Experience the Magic of Glassblowing:
During our Public Glass Demonstrations, you'll have the opportunity to witness the mesmerising art of glassblowing up close. The skilled artists will demonstrate their craft, turning molten glass into breathtaking works of art.
🌟 Event Details: Tickets €15 + Booking fees
🗓 Date: Nov 16th & Nov 17th 2023
⏰ Time: 16th - 11am & 3pm 17th- 11am & 3pm
📍 Location: Jerpoint Glass Studio, Glenmore, Stoneyford, Co. Kilkenny, R95 WN67
Book "Blown Away" public demonstration tickets HERE
Panel Discussion:
Following the demonstrations, John Sleepy Moran and MiNHi England from Netflix’s smash hit series “Blown Away” join Rory Leadbetter from Jerpoint Glass Studio for an intimate chat about all things glass!
🌟 Event Details: Tickets €10 + Booking fees
🗓 Date: November 17th 2023
⏰ Time: 7pm
📍 Location: Parade Tower, Kilkenny Castle
Book "Blown Away" panel discussion tickets HERE
Reserve Your Spot:
Space is limited, so be sure to book your ticket for this extraordinary event. To reserve your place at the Public Glass Demonstrations and Panel Discussion, please visit www.dcci.ie .
This event promises to be an unforgettable experience for anyone passionate about art, glass, and creativity. Whether you're a glass enthusiast, an artist, or just curious about the world of glassblowing, this event is designed for you.
We can't wait to see you there!
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The Jerpoint Colours series, inspired by the magnificent Irish scenery and the various shifting hues of the seasons, is one of Jerpoint Glass's most popular collections. The Seascape Colors, in particular, are inspired by the ocean that encircles Ireland.
The Seascape Colours series has a lovely blend of blues and greens with a spray of white that represents the gorgeous Irish shoreline. Square Vases, Tulip Vases, Scallop Vase, Traditional Jug, Round Jug, Tapered Jug, Wine Glass, and more items are included in the collection. Each piece is handcrafted with the utmost care and attention to detail, making them truly unique and one-of-a-kind.
The Seascape Colours series is ideal for anyone who enjoys the ocean and wishes to include a piece of Ireland's breathtaking coastline into their home. The colors are relaxing and comforting, giving feelings of calm and harmony. They're also incredibly versatile and can be used in a variety of settings, from formal dining to casual gatherings.
Jerpoint Glass brings you the best in Irish glassware by combining the beautiful with the practical. Each piece has been meticulously designed to be both aesthetically beautiful and useful, making it ideal for both everyday use and special events. The Seascape Colours collection has something for everyone, whether you're searching for a vase for displaying your favorite flowers, a jug for pouring drinks, or a pair of glasses for entertaining.
In conclusion, the Jerpoint Glass Seascape Colours collection is the perfect choice if you're searching for fine, handcrafted glassware that captures the majesty of Ireland's breathtaking coastline. These items will undoubtedly be treasured family heirlooms that are passed down from one generation to the next.
Garden orbs are essentially decorative spheres that can be placed in flower beds, rock gardens, or even in pots on your patio. These orbs are intended to sit low to the ground on a short bamboo cane ( copper pipe is not recommended for the orbs). Every one of our orbs are individually handmade at our studio in Kilkenny so no two pieces are exactly the same.
But what really sets garden orbs apart is their ability to add charm and enchantment to any garden space. Whether you're looking to create a cozy corner in your yard or add a pop of colour to your patio, these ornaments can help you achieve your desired look.
One popular way to use garden orbs is to place them in flower beds. You can use them to accentuate certain colors or textures in your garden, or simply scatter them throughout the bed for a whimsical touch.
Another option is to place garden orbs in rock gardens. Because they are available in a range of sizes and colors, you can use them to create a striking focal point in your rockery, or simply add a few small orbs for a subtle effect.
Garden Spirals are unique decorations are made from blown glass, and come in a variety of colors and designs. They're perfect for adding year-round color to your garden, and work well either on their own or in groups of three.
One of the best things about these glass spirals is that they're available in all of the bespoke Jerpoint colour. This means you can find the perfect shade to complement your existing garden decor, or choose a contrasting color to make a bold statement.
Aside from their aesthetic appeal, glass garden spirals are also practical. They're durable and weather-resistant, so you don't have to worry about them fading or deteriorating over time.
