Brilliant cut glass

American cut glass from the so-called brilliant period (1876-1906) is the subject of a gorgeous exhibition organized by Brian Gallagher open now through the summer at the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, North Carolina. From the last quarter of the nineteenth century to about 1915, cut glass was a popular luxury product for the country's elite. Champagne glasses, punch bowls, decanters, serving trays, and candlesticks in colored and colorless glass, sometimes with silver mounts, were among the items that filled the tables of families such as the Vanderbilts, the Fricks, and the Astors. Even among the less well-heeled, cut glass ranked as the first choice for wedding, anniversary, and birthday gifts. Such objects could be purchased from upscale retailers such as Tiffany and Company in New York City and John Wanamaker in Philadelphia, or ordered directly from a handful of glass factories, the majority of which were located in Corning, New York.

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Cut glass from the brilliant period is characterized by elaborate, deeply cut patterns that often cover the entire highly polished surface to produce a brilliant prismatic sparkle. Typically, several highly skilled craftsmen worked on each object. First the designer marked the outlines of the pattern on a glass blank, then a rougher, a smoother, and a polisher made increasingly refined cuts by holding the blank against a series of rapidly turning wheels. Additional techniques included engraving; casing two distinct layers of colored and colorless glass together and then cutting through the outer layer; and mounting with silver handles, lids, and other decorative elements provided by firms such as Tiffany and Company and the Gorham Manufacturing Company.

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The Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876 focused many people's attention on the new level of elegance, beauty, and originality in American cut glass, which before then was usually based on English and Irish designs. The firm C. Dorflinger and Sons of White Mills, Pennsylvania, for example, displayed a cut and engraved wine set that featured images of the Goddess of Liberty, the United States coat of arms, and the city of Philadelphia. During the next thirty years, American creations dominated the national and international markets because of both the unusual clarity of the lead glass and the inventiveness and exquisite execution of the designs. By 1906, however, production costs had risen and public interest had waned, causing factories to simplify their designs; and the outbreak of World War I made it nearly impossible for them to obtain the lead required to manufacture such highly reflective wares. After the war the few factories that had managed to stay in business began producing less costly items. At the height of the brilliant period, however, the American cut glass industry took great pride in producing some of the finest examples in the world. There is no catalogue of the exhibition.

The Brilliant Period of American Cut Glass. Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, North Carolina, to August 17.

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