Object Type
The proliferation of glass artefacts brought about by the invention of press-moulding meant that glass was able to meet a huge variety of new needs. This foot was made to fit the castor wheels of a piano or any wheeled furniture in order simultaneously to dress up the most functional, least sightly element and to prevent the castor from marking the carpet or floorboards. These artefacts are always called piano feet; as they were made of glass, however, it remains an open question whether they were actually strong enough to be used for that purpose.

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
John Derbyshire's Regent Road Flint Glass Works was at Salford, Manchester. John separated from his brothers James and Thomas, and left their joint works at nearby Hulme to set up his own company in 1873. This business was short-lived but during its few years of production paperweights featured heavily: the Lion paperweight is one of the best-known. Derbyshire made other designs based on the paintings of Edwin Landseer (1802-1873), including a greyhound and a collie. His last designs were registered in 1877 and it seems likely that he rejoined the family glassworks possibly around 1880.