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Remarkable French and Chinese Glass

French glass making began to develop in the eighteenth century.
Luneville, at Baccarat and a factory by the Cristallerie de St Louis, in Lorraine, were the two famous glass factories in France during
those days. And under the Emperor K'ang Hsi, of China, a
glasshouse was started, but there has been much information
found about the details of their production.

France

The French were the most noted makers of stained glass
for windows, and this was not only for their own churches but
was sent abroad. Domestic glassware, as elsewhere, was of
Venetian style and of no particular distinction. Nevers and
Rouen had works at which were made small figures in colored and
white glasses; some of them date to as early as about 1600 but
many surviving specimens are later. Most of them have little
individuality with which to establish their exact provenance, as
they were made also in Germany, Italy and England.

It was at the end of the eighteenth century that French glass
making began to develop, and factories were opened to make glass
'in the manner and quality of England'; whence had come much
that had been imported. A factory at Baccarat, near Luneville in
1765, was followed two years later by the Cristallerie de St
Louis, in Lorraine, and others who have remained less renowned
came and went. The method was invented of enclosing white
ceramic medallions in clear crystal, which gave the former an
attractive silver appearance; paperweights, goblets, and other
pieces were made with this type of ornamentation.

At the two factories mentioned above, and at a third in Clichy,
were produced the paperweights of clear glass decorated within
with colored 'canes' of the same material. Specimens with dates
between 1845 and 1849 are found, and some are marked
additionally with 'B' for Baccarat, 'c' for Clichy, and 'SL' for
St Louis. It should be mentioned that the dates on such examples
are never set centrally, but always to one side and even than
are often scarcely noticeable. Within the last few years much
attention has been paid to paperweights from these factories,
and their value has greatly appreciated. A very scarce specimen
has fetched over $3,000, but less exotic ones can be purchased
for a few dollars. It may be noted that they have been faked
extensively. Commonplace copies with blurred colored 'canes1
inside and centrally placed dates are easily recognized, but
during the last ten years some extremely clever copies of rare
specimens have been made.

China

While glass was known in China from the fifth century
A.D., little is known about what was made and no early specimens
have been identified with certainty. A glasshouse was started
under the Emperor K'ang Hsi and again there is little positive
information about the productions, but a number of pieces of
experimental types have been assumed to date from that time.
Later, in the reigns of Yung Cheng and Ch'ien Lung (together
covering the years 1723 to 1795), pieces were made of opaque
tinted glass. These pieces are noticeably heavy in weight in
comparison with European examples, and the colors are
distinctive and pleasing. Vases were made in the shape of
monochrome-glazed porcelain of the periods, and with the surface
polished on the wheel. Snuff-bottles and other pieces are found
imitating remarkably closely the colour and texture of jade and
other hard-stones. The Chinese mastered the technique of copying
onyx and other layered stones by making articles of two layers
of glass, cutting through one to reveal the contrasting colour
of the other. Clear glass snuff-bottles were decorated in the
nineteenth century by the tedious process of painting them on
the inside surface by introducing a brush through the narrow
neck opening.

French glassmakers decorated the glass with colors from within.
The glasses of this country were marked and they would fetch
high prices. While the French made paperweight the one the
Chinese made were heavy in weight. And they have distinctive and
pleasing colors.