If you have a patio or outdoor seating area, consider placing a few Garden Orbs and Garden Spirals in pots or urns. This will help add interest and texture to your patio, while also creating a cohesive look that ties everything together. With their vibrant colors, durability, and calming effects, they're a great investment for any garden lover.
Ultimately, the possibilities are endless when it comes to using garden ornaments in your outdoor space. Whether you opt for a single bold statement piece or scatter several small orbs and spirals throughout your garden, these charming ornaments are sure to add a touch of enchantment to your outdoor space. So why not give them a try and see how they can enhance the beauty of your garden?
The question of the origin of this particular type of glass has been much talked about without formal elucidation. Regarding the etymology of the name Rummer, two main theories exists:
Despite its very broad definition, the consensus is that a Rummer should have a wide bowl, a sturdy and short stem and a wide foot. The Anglicised version of the Rummer is also characterised by the large volume of its bowl. From that postulate, fashion, taste and manufacture’s own slants have created a wide range of designs. Some early Rummers would have had prunts on the stem, a fashion later abandoned, while some stems would have been decorated with a knop. The bowls and foot also had a variety of shapes, although a flat and round foot is the most common.
It has been hypothesized that rummers were initially used in Bavaria for pale wheat beer or regional hefeweizen. In 18th Century England, Rummers were a very popular glass for rum and long drinks in general.
By the 19th century, Rummers had a very polyvalent use in taverns, where they became more of practical glass without the engraving and decorative ornaments found in the earlier rummers. The heavy glass and pontil marks also disappeared as the mechanisation of glass production commenced.
The pontil mark on a Jerpoint Glass Rummer
Here at Jerpoint Glass we make our Rummers in two sizes, Large and Medium. The Large Rummer is as suited to beer (as it was originally designed for), stout or long drinks. Its large capacity also makes it a very nice glass for any cocktail. It was actually not uncommon in the 19th century to have oversized rummers (up to 12 inches) at the table for mixing punch before sharing it between the guests’ smaller rummers.
Jerpoint Glass Large Rummer
Our Medium Rummer is a wine glass. Its generous bowl, simplicity of shape and hand-felt weight makes it perfect for both red and white wines.
Jerpoint Glass Studio Medium Rummer Wine Glass
Today, good quality Rummers are hard to come by as only a handful of Glass-blowers still produce them across the world and we are very proud at Jerpoint Glass to be perpetuating the making of a such an iconic glass. Our pontil mark is apparent as we hand finish every single one of our glass. The glass we use, however lead free, has the same quality weight, transparency and feel that would have been expected from a high quality handmade Rummer in the 18th and 19th centuries, which is arguably the height of the Rummer era.
Our Rummers are available for sale on our website and can be shipped all over the world: Visit Jerpoint Glass Rummers Page HERE
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Why is it that we still desire glassware made by hand when we have the precision and perfection of machine made glass?
What is it that makes handmade glass so special?
A ‘Pontil Mark’ is the definitive tag of a piece of hand blown glass. A term that outside of the glass world would perhaps seldom be recognised but from here onwards, anytime you find yourself with a piece of glass in your hand you will also find yourself checking for the pontil mark.
Hot blown glass is made on the end of a blowing iron. A wine glass or vessel that is completely made by hand is passed from a blowing iron to a pontil iron for the piece to be finished. This is a technically tricky and lengthy process that requires the expertise of a highly skilled maker. The pontil iron is attached to the base of the piece by taking a gather of hot molten glass from the furnace and pressing it against the base of the piece that has just been formed. The molten glass fuses with the base of the piece and at the other end where the opening will be, the piece is freed from the blowing iron. When the piece is fully formed it is knocked off the pontil iron by chipping it with a blunt knife between the now hardened gather of glass at the end of the pontil iron and the base of the glass piece until they separate.
The mark that this process leaves on the base of the glass is the ‘Pontil Mark’, a kind of glass navel marking its origin. It appears as a slightly rough patch usually out of sight at the base of a piece.
While the pontil mark is indeed confirmation of a piece being handmade, I believe the strongest indication that you are in the presence of handmade glass is the look, the feel and the overall quality that is instantly apparent.
