Art Deco Surface Decorated Glass
Mar 28, 2014 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns
Berries Vase, image by Jastrow
Vintage glass remains one of our favorite things to collect. There’s something special about each different piece and genre: from the iridescent shine of carnival glass to the technique found in sandwich glass, there are always new things to enjoy. During the Art Deco period, unique surface treatments were being employed, ushering in extraordinary patterns and hues.
Art Deco surface decorated glass
As we mentioned in previous posts, consumers at this time were hungry for limited-edition, artist-created pieces. France led the way with many surface treatments debuting at the 1925 Paris Exhibition: this included acid-etching, overlays, and mottling (to name a few). Much like their sculptural counterparts, motifs like female figures, geometry, and nature were expressed by glass makers.
One of the most popular firms during the time was Steuben Glass Works based out of New York. Their designer, Englishman Frederick Carder, did not shy away from trying new techniques. He was a fan of brilliant colors and created a type of glass (known as intarsia) that had an etched design between two layers of clear glass. He was also one of the first craftsman to utilize acid-etching to create detailed pieces.
Vase with beautiful details
Beyond the sculptural elements found in Art Deco glassware, firms began experimenting with polychrome finishes as well. During this time designers played with different hues in the same color family, creating subtle or bold gradations. Given the luxurious tastes of this era, rich colors like ruby, emerald green, or orange were common.
Decorative acid cut back glass
This technique perfectly captured the essence of Art Deco: combining technical innovation without sacrificing craftsmanship. Two layers of different colored glass were merged, then hydrofluoric acid was carefully used to create a design as artists removed one of the layers in certain areas. Steuben created many amazing pieces with this approach and would play with degrees of nuance (using similar color tones or matte and polished glasses) or boldness (with arresting combinations like jade and black). Due to the fragile nature of glass, there was a small tolerance for error with this approach. Different colors often cooled at different speeds and cracking would befall the inexperienced artisan.
Cause A Frockus would like to thank their tremendous resources: “Miller’s 20th Century Design: The Definitive Illustrated Sourcebook” by Judith Miller, Antiques Roadshow, Corning Museum of Glass, and the people who post their images without restriction.
For our readers: What do you think of this type of glass? When it comes to decorative acid cut back glass, do you prefer subtle combinations or do you want to go bold?