1. AIR-TWISTED STEM GLASS.
2. BUTTON STEM.
3. BALUSTER STEM WITH ROYAL MONOGRAM.
(From the Rees Price Collection, by permission of the Connoisseur.)
FIG. 8.
history of English glass. The feet are almost always of the folded variety. Occasionally, in the later specimens, however, the feet are domed.
Opaque-twisted Stems.—The opaque-twisted stem made its appearance about the middle of the century. In this case, rods of opaque white or coloured glass were alternated with rods of clear glass around the circumference of a circular mould, care being taken to preserve proper regularity.
They were then heated, and molten clear glass poured into the central hollow, filling up the interstices between the rods, binding the whole when cooled into a solid rod, with a clear centre surrounded by a particoloured circumference. The mass, being softened by heating, was then drawn out into slenderer rods, and twisted into spirals.
The ease of the process accounts for the infinite variety of patterns in existence. Flat bars could be used, giving tape-like spiral bands, and the rods could be of various sizes and colours. Many specimens came over from Holland and from the north of France, generally of inferior quality, the inferiority being displayed in the character of the stems and the poorness of the metal.
The simplicity of the manufacture has also given rise to hosts of modern imitations, largely from the Continent. In a great number of these the spirals turn to the left, which has given rise to an idea that all glasses with right-handed opaque spiral stems are modern imitations, which is by no means the case. All such specimens, however, are sufficiently suspect to demand careful scrutiny, and the amateur, before purchasing a right-handed spiral opaque-twisted glass, will do well to submit it to the judgment of an expert.
Points to be considered are the colour of the metal, the perfection of the twist, its opacity, and the character of the foot. The colour and weight of the glass are probably the best criteria. The forgeries are generally light, and the beautiful mellow tone of the real old English glass is replaced by a cold white tint or even a tinge of green. The twist is often more translucent than in the genuine pieces, and is frequently imperfectly produced, becoming looser as it descends, the loosening being particularly pronounced just before its junction with the foot.