Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Michael Krumme asked the question of what are the characteristics and techniques used on the various glasses bearing the term “Intarsia”. We’ve received the following three responses.

First, from Randy Bly

Response to Michael Krumme Intarsia is made by taking a usually clear gather of glass and coating it with colored glass. The colored glass is then cut back by wheel to the desired design and coated with clear. The hand cut and shaped design is trapped between the two clear layers in the final piece. The New Intarsia design in the leaf and vine should be an overlay decoration. hand assisted by hook and pull method. The third method you suggested of a design laid out on marver trapped between two layers belongs to the fourth type of Steuben Intarsia called experimental Intarsia c 1917. The other is the decorated collar we all recognize. 4 types all together.

Next, from Marshall Ketchum

Alan

I have heard of a couple of different processes for making the Intarsia from the 1920s. Since only one gaffer, Johnny Jansson, was capable of making these pieces I think the much more complicated process is correct. See Gardner page 74. The real trick to this process must have been the reheating that was done slowly enough so that the piece didn’t crack or break and the reattachment of the piece to the blowing iron while still at working temperature. One can understand why few of these pieces were made.

According to Gardner, page 77, “New Intarsia” was made by a more normal process where the patterned was picked up from the marver. He also says that the base glass was Gold Aurene but I have never seen such a piece.

Marshall

Finally, we hear from Frank Ford

In response to Michael Krumme re. New Intarsia :

The New Intarsia piece I have ( shape 786 ) I examined quite closely. I am not a glass maker but I think the leaf and vine decoration is “trapped” within the glass, not just a surface decoration.

I have leaf and vine pieces of Tiffany, Quezal and Durand and those decorations are definitely “on” the glass. You can even see the diference.

Of course I don’t know but I don’t think F. Carder would have used the term Intarsia which means “inlaid” if he didn’t mean “into” the glass.

Thanks for your interest and comments.

Frank W. Ford

www.cardersteubenclub.org

Any opinions expressed by participants to the Gazette are the opinions of the authors and are not endorsed by or the opinions of the Carder Steuben Club.