Glossary of Blown Glass Objects

by Mike Firth Rev. 9/18/93 10/15/93 7/2/94 9/23/94 9/4/95 10/4/96 1/18/97 3/29/99 10/28/99

While every blower creates anew while working, there are traditional objects created at the fire, which just listing may stimulate further thinking. Many artists today take the traditional form as a basis for a non-utilitarian art piece.
"Usually" can also be taken to mean either "traditionally" or "frequently."

Animals, General
Most often done in solid glass with general rounded shapes, blown pieces as sculpture. Engraved animals are common. See Glass Animals by Albane Dolez. See Fish
Ash tray
A flat bowl-shaped holder of cigarettes and cigars with their ashes, much out of fashion with the decline in smoking. See candy dish.
Aquarium pieces
solid reefs, floaters, and shapes fish can swim through. Must be sealed or cleanable for the health of the fish. Less often, the aquarium itself, but even a small aquarium (3-5 gallons) is a serious blowing project as a large vase will hold only about a gallon. Neck down open floaters will gradually sink as air inside dissolves into the water; fish will swim up into them.
Balloon goblet
a very large bowled, usually thin glass, goblet for serving fine brandy designed for only a small amount of liquid that is swirled and warmed by the hands to collect the aroma in the bowl. also brandy snifter
Beads
Beads have a long long history with a recent resurgence of the craft of bead decorating and bead making in glass as well as clay, polyclay, and other substances. Standard glass beads are made on a mandrel, usually working at the torch rather than the furnace. Beads using techniques similar to marble work can be made by blowing a thick hollow tube. Trade beads (as used on American Indian clothing) were made either by blowing and pulling a long thin tube and breaking it into chunks which were smoothed by tumbling or by melting glass on wire and acid removing the wire.
Bell jar
A cover for food, pies, etc. (and vacuum chamber in labs) normally bell shaped with a knob on top for lifting. see twine holder, clock dome
Bird Feeder
One design is like a vase with knob foot and a reverse flared lip with holes drilled just below the rim. The vase is filled with birdseed and the opening stoppered. When turned knob up seed falls out of the drilled holes on the reverse lip and birds can feed. A wire round the knob forms a hanger. (A loop for the knob would also work, being harder to smooth and punty.) See Hummingbird feeder
Bouquet
Glass flowers (c.f.) arranged in a matching (ideally) vase or simply made plant-like. May be one or more stems on a base, colored or not, more or less realistic.
Bottles
Wide variety of sizes and shapes, flasks, wines, carboys and demijohns.
Brandy snifter
A large bowl wine glass (cf.) designed to hold a small amount of brandy capturing the fumes to enhance the experience of drinking.
Bud vase
Usually tall slender vase to hold one stem with unopened flower, see vases.
Buttons
Glass buttons were mostly pressed, but ones have been made in the form of small paperweights (AG-M p.411) and beads have been used as buttons.
Candle Holder
Shorter, tumbler-shaped, for stubby (votive) candles, which may have a stub stem below to fit in a wood or metal base. May also, less often, be a weighted base to hold a taper.
Candle Stick
Holder for tall slender candles, often also tall, set in a socket.
Cane, Walking
Usually a presentation award to a retiring worker or union president, solid glass with spiraling color, seen in several museums.
Case Bottle
A decanter (cf.) or other bottle with flat sides so that several fit nicely in a rectangular case (AG-M plate 35)
Candy
Images of candy, where clear glass acts as the cellophane twist wrapper. Lundberg? Candy cane.
Candy bowl
Flattish bowl holding candy in an office or home, shaped for easy removal. One of the few useful glass display pieces often seen in offices. May have lid. See also compote.
Celery Vase
Upright cylinder for holding celery at the dinner table. 7" tall, 5" diameter (AG-M pl. 49)
Clock dome
A smooth thin glass cylinder with a hemispherical top that was originally used to cover open work tabletop clocks and is used also for displays of dolls, etc. Rarely done by hand today.
