Mixed Engraved Glasses, Georgian to 20th Century

• Engraved Glass - The method of decorating glass by marking the surface with a sharp intrument such as a diamond, metal needle or rotating cutting wheel. As pressure is applied to the surface, best results for engraving are achieved if the glass is of sufficient thickness. In the 19th century etching was used to decorate some table glassware that was too fine to take an engraving tool.
• Georgian - As an English stylistic period, Georgian is usually taken to cover the period from George I (1714) to the Regency of Prince George (1811-20), although the period from 1800 to 1830 is sometimes designated as the Regency period. During the Georgian period the great English cabinetmakers and designers such as Chippendale, Hepplewhite, Adam Sheraton etc., were all active.
  
  Therefore there isn't a single 'Georgian style' as such and to say something is 'Georgian', usually means it was made between 1714 and 1830. This assumes we discount George V and George VI, both being from the 20th century.
  
  The styles popular at the time of each reign were:
  
  George I (1714-1727) saw out the last years of the Baroque period.
  
  George II (1727-1760) reigned during the Rococo period.
  
  George III (1760-1820) saw the last gasp of the Rococo, all of the early Neo-Classic 'Adam style' and most of the later neo-Classic 'Regency style'.
  
  George IV (Prince Regent 1820-1830)encompassed the last of the 'Regency' style.
  
  William IV's reign (1830-1837) was something of a no man's land (stylistically) and he wasn't a 'George' anyway. He covered the last glimmerings of 'Regency' and the start of the 'Victorian' style.
• Knop - In Georgian glassware, the knop is a bulbous protrusion, usually midway up the stem of the glass. It may be included singly or in groups, and may be hollow or solid. There are many styles of knop including basal, baluster, bell, acorn, cone, flattened, melon and mushroom.
• Twist - A rod of glass in which there is one or several threads or tapes of coloured glass, or bubbles of air embedded, which is then twisted to give an attractive appearance. The technique is mostly associated with the stems of Georgian glasses. The technique was in use from about the 1740s to the 1760s.
  
  Collectors have identified over 150 variations of twist decoration. One of the most common is the air twist which as the name implies, has one or more columns of air embedded within the rod. A colour twist has one or more coloured tapes, usually opaque but sometimes translucent. other common types of twist include cable, corkscrew, enamel, gauze, lace, opaque and thread.
• Pontil Mark - A pontil mark, also known as a pontil scar, is a distinctive mark or scar found on the base of certain types of glass. It is a remnant of the glassblowing process and is particularly associated with handcrafted items made prior to the widespread use of automated manufacturing.
  
  The pontil mark is created during the final stages of production. After the glassblower has shaped and formed the glass object, it is removed from the blowing iron. At this point, the glass object is often attached to a solid rod called a pontil rod or punty for further shaping, finishing, or attaching additional components. The attachment point is typically at the base of the object.
  
  Once the glass item is complete, it is detached from the pontil rod, leaving behind a mark or scar on the base. This mark can take various forms, such as a rough or irregular surface, a concave or slightly recessed area, or a small circular scar. The presence of a pontil mark indicates that the item was handcrafted rather than mass-produced.
  
  Collectors and historians often use pontil marks as clues to determine the age, authenticity, and production methods of glass or ceramic pieces. Different types of pontil marks may suggest different techniques used in the production process. For example, an open pontil mark is one where the scar is left as an exposed, roughened area, while a closed pontil mark occurs when the scar is smoothed or covered in some way. It's important to note that not all handcrafted glass items have pontil marks, as some artisans developed alternative methods for finishing their work. In Edwardian times the pontil mark was oftern ground off leaving a concave circle in the centre of the base of the object.
  
  The use of pontil marks diminished with the advent of industrialization and automated manufacturing processes in the 19th and 20th centuries.
  
  

• Knop (glass) - In Georgian glassware, the knop is a bulbous protrusion, usually midway up the stem of the glass. It may be included singly or in groups, and may be hollow or solid. There are many styles of knop including basal, baluster, bell, acorn, cone, flattened, melon and mushroom.
• Stem - In drinking glasses the stem is that section of the glass that joins the bowl to the foot. In mass produced glasses is usually solid and of cylindrical shape, but in antique drinking glasses it may be long and short and in various styles or with decoration, such as air twist, baluster, collared, faceted, hollow, knopped, teardrop, twisted or incised.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• ale glasses - Georgian glass 66
• glass, types or items - Georgian twist stem glasses 220