A pontil mark on a Colour Twist Wine Glass
Handmade glass has an individuality and character all of its own. While an experienced glass maker can achieve near symmetry it is never possible to reach the precision that a machine can. If you imagine a set of handmade wineglasses standing side by side with a set of machine glasses. In the handmade set you will see the height vary slightly, the bowl, the stem, the base all vary a bit. The thickness of the glass from place to place a subtle change from piece to piece.
You become familiar with each glass as an individual and the different character of each glass appeals to you at different times and in different ways.
Looking closer you can sometimes see soft lines running through the glass. This is the touch of the glassblower, his simple tools hand shaping each individual curve.
The impression of fluidity in the perpetual flux of a handmade piece creating softness and character is achieved through the use of these tools and the breath of the maker blown into the glass through the blowing iron.
"The thickness of the glass from place to place a subtle change from piece to piece."
The contrast between the warmth and life of this set of handmade glasses and the machine made ones is stark. The machine glasses are cold, austere and hostile by comparison.
Through this technique there is sometimes the occurrence of a bubble. Another lovely quirk that is not seen in machine glass. Another indication of the presence of a crafts person. A human touch.
For some makers, bubbles in the glass are a desired effect that they strive to create. For others it is a natural phenomenon, a birth mark, part and parcel of the life of handmade glass.
Holding a handmade glass it will feel more substantial in your hand. There is a sense of quality in the smoothness and weightedness of the glass. There is surprisingly a difference in the sound the glass makes when touching off other glass or even against your finger tips when gripped. There is the silence of quality and weight instead of the shallow pat of a machine made glass. The satisfying deep chime of toasting glasses would say more itself than a thousand words.
Above all the quirks and beauties of hot blown glass, I believe the optimum delight with a truly handmade piece is the smoothness of the hand finished rim.
While there are many makers of handmade glass there are very few who completely finish by hand. Mostly the piece is blown and shaped attached to a glass ball at the end of the blowing iron. The piece is not transferred to the pontil iron to be hand finished, instead it is cut from the ball and smoothed by machine after it has been annealed.
To the eye this makes quite a difference as the cut and machine finish will have an aspect of sharpness compared with the gentle curve of the hand finish. It is of course particularly apparent in a wineglass or beaker where the rim will connect with your mouth.
The soft sensuality of the hand finished rim against your lips is the ultimate pleasure when drinking from a handmade glass. There is no parallel to be drawn between the hand finished rim and the machine finished rim.
And there, considering all of the above an answer appears to my question; Why do we choose handmade over perfection?
The answer is; we live through our senses and we instinctively strive to please them.
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December 2020, Christmas day
It was snowing again in the streets of New York. Barely a foot print tarnished the sugared pavements. How different Christmas had been this year.
The box sat under the tree, still a sealed package. It had arrived two days ago but the advice was to leave any package untouched for 48 hours and anyway she had wanted to save it for Christmas day.
She looked longingly at the Irish post stamp, memories of her trip to Ireland flooding her thoughts. It was a happy time, maybe her happiest ever. She longed for that time, a time before all of this, a time when she could be there and be with him again.
December 1st 2019
The Christmas lights hung from one side of the street to the other glistening white across the sky and reflecting below on the lightly frosted streets of Kilkenny. A school choir stood at the end of the parade singing Christmas carols. It was Alice’s first time in Ireland. She had dreamt of visiting since she was a child. She had grown up with stories about her Irish ancestors, her Kilkenny ancestors. Most of the details had been lost somewhere in history but she was very sure they had come from Kilkenny and they were artists or craftspeople. She walked along slowly absorbing the atmosphere, so glad to finally be here.
Jack stood on the corner of the parade smoking a cigarette, he had ventured in to town early to soak up a little of the pre-Christmas buzz before he started work. He worked at a popular Pub in the city center for quite a few years now. He enjoyed Christmas even tho’ he often spent it alone. He had no relatives in the area but he had many friends.
The streets were busy with late evening opening hours and bustling shoppers dashing around. There was a congregation of people gathering at the bottom of the parade, all dressed in long coats and seasonal hats with bobbles. That evening there was to be the opening of the Kilkenny Makers market, it always attracted quite a crowd.
He stamped out his cigarette and leaned across throwing it in the bin beside him. It was then that he spotted her.
Like a floating feather she sailed slowly through the crowd, rocking and swaying on the vertices of busy shoppers. She took his breath away from that very moment. He watched her as she approached the market, her silky hair shining beneath the street lights, her slender figure throwing the most elegant shadows across the stoney grey pavement.