Chalice
Usually larger, heavier form of goblet, may have religious connotations.
Compote
A bowl on a stem, usually flattish with curved in sides as for holding fruit compote.
Creamer
A small pitcher (cf.) for holding cream at the table when small amounts are added to coffee, tea, or foods (cereal, puddings, deserts)
Cruet
For oil & vinegar dressing, usually a small decanter. see decanter
Cup Plate
When it was the habit to pour tea or coffee from the cup into the saucer to cool it for drinking, the cup had to be set someplace and a cup plate was provided. Usually small, flat and decorated with pressed images. etc.
Decanter
A container for wine, etc., traditionally with a reduced neck and expanded lip to permit easy grip while pouring. Decanting wine is carefully pouring off the wine from a vintage bottle (or the barrel) to leave the sediment behind. The term has been extended to stoppered bottles with lips that permanently hold brandy and liquor in a sideboard. Acid wines may release lead when stored for long periods in lead crystal. GGNJ fig.196 shows a 16 compartment decanter, 8 sections on each of two levels requiring 8 blown gathers merged into a single bottle shape.
Doorhandle
Glass doorhandles are rare today, in part because of the liability risk of people being cut by broken glass. Most glass doorknobs are molded or pressed and were particularly popular about 1900. Doorknobs made like paperweights are interesting (OGP P.42) When I attempted to track down a source for brass fittings to hold the glass, I found they were somewhere in India, where the doorhandle units came from.
Fairy Lights
which candle maker Clarke trademarked, are two piece stands: a rather elaborate base and (usually) ovoid dome with a finger-sized hole in the top. Some of the tops were also quite exotic. Clarke made short long-burning candles which were to be placed in windows, etc., to ward off burglars. Seen on PBS show (info source) and in Burmese glass at Texas A&M MSC Galleries. HB18
Fish
Inflated body with fins, eyes, etc. added as hot bits; if the mouth is ground, may be done entirely on the pipe, otherwise punty on tail. Common art glass exercise and low cost sales item.
Flask
A flattened bottle more convenient to fit in pocket, often molded with images.
Flip (glass)
A large drinking glass, no stem, no handle, often with a lid, perhaps modeled after metal versions, that held the drink 'flip', which the OED defines as cider and brandy with spices or beer and spirits heated with an iron poker, so the lid kept the alcohol and spice fumes in.
Floats
Globular, sometimes spherical, pieces designed to float on water. Commercial net floats from Japan and Chihuly's Niijima Floats may be best known. The former seem to fall in two groups at about 4-6" and about 12". The latter are about 18-21". See aquarium.
Flowers, Glass
More or less realistic blossoms on stems, or blossoms on objects. See Bouquet.
Fruit, Glass
Individual pieces or arrangements. On Antiques Roadshow, a Czech/Bohemian glass lamp (1920's) with the bulb inside the reed base and the fruit pieces wired to an arched cap, the wired arches covered with clear beads to enhance appearance. 3/29/99
Glass, Drinking
A tubular or bowl shaped fluid holder, ordinary glasses are rarely blown now because commercial items are so cheap and making matched sets is so difficult, but see goblet. Glasses have been made in a great variety of shapes. In the ultimate, there has been a shape of glass designated for virtually every variation in wine, brandy and liquor. See also: goblet, wine glass, wafer glass
Goblet
Stemmed glasses, a major category of blowing in which shows and competitions are held. Goblets are made in several styles, the extremes being the gossamer light Italian style with blown foot and heavier pressed foot rooted in German blowing. see chalice, rummer, balloon
Handle (independent)
A handle for a knife, seal, etc., can easily be made from glass, generally following marble or paperweight making techniques or just using the forms for handles on glassware. Normally, a specific size is needed at the end to hold a metal ferule and a hole may be required for a shaft. Not a common object.
