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- Smith Art Glass Giant - 32" tall, 10" at widest
- Excellent Condition
- 1960's - Bottom Wear
- Blown into mold then hand stretched and tooled
- Deep translucent red with Opaque tipped free formed rim
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Art Glass Terminology
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There are various ways to describe art glass of the past. Collectors and makers use many terms to relate pertinent information about the product. These terms may not be known to you yet, so RetroArtGlass will provide a quick lesson. The descriptive words and their meanings are used in the RetroArtGlass catalog and will be helpful in understanding the art glass objects offered within.
Methods of Forming Glass
Glass makers use many different methods to produce the final art form. The most common methods:
- Hand Blown - Glassmakers use mouth and a blowpipe rod to blow hot glass into form. Hand blown items do not have seams (mold lines)
- Mold Blown - Hot glass is blown by mouth into a mold. Mold blown items often are removed from mold, then stretched and/or hand tooled for the finished effect. Mold Blown items usually do not have visible seams, nor visible pontils.
- Pattern-Molded - Hot glass is poured into a mold, pressed and cooled before the mold is removed. Molded items often have apparent seams. Higher quality molded glass will have mold lines (seams) polished out or smoothed to invisible or nearly invisible.
- Free Form - A ball of hot of glass is manipulated by hand tool. The result is usually a thick, free flowing, modernistic form. Today these forms are referred to as "Amoeboid"
Pontil Mark - Normally located on the seat of the blown glass form. A pontil mark is the spot where the glassmaker separates the blowpipe rod from the finished form. There are five (5) distinct styles of pontil marks:
- Ground Pontil - The rod mark is polished out by hand or machine. A ground pontil is usually roundish and a bit concave. The smoothed surface will have a polished effect.
- Soft Pontil - The rod and glass are separated while still hot. The small amount of leftover glass is left on the finished form and allowed to cool. The cooled "dollop" of glass is small, usually has a swirl, and is soft to the touch.
- Hard Pontil - The rod and glass are separated after cooling. The separation point resembles broken glass. Can be sharp and rough to touch.
- Stamped Pontil - Rod and glass are separated while still hot. Glassmaker uses a stamp to impress the "dollop" with a design or pattern. Often the glassmaker leaves a mark that can be recognized as the maker's mark.
- Cut and Polished - Many art glass forms will appear to have no pontil at all. Some glass forms are cut off at the top or bottom and then polished. A highly polished rim on a vase is an indication of cutting and polishing. This method is also used on the glass form's seat.
Types of Maker Identifications.
Glass makers use a variety of methods to identify the company that produced the art form. Most common is the Maker's Label. Unfortunately, labels are often removed.
- Maker's Label - An identifying label or sticker attached to the glass form.
- Etched - Using tools, by hand or machine, to engrave the maker's logo or name.
- Sandblasted - Abrasive material and a stencil used to create a frosted effect, in the form of the maker's name or logo.
- Stamped - A stamp is used to impress the glass maker's logo or name; or an identifying design, on the glass form before it is cooled.
Decoration/Ornamentation
Glass forms are decorated in numerous ways. Most often, glass is used to decorate glass. Below are a few examples of decoration techniques.
- Hand Tooled - Glassmaker's use of tools to enhance the design of blown or mold blown items.
- Applied - Blown, stretched or tooled hot glass is applied to the main form to achieve raised decorations, and/or attached handles, and/or form lips, etc. Applied decoration uses glass to decorate glass. Some common names for applied decoration are "Prunts" (blobs of glass), "Rigarre" (ribbons of glass), and "Threading" (fine lines of glass).
- Molded Ornamentation - Iron or brass molds with a pattern or design cut on the inside. Molds can be of 2, 3, or 4 parts. As a rule of thumb, the more parts to the mold, the older it is. Not always true as reproductions are often made from the same mold. Also called "Cast Glass".
- Crackled - Hot glass forms are immersed in liquid and then reheated to create a "crackle" in the glass.
- Seeded - Maker intentionally "seeds" the hot glass with inclusions to create an antique effect or simply for decoration.
- Controlled Bubble - Maker intentionally adds air bubbles to the glass to create a scattered or patterned bubble effect.
- Iridescent - Glowing effect achieved through the glass recipe
- Carnival - Type of Iridescent Glass including multiple hues.
- Hand Stretched / Pulled - The glass is stretched by hand or tool. Sometimes called "Free Form"
- Stretch Glass - A unique effect of satiny iridescent. Achieved through the glass recipe and stretching technique.