It was not like him to hesitate, he did, but not for long. He walked with a truly confident facade towards her. Had it been any other woman it would not have been a facade but this ethereal being demanded reverence from all who gazed upon her, while radiating nothing more offensive than nonchalance.
As he approached her, he willed her to turn around. She stopped neatly in her stride and with very little movement she turned just her head to look in his direction.
A couple of Jacks friends from the pub; Pat and Barry were standing across the parade, they had just spotted him and were laughing to themselves as they looked on. ‘He never fails does he? With that razor sharp wit and flawless charm, it never takes him long to get at least a smile. They couldn’t hear the words that Jack and Alice spoke to each other but they could see the conversation, the body language.
Jack and Alice strolled up the street side by side. They stopped to look at every stand. There were beautiful ceramics, many of them. Each with their own unique design. There were wood turned pieces, some of the most beautiful she had ever seen. There were leather goods, jewellery, wax candles, hand woven blankets and scarves and so many more beautiful handmade Irish crafts, some calling up the ancient heritage of Ireland and the Celts, some evoking the beauty of the rugged Irish landscape and some of such breath-taking simplicity, that purity that is implicit of a greater knowledge of design. It was everything she had dreamed of before she had come, everything she had imagined about Ireland and Irish craft. She stood there saturated in the wonders of Irish culture in the medieval city of Kilkenny, awash with artisans and makers, surrounded by the spirit of her Irish ancestors and Jack. There was Jack.
What caught her eye in particular, apart from Jack was a stand with hand blown glass baubles. They were pure and understated, so unadorned and simple hanging there in the middle of all the hustle and bustle like a breath of Christmas air tied in a red ribbon. Somehow it was perfect to Alice, it said everything she could have wished it to say about Christmas.
Alice was also thoroughly enjoying the pleasure and the surprise of the company of Jack.
As they strolled back down the parade stopping every couple of moments to talk or look at stands. They talked about family, friends, interests and more. Jack was charming. He paid her many compliments and was the ultimate gentleman in every way.
It started lightly snowing, a small gust of air swirled around them lifting soft flakes off the ground. Alice felt herself stepping closer to Jack as she glanced at the pavement below her feet. Lifting her head she felt his hand slide around the outside of hers. There was a pause, a smile from both and they continued to walk hand in hand down the street.
It was 8:30. Jack was to start work in an hour.
Pat and Barry caught his eye, grinning and waving at him from beneath the tall trees on the mayors walk. They joked again about his delightful appeal with the ladies and that ever present twinkle in his eye. He had a style all of his own, always the tweed jacket and the tweed cap, a cream linen shirt and braces even in the snow.
And there it was the epitome of his gentlemanly charm, a kiss on the hand and she walked away.
Pat and Barry ambled over to Jack, full of smirks and Questions, Who was the beautiful lady? Was she from around here? Was he hoping to see her again?
Alice arrived back to her hotel room on the outskirts of the city. She took off her coat and scarf. She looked at herself in the long mirror on the wall. She took off her dress and tried on another, red with long sleeves and buttons all the way down the front. She admired herself for quite a while. She couldn’t remember the last time she had done this. She wasn’t in the habit of mirror gazing.
She listened to him say it over again in her head. “You truly are the most beautiful woman in the market place this evening, I love your style, you have such beautiful eyes” and a bouquet of other compliments and sweet admiration.
She watched herself sway from side to side in her red dress. She saw her reflection change in the mirror from that, that she was so bored looking at, to that of the beauty he so eloquently described when he looked at her.
She lay on her bed trying to sleep. The butterflies kept her awake. They hadn’t visited recently those butterflies, she couldn’t remember when the last time was.
10:30 he had said, I’ll be there at 10:30 to pick you up. He had offered to take Alice to some of the craft workshops that lay dotted around different parts of the county. It was such a kind offer and she simply couldn’t refuse having no transport of her own and having come all the way from New York especially to discover her craft ancestry in Co. Kilkenny.
Jack pulled up to the front of the hotel, he had been awake since 6 am. There she stood like something from a classic novel. He had never met anyone with such style and grace, such beauty and poise, emanating charisma with every move she made from her silky, shining hair right down to her little laced boots.
She dropped a post card to her parents in the post box outside of the lobby door, it had a picture of Kilkenny castle and a note about her travels to Ireland.
