Gold Aurene vase with pulled feather decoration, “Aurene 649,” c.1907, Steuben Glass Works, Corning, New York

The Thomas N. Armstrong III Collection, Gift of the Thomas N. Armstrong Family, 2018 2018.20.64

Decorated Aurenes

A piece of glass may be decorated in many ways. Decorations were done at the fire by applying colored glass threads and circles to the nearly completed object. These appliqués were manipulated with a metal hook and pulled into the desired decoration. By hooking the threads in opposite directions, they could be formed into loops, or varying types of feathers. Once the appliqués were hooked into final design, the decoration was marvered or pressed into the body of the piece until it was smooth.

abstracted, p. 25 of Objects of Desire, The Art of Frederick Carder by Alan Shovers