How to Care for Art Glass
Your art glass collectibles can represent a substantial investment, and even retain or grow in value. Caring for art glass, therefore, is a must in order to maintain that value, not to mention their visual appeal and durability. There are some techniques that can yield best results without compromising the condition of your treasures. Take a little time to gain a better understanding of how to care for art glass. Read on.
How To Clean And Care For Figurines, Art Glass, Art Pottery And Other Fine Collectibles
When it comes to fine porcelain figurines such as Giuseppe Armani or Lladro, art glass collectibles such as Orient & Flume paperweights or art pottery such as Ephraim Faience vases you want to do everything you can to keep them in the best condition possible. Thankfully there are several easy and practical ways to do this.
Always keep figurines and art pottery out of direct sunlight. Exposure to direct sunlight over time can fade their colors.
The best way to clean dust off of your figurines is with a small, soft bristled brush. A small artist paint brush or a makeup brush both work well.
Store your collectibles in an enclosed curio cabinet in order to minimize exposure to dust. If you do this you won't have to dust them nearly as often as you would if they're out in the open air. This also keeps them safe from children and pets.
The best way to clean a dirty figurine is with warm water, a mild dishwashing detergent and a soft cloth. Never use anything abrasive and never use a strong cleaner like bleach or any cleaner that has ammonia in it. These could lead to permanent damage to the figurine. If the figurine has an air hole put some tape over it to keep water from getting inside. If water gets inside the figurine it could lead to structural damage over time.
If cleaning a collectible item in your sink first lay a bath towel in the bottom of the sink. This way you'll have a cushion to protect against potential damage or breakage if you accidently drop it.
Never put a figurine in a dishwasher since a porcelain figurine is much more delicate than china dinnerware. A dishwasher is almost certain to cause permanent damage to it due to the high heat and water pressure.
Art glass items such as Orient and Flume paperweights and Swarovski Crystal glass figurines are much simpler to care for. A mild glass cleaner and a soft cloth is all you need to keep them in beautiful condition.
Art pottery such as Ephraim Faience and Roseville should be cleaned with warm water and a soft cloth only. No abrasives or strong cleaners should ever be used as these could damage the finish.
We truly hope these tips prove helpful and allow you to enjoy your favorite collectibles for many years to come!
Visit The Prudent Collector for more collectible advice and to find discount Lladro figurines, Swarovski crystal, discounted Orient and Flume art glass paperweights and vases and many other fine collectibles at bargain prices.
Tags: Art Glass, art pottery, fine collectibles, glass collectibles, Home Decor, porcelain figurines
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Beer Glass History
Yes, the lowly beer glass actually has a history, although the advent of covered beer steins has led to some very creative art in the annals of beer drinking. And, while beer has been around since before civilization began, it was not always consumed from glasses. Before glass, you did not see what it was you were drinking. If you're a consummate beer drinker, you'll find this little history interesting.
The History of the Beer Glass
It is well known that beer has been with mankind for a long time. As beer itself changed, expanded, and improved, so did the way in which we actually got the beer to our mouths. The earlier vessels man used for drinking included earthenware, pottery, carved out wood, and even sewn-together pieces of leather. As time went on, man saw small improvements in the quality of their beer glasses. Early Europeans living during the time of the Bubonic plague saw the creation of beer steins, which had an enclosed top on the steins to keep flies from landing in the brew and getting the person sick.
The development of glass may have been the most important aspect of the way beer glasses are made today. As beer glasses became more and more popular, consumers could actually see what they were drinking and demanded a lighter and more appealing look as well as taste. This led to the filtration of beers; people no longer wanted the coarse chunks that were often found in the earlier beers of the breweries. With this new, more aesthetically pleasing wave of !a href=http://www.beertaps.com> beer glasses!/a>, it seemed like beer steins were on the way out.
The development of glassware continued and produced a variety of beer glasses for all kinds of different beers. The most popular in the United States is the 16-ounce pint glass. It was originally used to fit the top of a Martini shaker, but bartenders soon found that as the brew flowed out of the beer taps the pint glass was the perfect vessel because it allowed for some of the carbonation to be released and allowed the aroma of the beer to be more pronounced. It is also favored for its storage capabilities; pint glasses can be stacked on top of each other and stored easily upright on shelves, quickly making them a favorite with the bartenders who ended up having to wash out each glass.
