Lion after Landseer
Paperweight
1874 (design registered)
1874 (design registered)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
A paperweight must be functional, but most examples also show a strong decorative impulse. In the form of a lion a paperweight conveys a sense of importance and status, perhaps in relation to matters of Empire.
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 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 and 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.
A paperweight must be functional, but most examples also show a strong decorative impulse. In the form of a lion a paperweight conveys a sense of importance and status, perhaps in relation to matters of Empire.
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 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 and 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.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Lion after Landseer (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Press-moulded glass |
| Brief description | Paperweight, England (Manchester), made by John Derbyshire, Regent Road Flint Glass Works, 1874-1900 |
| Physical description | Blue pressed glass lion paperweight |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Marks and inscriptions | Anchor trade mark intersecting 'JD' in monogram, diamond registration mark for 7/1874 (Diamond registration mark) |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by Michael Franklin |
| Object history | Made by John Derbyshire (active 1856-1893), Regent Flint Glass Works, Manchester |
| Summary | Object Type A paperweight must be functional, but most examples also show a strong decorative impulse. In the form of a lion a paperweight conveys a sense of importance and status, perhaps in relation to matters of Empire. 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 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 and 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. |
| Other number | 0825 - Glass gallery number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.262-1987 |
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| Record created | December 13, 1997 |
| Record URL |
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