- Ribs - Ribs are made by the mold blown process
- Optic Panels - The Blenko green pitcher at your upper right is an optic panelled form. Created in the blowing process.
- Etched - Maker uses hand or machine tool etcher to engrave pattern or design.
- Enameled - Painted decoration, usually applied before glass is completely cooled. After decoration the glass is reheated to fuse the enamel to the glass.
Condition Remarks - When buying art glass, it is important to know it's condition. Never purchase an art glass form when the seller does not provide condition information. It is essential that you understand exactly what you're getting!
- Excellent - In Unused, or Like-Unused Condition. Some glass forms may have been used but cared for so well that they appear unused. Normal "Bottom Wear" (see definition) is acceptable on glass items described as in excellent shape.
- Great - In Slightly Used Condition. Looks "Almost Like New". May have nearly invisible scratch marks, or minimal smoothed chiggers.
- Good - May have a chigger or two or slightly visible scratches
- Fair - Visible Problem. Chip, Crack, Staining. Worth buying if it's a bargain and can be repaired.
- Poor - Not Worth Buying
- Bottom Wear - Normal, Expected Wear on the Seat of the Glass Form. Bottom wear often helps indicated the age of an item and does not detract from it's value.
- Unintentional Inclusion - Unintentional foreign object(s) in the glass. An unintentional inclusion is a "maker's miss" and can be a trapped air bubble, a speck of charcoal from the furnace, a burst bubble on the surface, etc,
- Intentional Inclusion - Some inclusions are meant to add to the form's decor. A "Controlled Inclusion" is an intentional foreign object in the glass.
- Straw Mark - A slight line left on the form after cooling. The term "Straw Mark" comes from the old style of placing cooling glass on straw. Often an indicator of age. Depression glass is full of straw marks. Straw Marks are also found on some more modern hand blown forms and are the result of the maker's style.
- Maker's Miss - An error on the glass form caused by the maker.
- Sick Glass - Glass that is so badly marked with calcium deposits or clouding that it is impossible to remove. The chemicals that caused the staining have actually imbedded themselves into the glass.
- Clouded - A thin film that adheres to and discolors the glass. Usually caused by introducing glass to very hot water and harsh detergent. Never put good glass in the dishwasher!!! Usually the "Cloud" cannot be removed.
- Condensation - Occurs in blown hollow forms when air was trapped inside before sealing and in stoppered decanters when stored with moisture inside. In Hollow forms, it usually is a very small drop or two that will never go away. In decanters, condensation can form calcium "lace", (very fine web of calcium deposits) and is nearly impossible to remove if not caught early.
- Chigger - Very small rough spots that usually can't be seen, but can be felt with fingertips. Usually found on older glass items that have been used. For example, chiggers are usually found on the rims of spooners where spoons have rested. Chiggers on very old items do not detract much from the form's value because they are expected. Chiggers from use can help identify the age of a item. Remember, if it's called a "Chigger", it must be rough spots that cannot be seen unless closely inspected, but can be felt with your finger tips. A small chip cannot be described as a "Chigger". Chiggers that have been sanded are called "smoothed" chiggers, removing the roughness.
- Chip - Visible piece of the glass has been broken off the form. If the chip is small enough, it could be repaired, but a seamless repair is difficult. Chips found on decanter's "stopper" neck are extremely common and more or less accepted. Rim chips may require qrinding that might reduce the size of the vessel, the same applies to bases. A visible chip negatively effects the value of a form.
- Sliver Chip - Occurs when glass is placed on a hard surface with too much force. Sliver chips usually occur on the seat of the form. A sliver chip on the seat is a bit common in older glass and does not detract much from it's value. A Sliver chip on the form's seat is not a serious problem, cannot be seen when displayed, and is usually very small and very thin. Sliver Chips elsewhere on the form, on a rim for example, even though they are small and thin, are a more serious problem. Sliver chips on the form should be professionally smoothed by polishing. Sometimes polishing will result in the sliver chip "disappearing" unless examined closely.
- Crack - Glass cracks from stress (cold or hot temperatures) or by carelessness or accidents. Do not purchase cracked glass unless the item is extremely old and you are willing to have it professionally repaired. It will always bear the scar of the crack.
- Repair - A chipped or chiggered glass form that has been professionaly repaired by any or all of these methods; 1. Reheating 2. Sanding/Grinding 3. Polishing 4. Adhesives 5. Applying. A "repaired" glass form will have lost some value, unless it's extremely old. If the repair can make the problem nearly invisible to the eye, the value loss is not as bad.
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