Hat
Normally a bowl made to look like a hat upside down, it is an exercise in making a flat bottom, vertical or tapered inward sides and a wide rim/brim and matching the appearance of a hat style. (AG-M pl. 47) Several modern artists have made full sized hats as sculptures, usually sandblasted to better match the appearance of cloth.
Helmet-Shaped Pitcher
Like a Greek or German helmet, with a heavy spout/peak, shape is a cone with no inward necking of glass. GGW, p.48
Hummingbird Feeder
A "bottle" to hold sugar water for hummingbirds, most easily made as a bottle to take a stopper with a glass tube available for converting commercial bottles to feeders. More interesting if made with a flower shaped neck in a shape that hangs right so the fluid doesn't all run out. Cleaning and refilling must be considered in the design. A drilled hole may be a solution.
Inkwell, Ink Bottle
Used with quill and steel point pens, the well held ink and some times a stopper kept it from drying out. Inkwells tend to have small openings to reduce evaporation/drying of the ink and to hold the pen upright by its tip. Examples with matching paperweight like bases and stoppers in GGNJ Pl.16,17, OGP P.42, AG-M pl.47
Lamp Chimney
A cylinder of glass, often bulging near the base, open top and bottom to shield a candle or wick from breezes and reduce flickering. HB15 May be covered with glass shade.
Lamp Globe
A sphere with one large opening lipped to fit in a ceiling fitting, usually commercial, white, thin frosted or thicker lensed glass. HB15
Lamp, Oil
Oil lamps provided the most reliable light for a couple of hundred years, between candles and electric light. Oil lamps require a chimney to produce the brightest flame, to keep the flame from smoking, and to keep the wind/draft from flickering the flame. A common lamp has a wide footed base supporting a spherical fuel container which mounts the burner on the top. The burner usually has prongs which support the chimney and may have another set which support the shade. Although many styles were built, a standard #2 burner is used very very often and is the only easy to find size today. B&P Lamp, McMinnville TN is a major source of parts and lamps.
'"suspended well" type lamp. I have seen them at the Nature company, it appears as though a molten tube is pressed through the side of a cylinder' Internet Question 9/4/95
Ladle
My experience has been that glass tableware and serving utensils are few. However, a glass ladle for a punch bowl seems almost required and glass ladles for gravy are rather common, matched to a gravy boat (sauce boat) Ladles in glass are usually a flat curved handle dropping down to a hemispherical bowl with the rim perpendicular to the handle.
Lamp Shade
May be a variation on a cylinder, open on both ends, for an oil lamp or a hat shaped spun disk sagged to ripple the edge, neck ground for electric light socket (Dale Battle.) HB15
Lantern glass
A flat of glass to go in a frame around a candle or oil wick light.
Linen smoother
Flat bottomed round of solid glass with a knob on top. ("Rare" Fig.97, NEGG)
Mantel ornaments
Tapering glass decorations, solid like a paperweight (in GGNJ Pl.14), with internal decorations, matching a candle holder in vertical impression. (tall stand under paperweight) OGP P.42
Marbles
Spheres of solid glass, usually with a pattern visible from all sides, traditionally an inch or less in size, but some people are now making 3,4,5, and 6" objects that are effectively marbles. The difference between a marble and a paperweight is that typically a marble is worked from prepared rod (the color twist for example) while the paperweight is built up. Usually a paperweight has a distinct attachment mark which must be ground away and polished or cut, while a marble is formed using tiny weak punties which leave little or no mark.
Marble holder
A clear walled tube, with a cap, for displaying marbles set inside (Mark Matthews). Also a tube smaller than the marble to form a base/stand or a ring of plastic to prevent rolling.
Mug
Handled drinking glass, usually with heavy walls. Variations are handled goblets and coffee cups. Mugs, having handles, may take chunky decorations that are uncomfortable on glasses/goblets. On the other hand, large German drinking glasses (rohmers) were given glass bumps (prunts) at least partly to provide a grip for greasy hands.