A drive to get people to buy their brand of beer by earlier breweries led to some unique and groundbreaking moves on the marketing and promotional front. Early breweries were often prohibited to give away beer or other rewards to their customers, but found that giving away beer glasses was a great way to reward customers and also to advertise for themselves. This led to the breweries producing beer glasses that were works of art unto themselves. The first were ornate and expensive; they would often have gold or silver embossed on the sides. Eventually, artists for the breweries began doing detailed etchings on the sides of the glasses or steins and even developed a method of firing enamel paint onto the beer glasses. These enameled glasses remain some of the most rare beer collectibles, even though they were made more recently than the others. Today, some of the beer collectibles and signs are worth thousands of dollars and sought out worldwide by eager collectors. Have you looked up in the top of Grandpa’s old drawer lately?
Michael Usry is a long-time beer lover and contributing author for "Beer Maniac" fanzine in Austin, Tx. He is also a top affiliate at beer tap handles, and german beer steins, websites for household draft beer accessories.
Tags: beer, german, glasses, handles, keg, steins, tap, tapsRelated posts
Carnival Glass, A Unique American Art Form
In the early part of the twentieth century a number of glass makers in the United States began making carnival glass, prominent among them, Fenton Art Glass Company. These collectors gems were hand made, and, even commanded high prices when first introduced. While there have been many reproductions made over the years, vintage pieces are still treasured and bring very high prices at auction. There's a very interesting piece of Americana history here that is well worth reading.
Vintage Fenton Carnival Glass
Carnival Glass has become a popular collectors item in recent years. Contemporary pieces are readily available at cheap prices. However, the vintage Carnival Glass is really what is popular with collectors. To give you some additional information on this American art form, I will discuss the history, manufacture, and values of this beautiful glassware.
Carnival Glass History
Early in the 20th century, Tiffany & Co. and the Steuben Glass Co. produced a hand-blown iridized glass that was very popular with their wealthy clientele. These items, were hand made and commanded extremely high prices. In 1907, the Fenton Art Glass Company began mass-production of a high-quality and low-cost iridized glass, similar to the items crafted by Tiffany and Steuben. The Fenton iridized glass which was available in numerous colors, including a unique red. Fenton was not the only manufacturer of iridized glass, but it was the largest producing the colorful glass in over 150 patterns.
With entry into Great Depression, iridized glass lost its popularity. The inventory of this glassware was subsequently deeply discounted and commonly given away in supermarket and cereal promotions. In addition, the glassware was given away in carnival games, hence, the subsequent name Carnival Glass.
Popularity of iridized glass resurged in the 1950s with dealers and collectors and it was during this period that this glassware gained the name Carnival Glass. Today, the glass is still manufactured by Fenton, and several other companies.
Other Carnival Glass Manufacturers
Fenton, Northwood, Imperial Glass, Westmoreland and Dugan are just a few companies that manufactured carnival glass. Some of these manufacturers stamped their pieces with a distinctive mark. However, most other manufacturers did not mark their goods leaving some vintage pieces impossible to authenticate. Today, because of competition, and high labor costs, few of these manufacturers still remain.
Carnival Glass Values
The vintage Carnival Glass manufactured early in the 20th century is, by far, the most valuable, and sought after pieces. Color and condition play a large role in determining value. Chips, cracks, manufacturing defects and repairs reduce the value. If an item is a rare color like aqua it is of more value than an item in marigold that is common. The Red Carnival Glass manufactured by Fenton is very rare, and popular with collectors. Punch bowl sets, because they consist of multiple items, command high prices if complete with all pieces.
Contemporary Carnival Glass can be acquired at very reasonable prices. Many of these contemporary pieces are reproductions of their vintage counterparts. Because of the low cost, contemporary pieces are more suitable for the wear and tear of everyday use. Traditionally, venues such as antique shops and flea markets have been the primary source for vintage Carnival Glass. Today, take a look at eBay for thousands of listings of both vintage and carnival glass at great prices. Remember, one persons trash is another persons treasure.
It is so ironic that at one point in time Fenton Carnival Glass was so common, it could hardly be given away. Today, some vintage pieces sell for thousands of dollars.
Ross Bassette is an experienced eBay merchant and collector of vintage Carnival Glass. If you enjoyed reading this article, please feel free to visit our website and find some great deals on Fenton Carnival Glass.
Vintage Fenton Carnival Glass
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The Appeal of Hand Blown Artglass
It should be obvious that hand blown artglass can yield an infinite variety of shapes, colors, sizes and so on. Actually, there are a number of types of hand blown pieces, and they are worth considering, since you can come closer to matching your office or home decor needs with something that's been customized for you. This article delves into the hand blown phenomenon in considerable detail and is worth the read.
Hand Blown Art Glass
Elegant and "look at me" glass blowing
These types of art glass are indeed very popular home decor items and include glass pumpkins, bowls, goblets, vases, garden adornments, ring holders, perfume bottles, paperweights and glass paintings. They come in a huge range in terms of colors and design. You can also get custom installations in order to match the ambiance and space requirements of your room.
