Thomas Webb & Sons
Vase
1884-1889
Physical Qualities
Cameo (overlay) glass, 15 1/4 H x 3 1/4 Diam. in. (38.7 x 8.3 cm.)
Credit Line
Purchase with exchange funds from Bequest of C. Edward Snyder, and Gift from the Estate of Elizabeth Gilman
Object Number
1988.203
Cameo glass imitated the ancient Roman technique of engraving gems to create relief designs. Here, artisans etched and carved through an outer layer of opaque white glass, leaving calla lilies and other flowers in relief while exposing an underlayer of rose-colored glass. The firm marked its finest pieces, such as this one, with “GEM CAMEO,” earning Webb praise as “The Crystal King of England.” Webb & Sons patented their cameo glass process in America in 1889, the same year they exhibited examples in the Tiffany & Co. exhibit at the Paris World’s Fair.
Inscribed: None
Markings: Marked on base: "Thomas Webb & Sons GEM (in circle) Cameo"
On View at the BMA
