The Brilliant Period

Steuben Seventy Years of Glass Making by Paul N. Perrot, Paul V. Gardner and James S. Plaut p. 22

Although Carder was not fond of cut glass, particularly heavy cut crystal, he bowed to public demand, and Steuben produced cut glass tableware and ornamental pieces in considerable quantities. During the first ten or fifteen years of the firm’s history, “brilliant period” designs predominated. After this style went out of fashion, much of the cutting on stemware, table ornaments, and other decorative pieces was done in combination with engraving.

Engraved decorations to Carder’s designs were done by local engravers in their home studios, using the copper-wheel technique. The designs ere either left in mat texture as they came from the wheel or polished in the “rock crystal” style. Floral motifs predominated, but fish, human forms, crests, and other designs were used as desired. When cut motifs were combined with the engraved patterns, they tended to strengthen the design and accent the delicacy of the engraving.

Many of the more elaborate table services were made in Carder’s crystal, usually cased with gold-ruby, green, blue or amethyst, although other colors were also used. The designs were cut and engraved through the outer colored layer and appeared in mat or polished crystal against the colored ground.