Thursday, March 10, 2011

Dear Alan,

Further in our admiration of Frederick Carder’s mastery of form, here is a true tour de force of the glassmaker’s art: Steuben Shape No. 6023 variant. Note that the stopper and long dauber are similar to Steuben Shape No. 6049.

The design is a Pilgrim Bottle, which dates to Roman antiquity, around 100 A.D. The elongated style is distinctly Mannerist, which occurred during the late Renaissance and was characterized by deliberate exaggeration of form.

For comparison, we show a gold ruby glass scent bottle, likely made at Augsburg. It is a ribbed piece featuring complex strapwork in parcel gilt silver. It was made shortly following Johann Kunckel’s experiments in gold ruby glass at Potsdam, c. 1678. An almost identical piece in emerald green glass is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

A synoptic view of the two pieces shows that both share the shape of the elongated Pilgrim Bottle. Both are vertically ribbed. Both are elaborately decorated—the older piece with various symbolic devices in its silver mounts; the Steuben piece with complex hot glass detailing top and bottom.

The Steuben piece is 12 inches tall and made of optic ribbed Pomona Green glass with Amber foot. It has a ball stem with mica flecks and swirled Cintra threads. The acorn stopper is similarly decorated. The Pomona Green dauber extends the length of the bottle’s interior.

The similarities are uncanny; the rare shape of the elongated Pilgrim Bottle is remarkable! Carder doubtless saw such a piece and made it a part of his mental inventory of designs.

This piece, Steuben Shape No. 6023 variant, is illustrative of Frederick Carder’s mastery of glass design, color and decoration.

Cordially, Elizabeth and Frank Creech

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