Celery Vase
ca. 1885 (made)
| 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. This vase would have been used to serve cut celery stalks.
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.
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.
People
This celery vase was made by 'George Davidson & Co., Teams Glass Works' at Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. Founded in 1867, they soon became one of the most famous and prolific manufacturers of pressed glass in Britain.
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. This vase would have been used to serve cut celery stalks.
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.
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.
People
This celery vase was made by 'George Davidson & Co., Teams Glass Works' at Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. Founded in 1867, they soon became one of the most famous and prolific manufacturers of pressed glass in Britain.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Press-moulded glass |
| Brief description | Celery vase, England (Gateshead-on-Tyne), made by Geo. Davidson & Co., Teams Glass Works, 1885-1900 |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | Marked with a lion rampant above a crest, moulded |
| Credit line | Given by Mrs D. How |
| Object history | Made by George Davidson & Co., Teams Glass Works, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear The design appears as 'Celery 223' in a 1885 catalogue of the firm |
| Production | Celery 223 in the Davidson catalogue |
| 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. This vase would have been used to serve cut celery stalks. 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. 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. People This celery vase was made by 'George Davidson & Co., Teams Glass Works' at Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. Founded in 1867, they soon became one of the most famous and prolific manufacturers of pressed glass in Britain. |
| Bibliographic reference | B. Morris, Victorian Table Glass and Ornaments, London 1978; pl.144 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.151-1969 |
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| Record created | December 13, 1997 |
| Record URL |
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