They set off in the direction of Thomastown. There was a chocolate maker there called the Truffle Fairy. Jack had been there once with friends and while he was not of sweet tooth, he found the hot chocolate there to be possibly one of the most delicious things he had ever tasted. They had dark chocolate, light chocolate, White Chocolate, Mexican spiced hot chocolate and Aztec spiced hot chocolate among a medley of other flavours.
They sipped their hot chocolate amidst the morning stir of Thomastown. The day was more than bright enough for the out of doors. The December sun poured a golden table cloth across the terrace where they sat. They talked and laughed. Inquiring about each other’s past-times, work and favourite movies. Asking each other a dozen curious questions. He could tell a good story she soon discovered, and he did, many.
After one hundred years or three seconds, the passing time of another realm, the way time passes in the company of two people falling in love, they got into Jacks car and continued on their journey.
They were on their way to the scenic town of Graiguenamanagh to Visit Cushendale Woollen Mills, a textile company established in the 18th century and running through six generations of the same family. The drive from Thomastown to Graiguenamanagh was one of the most stunning landscapes Alice had seen since arriving in Kilkenny two weeks ago. There were wind swept gorse bushes staggering across the hills on one side and the impressive Blackstairs mountains and Brandon hill on the other, changing shape and perspective with every turn in the winding road, looking ever more impressive with the brightening sun and sheer whiteness of the snow creating the most sublime illumination.
The Woollen Mills was like an extraordinary step back into history. The Mill itself an enchanting structure with high roves and enormous wooden beams. The old looms and machinery were the same ones used more than a century ago. Even the original water source diverted by the monks in the 12th century was still used today for the dying of the wool. The textiles were rich and authentic, drawing you in to the intricate patterns and weaves, making you want to feel them and wrap yourself in them.
In the afternoon Jack and Alice made their way back across the hills towards Stoneyford. They passed Jerpoint Abbey a 12th century Cistercian Abbey. Alice wowed at it and all of the old churches, castles and other ancient buildings that adorned the Irish country side. It was an awakening for Jack to experience Ireland through the eyes of someone from so far away. It was the same old Ireland but now suddenly laced with Mystery and intrigue that he had never seen there before.
They were on their way to visit Jerpoint glass, a handmade glass studio set up in the seventies. A family run business broaching on its third generation.
The workshop had all of the atmosphere of a medieval forge with fiery furnaces and glowing glory holes with heavy rods of iron, but the skills and techniques so fine and intricate talked of something sibylline and ancient.
It was a captivating fusion of heat, strength, endurance and finesse a process that was essentially untouched for over 2000 years and ultimately out of the flames comes the art and delicacy of a piece of hand finished glass.
It was utterly enchanting, the kind of magic that Alice had dreamed of back in New York when she first thought about her trip to Ireland. She could feel her Irish ancestors all around her and in her heart this was her home.
The next ten days passed in that mysterious realm, ever so quickly and roughly a century. Alice spent many of those days with Jack, in fact every hour of it. He drove her to Dublin airport and said goodbye with a thousand promises to see her soon, to visit New York early in the New Year, to think of her every day.
Alice left with no sadness in her heart and without the faintest shadow of a doubt that Ireland would soon be her home and that she would be living in Kilkenny by springtime in the cradle of handmade Irish craft, in the footsteps of her ancestors, with Jack.
2020 had ended the happiest year of Alice’s life and begun one of the toughest. ‘The Dreaded Thing’ had arrived and taken no prisoners. Everyone was affected to some extent. Alice had not seen any of her family in months and her dreams of moving to Ireland had been shattered.
Jack had spent nearly the entire year by himself. The pub had been closed since March and the world outside his door had become a hostile place. Alone in his small house it was the first time in his life he had experienced loneliness and all the more so for having met her, knowing she was out there but that he could not be with her.
Jack spent many hours toiling over what to send her for Christmas. It had to be so special, as unique and beautiful as she was. The shops were all closed so he trawled through websites, browsing fine and fabulous wares. A myriad of luscious, extravagant and glittering gifts all brilliant and blinding, shouting loudly of Christmas and the season but nothing that could even whisper of her beauty.
It was then that he remembered the Makers Market this time last year, the place where they had met. How could he not have thought of it before, the joy in her eyes had been no less than unforgettable as they had viewed all of the handmade crafts together.
