Jelly Tree
ca. 1750 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
Glass salvers or stands served a dual purpose: as trays or 'waiters' for serving a dessert such as jelly or combined with others to form a pyramid of three tiers.
Design & Designing
The form of a salver almost designed itself: a spun disk of glass with a small, sometimes folded, edge, mounted on a foot of appropriate height. For a sturdy stem, the traditional mould-blown baluster was almost invariably used (which makes it very difficult to precisely date surviving examples). Salvers were produced in several standard sizes, which made pyramids or individual replacement salvers easy to order from any glass retailer.
Ownership & Use
The exact date of the appearance of jelly pyramids by combining several salvers is difficult to pinpoint, though it certainly took place in the first half of the 18th century. Glass salvers had themselves been in use from at least the 1680s. By the end of the 18th century, pyramids had become a common sight in confectioners' shops, which probably contributed to their gradual fall from fashion in the first half of the 19th century. By this date, turned-out jellies from large creamware or stoneware jelly moulds had become popular.
Glass salvers or stands served a dual purpose: as trays or 'waiters' for serving a dessert such as jelly or combined with others to form a pyramid of three tiers.
Design & Designing
The form of a salver almost designed itself: a spun disk of glass with a small, sometimes folded, edge, mounted on a foot of appropriate height. For a sturdy stem, the traditional mould-blown baluster was almost invariably used (which makes it very difficult to precisely date surviving examples). Salvers were produced in several standard sizes, which made pyramids or individual replacement salvers easy to order from any glass retailer.
Ownership & Use
The exact date of the appearance of jelly pyramids by combining several salvers is difficult to pinpoint, though it certainly took place in the first half of the 18th century. Glass salvers had themselves been in use from at least the 1680s. By the end of the 18th century, pyramids had become a common sight in confectioners' shops, which probably contributed to their gradual fall from fashion in the first half of the 19th century. By this date, turned-out jellies from large creamware or stoneware jelly moulds had become popular.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Blown and spun glass |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | British Galleries:
One of the most popular forms of dessert centrepiece was the jelly tree. This was a pyramid of glass salvers, desked with individual glasses containing brightly coloured jellies, custards, syllabubs, sugared fruits and flowers.(27/03/2003) |
| Credit line | Given by A. A. Allen |
| Object history | Made in England |
| Summary | Object Type Glass salvers or stands served a dual purpose: as trays or 'waiters' for serving a dessert such as jelly or combined with others to form a pyramid of three tiers. Design & Designing The form of a salver almost designed itself: a spun disk of glass with a small, sometimes folded, edge, mounted on a foot of appropriate height. For a sturdy stem, the traditional mould-blown baluster was almost invariably used (which makes it very difficult to precisely date surviving examples). Salvers were produced in several standard sizes, which made pyramids or individual replacement salvers easy to order from any glass retailer. Ownership & Use The exact date of the appearance of jelly pyramids by combining several salvers is difficult to pinpoint, though it certainly took place in the first half of the 18th century. Glass salvers had themselves been in use from at least the 1680s. By the end of the 18th century, pyramids had become a common sight in confectioners' shops, which probably contributed to their gradual fall from fashion in the first half of the 19th century. By this date, turned-out jellies from large creamware or stoneware jelly moulds had become popular. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.69 to B-1931 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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