Newel post (ball is paperweight)
The knob on the top of the post of the railing of a stairway. Solid glass or blown. Rare. OGP P.42
Night Light
Modern is a small plugin electric fixture with a bracket to which a glass piece is attached, perhaps most often in stained glass. Plug units are available from stained glass supply sources. Modern oil candles can serve the same purpose. Old nightlights were lamps with very small wick and fairly large fluid holders that would provide light all night. ca Sparking Lamp, Fairy Lights
Oil Candle
Blown shape to hold plain or colored clear oil made for the purpose with a small diameter wick placed through a small opening. The wick is usually suspended in a small Pyrex tube for heat resistance. The shape should encourage air flow so there is a candle-like rather than a lamp type flame.
Oil Lamp
See Lamp, Oil
Ornament
Thin walled globe, usually with an applied glass loop for hanging. Can use ordinary Christmas hangers when available. Witch balls are larger. See also float, witch ball.
Paperweight
Flat bottomed, often spherical top, glass. See Weight
Pen, Quill
A writing pen made of glass, most often by lampworkers.
Perfume bottle
Usually a very thick walled, highly decorated small bottle with a stopper having an extended stem to apply the small amount of costly scent.
Pilsner
A footed glass, usually tall and slender, with slightly tapering or flared sides, originally for serving Pilsner beer.
Pitcher
A server of liquid, usually with a pouring spout or lip with a handle opposite. Blowers often design to match a set of goblets.
Plate
A flat serving or eating dish, rarely blown because commercial items are so cheap and making matched sets is so difficult. Also color application is tricky as people may wish to avoid eating off color bits they fear may contain lead.
Platter
A larger plate, often oval, rarely made except as large decorations for table or wall (plaques.) A challenge to work and reheat if any shaping is done after spinning. The shape before spinning is volcano shaped - a flat base, a rounded edge and side in a steep cone that is turned out to form the rim.
Powder box
Holds powder for wigs (and face powder? and ink dusting powder?) (body is paperweight) OGP P.42
Pressed Glass
Not really an object but a technique, almost anything made of thin glass has been made of pressed glass, which is marked by a smooth inner surface and sharp impressed outside decoration. Molten glass is pushed (pressed) into a mold by a matching inner core.
Punch Bowl
A huge hemispherical glass container for mixed fruit punch drink, often without a foot. May hold several gallons. Mostly made of pressed glass. Size makes it a great blowing challenge. see Ladle
Rolling Pin
Straight walled cylinder for rolling out pie dough, etc. Glass pins may be hollow or solid. If hollow may have cork stopper to take ice water for a chilled roller. NEGG Fig.116
Rummer (Roemer)
Goblet with bigger bowl and short stem often with heavy foot.
Salt
A container once used when salt was placed on table to be picked up by fingers. May be a small short stemmed bowl or take almost any other form including square, rectangular, boat, etc. Salts do not seem to have lids nearly as often as sugar bowls.
Salver
Flat tray-like top on a stem, used for food service and to stack into pyramids. Fig18 NEGG
Sauce Boat
A long narrow bowl with a spout at one end and a handle at the other and usually with a foot in the shape of a plate to catch drips. Also used for and called a gravy boat.
Saucer
A plate with an indented center to hold the base of a matching cup to keep it from sliding when the pair were carried by the rim of the saucer. The saucer may catch spills from the cup and for a time it was the fashion to pour from the cup to the saucer to cool the drink, setting the cup on a cup plate.
Shot glass pen holder
A narrow glass with a heavy enough foot to hold pens upright. (foot is paperweight) OGP P.42
Sparking Lamp
A smaller than average oil lamp, producing a romantic lower level of light. See Also Night Light
Stained Glass
Although rarely done today, colored glass pieces for inclusion in stained (leaded) glass work may be made at the fire from clear and colored glasses with stringer, etc., shaped or flattened in the kiln. True stained glass (color in the melt) can be made by anyone who melts glass, but it is usually poured, rolled and annealed with equipment most blowers don't have. (see also Window Glass)
Sugar bowl
Like a salt, but usually covered, perhaps with a witch ball, to keep out insects and humidity.