He knew in an instant what he would send her. They joy of Christmas rushed over him like he was seven years old again and it made him momentarily reflect on a bright, shiny red train that had epitomised Christmas always in his memories.
Christmas day New York 2020
It was time. She sat on her soft carpeted floor, the flicker of the city a shade of itself in her large apartment window. The package from Ireland lay on the floor beside her.
She ran the blade of a kitchen knife down along the side of the box, cutting through the heavy tape binding it. She pulled it open and to her joy a beautiful blanket from the Cushendale woollen mills sat neatly folded in the box.
The smell of authentic sheep’s wool filled the room and she was there again in the old mill for a brief but beautiful moment. She took it out of the box and wrapped herself in it. It was not his arms around her but it was as close a second as she could think of.
There were a couple of letters that had arrived during the week also. Alice opened them, some Christmas greetings from friends and family. A card from family in North Carolina with a photograph and postcard inside. There was a note attached; “Happy Christmas Alice, I found this photo of you and thought you would like to have it”.
She smiled as she looked at it. The St. Catherine’s prom photo from 1955. She would have been 16. She thought of Jack, a few years her junior. He would have been barely 12. Alice had turned 79 in the spring but she had felt sixteen again every moment she had spent with him.
She looked at the postcard, a picture of Kilkenny Castle on the front. The very card she had sent to her parents in North Carolina care/of her niece who still lived there in the original home place. It was something she had done every time she traveled anywhere since they had both passed on back in the early 90’s, a travel diary of sorts.
There was still a small box sitting amongst the wrapping in the package from Jack. Alice took it in her hand, slowly unwrapping it, relishing every moment.
It appeared, simple and beautiful, as delicate and pure as the moment. A breath of Christmas tied with a red ribbon. A clear glass bauble from Jerpoint glass. The perfect gift chosen by the perfect man.
The despair that had descended on her over the last year lifted slightly. The hope of returning there was restored. She would spend Christmas day 2020 alone but happy, wrapped in her woolen blanket, with love in her heart and her traditional Christmas gift in her hand.
The crafts mentioned in this fiction are very real ! And visiting them is a fantastic experience. To know more about visiting them follow the links below:
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It has evolved through a series of technological advances, world and historical influences and the desire for beautiful objects.
Before the wine glass was invented, wine had been consumed from a variety of vessels. Over the centuries these vessels ranged from baked clay goblets, timber and bronze tankards to pottery goblets, animal horns and the leather drinking vessel known as a ‘black jack’ but the material that would become synonymous with wine drinking long into the future has always existed and was slowly evolving into its familiar physique.
Glass is in fact one of the oldest manufactured materials in the world. Early man discovered Obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass that is black and subtly green in colour. This was used for making sharp tools for hunting and cutting but the first objects manufactured entirely from glass originated from Mesopotamia around 2000bce. The earliest sculptured vessels found in this region, some of which still survive today would probably have been used for oils and cosmetics of the aristocracy.
Obsidian sample from Monte Pilato (Sicilia) - User: Ji-Elle / Wikimedia Commons
These technological advances emanating from Mesopotamia slowly over the decades began to spread to new regions of the world and in 1ce from the Babylonian region came the next step in glass making; the blowing technology.
A modern Glassblowing setup at Jerpoint Glass Studio – The technology has evolved but the techniques remain the same as 2000 years ago.
1000 years later the centre of world domination in glass is Europe and in 1400ce, the shape of the wine glass as we recognise it today with its bowl, stem and base first appeared in the city of Venice. People had been using glass vessels to drink from since ancient times but the bowl, stem and base is essentially a medieval design.
The next advance in the history of the wine glass came from an Italian artist and scientist coming from a family with a long history of glass working. Angelo Barovier was the name of this glass artist and the invention of clear glass or Cristallo is his legacy. In 1455 Barovier was given the decree of Venetian Republic and this granted him the exclusive rights to the production of clear glass through a technique he developed which he called crystal glass or Venetian crystal.
Gradually over the years the familiar shape we recognise today as a wine glass in clear glass began to make its first appearance in visual history through contemporary art pieces. Some of the best and most notable examples of this are ‘The Bathers’ by Bonafacio Veronese painted in 1540 and Vermeer’s ‘The Wine Glass’ painted in 1660.
