cup
- Museum number
- AF.3146
- Description
-
Oval cup of ruby glass with gadrooned ribs; plain foot mount of silver-gilt. Stamped with maker's mark and hallmark.
- Production date
- 17thC(late) (?)
- Dimensions
-
Length: 11.10 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- Text from Read and Tonnochy 1928, 'Catalogue of Silver Plate' (Franks Bequest):
The glass of this cup, and of AF3143, AF3144 and AF3147, is known as ruby glass (Ger. ‘Rubinglas’), a technique discovered by the well-known alchemist Johann Kunckel (1630-1703), who was in charge of an atelier of glass workers from 1678 to 1703; by the application of a gold solution, a brilliant ruby colour was imparted to the glass.
As the style of the ornament on the glass is not that of the Potsdam glasses, and as Augsburg silver mounts are found on many, it is evident that the technique spread farther and was practised in South Germany. The subject is treated and a number of these glasses described and illustrated in R. Schmidt, ‘Die Gläser der Sammlung Mühsam’, second edition, Berlin, 1926, pp. 47 ff. Examples in the Green Vaults at Dresden are described and figured in J. L. Sponsel, ‘Das Grüne Gewölbe &c’, I, p. 66, and pl. 63. Examples similar to the present number are shown in the illustration to R. Schmidt, as above, p. 51, no. 188.
M. Rosenberg, 'Der Goldschmiede Merkzeichen', dritte erweiterte und illustrierte Auflage (3 vols.). Frankfort on the Main, 1922-5, nos. 206 and 708.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1897
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- AF.3146