The History Of Glass: Glass in The 17th-19th Centuries (Part 5)

Austro-Hungarian Empire, also referred to as Dual Monarchy, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. During this period, great progress was made in glass manufacturing, and a number of new glass types appeared.

Forest Glass

Forest glass (Waldglas in German) is a kind of late medieval glass with green color and bubbles. It is produced in northwestern and central Europe from approximately 1000–1700 AD using wood ash and sand as the main raw materials and made in factories known as glasshouses in forest areas. It has a high potassium & oxygen content and is easy to shape yet not easy to devitrify (crystallize). It is characterized by a variety of greenish-yellow colors, which exactly echoes its name “forest”. And the greenish tint is given by the content of iron oxide contained in glass sand. However, the making of “forest glass” in this way is actually unsustainable, as it consumes and destroys the forest itself.

The earlier products usually come along with crude design and poor quality and are used mainly for everyday vessels and increasingly for ecclesiastical stained glass windows.

Bohemian Glass

Bohemia, currently a part of the Czech Republic, becomes famous for its beautiful and colorful glass during the Renaissance. Bohemian glass, also called Bohemia crystal, is well-known for its high quality, superb craftsmanship, beauty, and innovative designs.

The history of Bohemian glass started with the abundant natural resources found in the countryside. Bohemian glass-workers discovered that potash combined with chalk could create a clear colorless glass that was more stable than glass from Italy.

In the 16th century, the term Bohemian crystal was used for the first time to distinguish its qualities from a glass made elsewhere. And the local Czech manufacture of glass earned an international reputation in high Baroque style from 1685 to 1750.

From the 17th to the 18th century, glass carving tools and technology developed rapidly. Therefore, the high-quality carved glass began to be mass-produced and widely used. At the same time, the frosting technology of acid treatment was also created, which made the carved images more beautiful and vivid.

Bohemia turned out expert craftsman who artfully worked with crystal. Bohemian crystal became famous for its excellent cut and engraving. They became skilled teachers of glass-making in neighboring and distant countries. By the middle of the 19th century, a technical glass-making school system was created that encouraged traditional and innovative techniques as well as thorough technical preparation.

Russian Glass

Faience articles were introduced to Russia from the Mediterranean region around 1 AD, and the mosaic glass appeared in Russia in the 6th century. Since the Grand Duchy of Moscow, a Rus' principality of the Late Middle Ages centered on Moscow, advanced glassmaking technology was introduced to Russia, and painted church glass became popular. After the Renaissance, Russian natural scientists also paid attention to glass production. The most famous one was Mikhail Lomonosov, who studied the coloring principle of glass from a scientific point of view. In 1763, he set up a glass factory that produced the first stained glass mosaics outside of Italy. And his most famous works is the portrait of Peter the Great and the Battle of Poltava (the decisive victory of Russia over the Swedish Empire).

From the 16th to the 19th centuries, gilded and enameled glass products became the decorations and collections of the royal family and nobles. Glass manufacturing technology was raised to a new level as well.

British Glass

As early as the Roman Empire, there was glass product in Britain, as evidenced by the mosaic glass in the Thermae Bath Spa. But glassware did not begin to flourish until the 17th century. The British glassworkers paid special attention to the production of glass tableware. Due to the high refractive index of glass, it shimmers brightly, especially when illuminated by light, which was super beautiful and attractive. Later, Britain developed its own style of carving technology. In the 1790s, two glasscutters from Dudley and Stourbridge harnessed the new technology of steam power to drive their cutting lathes and intricate cut glass was born; in 1876 John Northwood rediscovered the ancient Roman art of cameo glass – all of which laid the foundation of the fame of British glass in the world.

In the 18th century, the gilded and enameled glass goblet was of a great name. The stem was decorated like a twisted cotton ribbon. The carved glass basin was composed of two layers of glass - one layer was milky white and the other layer was the apricot-like color. Its carvings were very meticulous and reflected the level of craftsmanship and art of a carved glass of the 19th century.