The Bather’s by Bonifacio Veronese - 1540
But long before that, the very first recorded mention of glass being used as a drinking vessel was in Pliny the elders’ book 36’ of his ‘naturalis historia’ way back in 79ce; Pliny states; ‘for drinking vessels glass has quite superseded the use of gold and silver’. This was just before he died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the annihilation of the city of Pompeii while trying to rescue a friend by boat from the small town of Stabiae.
The Wine Glass by Vermeer - 1660
Pliny, not only talks about the properties of glass saying that; ’there is no material of a more pliable nature than this’. He also muses about how well suited it is to colouring and of all the different substances used to colour it, like haematinum, hyacinthine, murrhine and sapphire among others. What is truly intriguing are his ruminations about the ‘highest value being placed on colourless, transparent glass that is as near as it could be to crystal’. Even in 79ce, over 1500 years before a method for producing clear glass was invented, the inclination towards clear glass already existed. While the method of production was far in the future the awareness of the crystal substance had obviously been witnessed through natural occurrence and experimentation.
In the early 1700s it was uncustomary for gentile to hold their glass in their hand. The glass would have been handed to nobility by the footman or valet when they arrived in their coach, straight after alighting. It was then glugged down swiftly and handed back. The glass of the day most commonly used for wine would have resembled what we think of today as a shot glass. It was towards the end of the century by the time the wine bottle made its way to the table and people finally had the pleasure of pouring their own wine.
With the migration of the wine to the table came the transformation of the wine glass. The role of the wine glass, was now one of aesthetic pleasure and decorative necessity, displaying tones of refinement and sophistication while maintaining functionality.
Silver Chalice by Eva Lynch Design – 2017
The bowl, stem and base began to re-emerge as a popular design, but not just for all of the elegance brought by the tall slim stem, the twists or the decorative knops but also for very practical reasons like; maintaining peak optimum temperature. Now that the wine glass was in the hand more it was soon apparent that the warmth of that hand around the bowl would greatly affect the wine and so began the trend of using a long stem for white and a shorter stem for red.
The role of Toast Master was a very important role during this period. The Toast Master was responsible for keeping an event from becoming boring, relying on light humour, anecdotes, epigrams and whatever natural wit he had at his disposal to keep an evening interesting and enjoyable for guests. It was a time honoured tradition for the Toast Master to empty his glass after each toast and to remain standing until all the toasts had been completed. Such was the importance of the Toast Master maintaining his sobriety that a special glass was developed for him with thicker walls and base and some almost solid glasses so that the completion of this task would run smoothly and a joyous night would be had by all. This was no doubt some part of the beginning of the designing of different drinking glasses for different drinks.
This was taken a step further by Riedel, an Austrian wine company founded in 1756. Riedel is best known for its glassware designed to amplify each different class of grape variety. The idea was that a particular design of glass would enhance each wine based on specific properties of the individual grape variety. Riedel went on to bring dozens of variety-specific wine glasses to a global audience.
Today we still follow the trend of different styles of glass to accentuate the characteristics of different wines.
Jerpoint Glass Studio's Colour twist wine glasses
White wines are typically served in a glass with a smaller bowl for the purpose of perpetuating floral aromas, maintaining a cooler temperature, expressing more acidity and in general to preserve a crisp clean flavour and keep the wine sparkling longer.
Whereas red wines are more commonly served in a glass with a larger bowl, a bowl large enough for a quality swirl with the purpose of mitigating the bitterness of the tannins. The wider bowl would allow for better aeration and evaporation of ethanol giving the wine a chance to mellow resulting in a much smother flavour.
A full bodied white with some similar characteristics to a red would then be best served in a medium sized glass while a champagne would be far better suited to a tall narrow flute.
There are many traditions and rituals and ideas of the sensory perception surrounding wine and the shape of the wine glasses all starting with Riedel in the 18th century. Before this nobody had noticed or thought that the shape of the glass from which you were drinking could affect the taste, balance and finish of a wine. The large and small bowls for different wines is something that has remained popular but despite extensive research on the subject there is still no scientific evidence that the glass has much if any impact on the wine.
What does seem to have a consequent impact on the wine is the practice of decanting.
For a younger more tannic red it is not enough just to uncork the bottle and leave it to sit for an hour or so. Decanting in this case gives more room for aeration to take place. With an aged red wine it is not always necessary for aeration and too much aeration can harm the mellow flavours but Decanting happens with older reds for another reason. It is common for a build-up of sediment in these well aged reds which can be unpleasant. It is good practice to leave the bottle to sit upright for 24 hours before slowing pouring the wine into a decanter and leaving behind the sediment. Some whites again with similar traits to red would also do well with decanting but in general with crisp young whites, they are best served fresh and chilled.