Table ornament (ball with support)
OGP P.42
Toasting glass
An oversized wine glass that holds enough to allow the host/toastmaster to drink several toasts in succession at a banquet. (spiral stem is paperweight style) OGP P.42
Twine Holder
a bell jar shape with a hole in the center of the knob to dispense string (GGNJ Fig.182.)
Vase
Holders for flowers and water, often V shaped for groups of stems or tubular for a single stem (bud vases.) Can be a major form of expression especially if matched to styles of flower arranging. Vase (ball foot is paperweight) OGP P.42
Wafer glass
Although it may mean something else, wafer means to me the thin disks used in a religious communion service. In any case, this looks like a medium wine glass with a flattish bowl where the wafers lay flat and can be removed at the rim. A small candy dish. The source does not clarify this. (Thick foot is paperweight) OGP P.42
Weight
Paper and doorstop. A solid glass object most often having the design near the bottom and using the optical enlarging of the clear glass above for effect. The designs include those assembled from many small bits of glass (millifiori), those from pre-twisted shapes, those including lampworked plants, and those built from fluid glass on the punty. The same techniques are used in modern thick walled glass vases and perfume bottles, etc. Paperweight variations: doorhandles, cologne bottle (stopper), Mantel ornaments (tall stand), shot glass pen holder (base or foot), ink stand (stopper and thick base), Wine glasses (at bottom of bowl), Wig stand (glass cone footed), vase (ball foot), powder box (body), toasting glass (spiral stem?), newel post (ball), wafer glass (flattish bowl, thick foot), table ornament (ball, support ring) OGP P.42
Wig stand
Probably not much use today, this solid glass cone with a foot is tall enough to support the old full wigs now mostly seen in British court rooms and historic films. OGP P.42
Window glass
From ca 1200 to about 1840, window glass was made by spinning out a disk 30-54" in diameter. (Fig.48) From about 1750 to about 1915, it was made by blowing a large cylinder, cutting off the top and bottom, cutting the side and flattening at sagging temperature before annealing. (Fig.41) Rarely done by blowers today because of the special glory hole, stand and annealer needs and because of the availability of cheap, flat commercial glass. NEGG Some stained glass is still blown, most is poured and rolled.
Wine glasses
Wine glasses come a great variety of shapes. In the ultimate, there has been a shape of glass designated for virtually every variation in wine, brandy and liquor. (at bottom of bowl is paperweight OGP P.42) see also, wine glass, wafer glass, brandy snifter
Witch ball
globe, usually about 4", hung in windows or outdoors to keep away demons or simply as an inexpensive colorful decoration. Originally a bottle to hold some holy water (AG-M). see ornament
References
AG-M
American Glass. George S and Helen McKearin, Crown Publishers, NY, 1941, 1948 (twelfth printing 1956)
GGNJ
The Glass Gaffers of New Jersey, Adeline Pepper, Charles Scribner's Sons, NY, 1971, ISBN 684-10459-8
GGW
Glass and Glassware, George Savage, Octopus Books, London, Dist in US Crescent, div.of Crown 1973, ISBN: 0-7064-0143-3
NEGG
New England Glass and Glassmaking, Kenneth M. Wilson, Thomas Y. Crowell Co., NY 1972, "An Old Sturbridge Village Book" ISBN 0- 690-58075-4
OED
Oxford English Dictionary, a huge classic old work with specific dated references to virtually all the meanings of all the words in the English language. 23 volumes, or the 2 volume tiny print version I have.
OGP
Old Glass Paperweights, Their Art, Construction, and Distinguishing Features, Evangeline H. Bergstrom, Crown Publishers, 1940,47 2nd printing 1948
TYABG
Two Hundred Years of American Blown Glass, Helen & George McKearin, Crown Publishers 1949, 50

Glossary Table of Contents

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