Types of hand blown art glass:
Painting in Glass: Hand blown glass paintings are marvelous pieces of art that are full of sophisticated beauty, enrichment of colors, magical brilliance and diligence. Until recently these stylish and classy glass paintings adored only the interiors of the royal and elites families. These hand blown glass paintings are distinguished for their eye-catching clarity, absolute brilliance and use of rich and bold colors and add an extra life to your living room.
Glass Bowls: ou can use your decorative hand blown glass bowls for flowers or just keep them in the room as a decorative accent. The base colors are mostly bright and bold that capture and refract rays of light and create a great ambience. Apart from using these marvelous hand blown art glasses as a pedestal or coffee table piece, you can also use them as wall hangings.
Paperweights: The hand blown paperweights come in rich and bold colors as well as in many shapes and designs. They add eye catching colors to your working desk, study table, window sill of your living room, or anywhere else you like to. You can even personalize these paperweights and give them as gifts.
Glass Pumpkins: The hand blown glass pumpkins make a great gift during Halloweens. They are usually bright orange in color and have a nice ribbed side with curly or twisted jade green stems. The best part of these hand blown glass pumpkins are that they are exclusive and hence no chance of two pumpkin being alike.
Cleaning and maintaining hand blown art glasses:
Keep these hand blown art glasses out of direct sunlight as that can fade their colors over time.
Use small and soft bristled brush while cleaning dust from your hand blown art glasses.
Use warm water and a mild dishwashing detergent along with a soft cloth to wash these delicate art glasses.
A bold and colorful hand blown art glass can change the ambience of your room and adds a sophisticated look.
Tags: art glass lighting, artglass, blown glass lighting, colored glass pendant lighting, glass lighting, Home DecorRelated posts
Varieties of Wine Decanters
Adding a wine decanter to your wine bar area will add depth and class to wine drinking without spending too much. Thus, these specialized vessels can add aesthetic value to your wine bar, improve the taste of your wine, and help you create savings to invest in your wine collection. Wine decanters not only make red wines taste better, but they offer a very attractive vessel from which to serve wine to your visitors.
Different Types Of Wine Decanter
Adding a wine decanter to your wine bar area will add depth and class to wine drinking. Wine decanters not only make red wines taste better, but they offer a very attractive vessel from which to serve wine to your visitors.
A decanter is a type of vessel that is used for holding decantation results. Decantation is the process where liquid from another vessel is poured into the decanter in order to separate a small volume of liquid that contains sediment from a larger volume of relatively clear liquid. In the process of decantation, the sediment is left in the original vessel and the clear liquid is transferred to the decanter.
Wine is a type of liquid that often must be decanted in order to remove excess sediment. All red wines, particularly young red wines, benefit from the oxygenation that takes place during the decantation process. An optimal decanting process involves trickling the wine down the walls of a decanter, which imparts fuller flavor while removing the unpleasant edge of the wine.
Most wine decanters are ornate and tall containers that are made to be very attractive vessels from which to serve wine. Wine decanters may come with a stoppered lid. Additionally, some wine decanters come with a built in rod that aids the decanting process.
Most wine decanters have a very upright and tall shape and are made of glass so that the process of decanting may be seen. One of the most popular materials to make glass wine decanters from is lead crystal. It should be noted, however, that lead crystal is no longer recommended for use in decanters, as the lead tends to seep into the liquid contained within the vessel.
Lead crystal is created by adding lead oxide to molten glass. This lead glass is manufactured because it increases the index of refraction over that of normal glass. This means that lead crystal has a much more 'sparkly' appearance than regular glass.
Though many people still use lead crystal decanters, I long ago gave mine away and have since switched to regular glass decanters, to avoid lead poisoning. If you think about it, most people have the same liquid sitting against the lead crystal for years at a time -plenty of time to absorb more than a healthy amount of lead, in my opinion.
Popular makers of lead crystal decanters are Waterford Crystal, Steuben Crystal, Baccarat Crystal and Steuben Crystal. These manufacturers of fine lead crystal decanters and other items have perfected the art of stunning lead crystal designs. If you opt to go with a traditional lead crystal decanter for your wine or liquor, I'd go with one of the tried and tested lead crystal manufacturers.
April Rounsville used to be a bartender with over 7 years of experience. She later retired to become a freelance wine critic and a writer for a number of wine books. In these books, she specializes on finding the right glassware and utensils for your bar. Visit http://www.ebarware.com for a list of "must haves" such as plastic
barware for your bar.