Another benefit of decanting is that in a clear glass decanter it is much easier to see the colour of the wine which can be a good indication of how ready it is to drink. A bold bright colour would indicate it still has plenty of life and can use a few extra minutes of aeration.
Over all it would appear that the pouring, the breathing, the decanting and the accompanying of the right wine with the right food have a far greater impact on the flavour of the wine than the glass. The length of the stem however can make a difference regarding optimum temperature.
From Pliny in 79ce, through Venice and Venetian crystal, the ‘Toast Master’ in Georgian England and Riedel in Austria, the wine glass has made its way through art and history and is still here with us today as established and fashionable as ever it was. Traditions, rituals and many fine customs have followed the wine glass on its journey. Another idea that has made this journey is; ‘the right glass, is right, for the pleasure of using it’, this is the feeling of quality in your hand, the elegance it brings to a table setting, the charm it embodies as a beautiful and functional object and finally the clinking sound it makes when drinking a toast.
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It would appear as magic to those who witness the making of hot blown glass for the very first time.
The clandestine wielding of a molten liquid into those delicate and ethereal shapes, a process that almost defies the laws of gravity and would seem to deceive the eye as you stand there watching the surely impossible transformation of liquid to solid glass in moments.
And what are the instruments that would allow the extraordinary extraction of these subtle and seductive shapes from the ferocious and fiery furnaces of ‘the glassmaker’. The answer ‘their breath and a few simple tools’.
The breath of the glassmaker is the life of every piece of glass. The air that begins and expands each piece is the most essential tool in the entire process; that is quite literally breath taking.
The simple tools are those that were used by the Romans over two thousand years ago, and very little has changed since.
A red hot cauldron of liquid glass that glows at 1250°c. The heat is intense as the glassmakers dip in and extract the molten substance needed to form each piece.
Once the furnace is fired up it burns constantly day and night keeping the glass in a permanently liquid state until the pot that holds the glass eventually begins to crack and the ephemeral flames must go out until the pot has been replaced and the furnace restarted and returned to its roaring glow.
There are two types of irons used; the pontil iron, used to bring gathers of molten glass from the furnace to the workbench.
The blowing iron, which is hollow. This is used to blow the shapes and support the glass as it takes shape. Once the iron has hot glass on the end of it, it must be continually spun round and round through the fingers of the maker lest it would run from the iron to the floor like honey.
The shears are for cutting excess pieces of hot glass from the pontil iron in order to make the perfect connection between the iron and the piece which is nearly finished. At this point the piece is attached to the pontil iron and released from the blowing, quite a spectacle as the piece switches from one iron to the other.
Other shears are used to form handles and create twists in the glass.
Tongs are used to develop the glass; to bend handles into shape, to pinch out the lip of a jug, to open out a bowl or to form the cup of a beaker or a wineglass.
The foot tool is used to shape the foot of a wineglass or stemmed bowl. When a globule of hot glass is added to the stem during the making, it is flattened out and shaped with this tool.
The precious art of glassblowing is a rare breed these days. With only a handful of glass blowing studios in the whole of Ireland. Those who are lucky enough to witness the fascinating art of glassblowing will without a doubt never forget the experience.
The ancient tools and method, untouched perfection for 2000 years.
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As Ireland’s only Medieval Week Celebration approaches and Kilkenny is set to roll back the years to the middle ages, here at Jerpoint we have been pondering how much has changes in glassblowing since the middle ages?
]]>Along came the industrial revolution and with the introduction of mass production, new technologies and globalisation these everyday items are now readily available and some are produced quickly and inexpensively in every corner of the globe including China, Thailand and India.
Here at Jerpoint, we individually hand make each piece of glass from our glassblowing studio in Co. Kilkenny, using skills and methods that have hardly changed since Medieval times.
Take a look at our Infographic to discover: How much has changed in 1500 years?
Watch this video to see how these ancient techniques are still used at Jerpoint Glass:
And if you are interested in learning more about the History of Glass, you should read the following blog : A History of the Wine Glass
The article goes through the history and development of Wine glasses and glass in general in much more details and makes for a very interesting read.
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