating soap dishes and toothbrush trays.
Bibliographic reference
R J Charleston, English Glass (1984) pl.23a. W A Thorpe, English & Irish Glass (1929) pl.XII
Collection
Accession number
C.529-1936

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Record createdDecember 13, 1997
Record URL
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