Bowl

The Aesthetic movement of the late nineteenth century laid the groundwork for the emergence of an "art glass" production in much the same way that it provided the stimulus for "art pottery." By the early 1880s the emphasis on glassmaking in both England and the United States shifted from manipulated effects to experiments with color and texture. Shaded effects, achieved by the addition of gold and other metallic oxides to an opal glass in the making, created subtle gradations of color. They were often given exotic names to enhance their appeal. Burmese glass, as seen on this bowl, was developed by Frederick Shirley, an Englishman who was both an inventive glass scientist and marketer, who patented it in 1885 at the Mount Washington Glass Company. The firm fashioned the glass that shaded from pale yellow to a rich salmon color in many different shapes, some of which were inspired by classical and Eastern works. The most elaborate ones featured applied decoration such as this footed bowl, with its ruffled rim and applied leaf, all skillfully worked by the glassmaker with simple glassworking tools.