Caring For Glassware & Art Glass—Tips From the Pros

By Lisa Juff

Preserving art glass and vintage/antique glassware is an essential part of ownership. Simple cleaning methods and safe display, use or storage techniques are the only requirements for glass care.

Everyone already knows the No. 1 rule of glass preservation: Don’t Break It. Sounds simple, and it is, as long as you make a habit of holding glass with a firm grip and a full awareness of your surroundings.

Here are a few good rules and methods that the pro’s use when caring for antique, vintage and important art glass and glassware:

Cleaning Glass

Basic Method
Place a soft cloth in the base of your sink, add a gentle soap (Murphy’s Oil Soap, or natural equivalent), and fill the sink with hot tap water. Gently place the glass into the water, and rest it on the cloth. Soak the glass for at least 15 minutes, or longer if particularly dirty. Use a soft sponge or cloth and gently rub the entire surface.

Pay attention to the details. Dust tends to build-up in the crevices and rim edges. Use a super-soft toothbrush or a wooden toothpick point to detail the crevices. If using a bottle cleaner brush, be sure it is of professional quality with soft bristles. Rinse thoroughly under hot tap water. Be certain that all soap residue is removed. Use a clean, absorbent cloth to polish dry the glass. Microfiber towels work the best. Be sure to dry the glass completely, leave no water residue. Carefully hold it to a bright light to check for areas that need more cleaning. Buff to a brilliant shine.

Tip for drying bottles, decanters, slim necked vases: Pour a quarter cup of rubbing alcohol inside the clean bottle, swish it around to cover the interior walls, and then drain the alcohol out. Fashion a long skinny towel by cutting an absorbent cloth into long strips and tying them together end to end with small knots. Use a wooden chopstick or long thin wooden dowel to work the skinny towel into the bottle. Always be mindful of the pressure on the bottleneck. The wooden chopstick works well, as it does not scratch glass and will break itself, rather than the glass, if too much pressure is applied. Twist the cloth around the stick and rotate repeatedly to remove moisture. Repeat if necessary. Bottle and vase interiors, when not in use, must be dried thoroughly to prevent calcium lacing. Important: DO NOT force the towel into the bottle or vase. If it doesn’t fit, don’t force it because you may break the bottle’s neck. If the opening is too skinny, you’ll have to drip dry it upside-down.
Basic Rules
• Do not soak bottles or vases with very thin openings in water. If you can’t reach an area with a drying towel, don’t soak it.
• Never submerse art glass with encased hollow interiors in water (found in paperweights, figurines, stoppers, etc). The air bubble may appear sealed, but there is a high chance that moisture will seep through into the hollow areas, condense and remain trapped inside for good.
• If glass is decorated on the exterior with flashed-on color and/or applied or painted decorations (including gold and silver), DO NOT scrub glass or use ANY chemicals or soap. Use warm water and a soft cloth only.
• Do not use boiling water.
• Do not put art glass or old glass in an automatic dishwasher.
• Do not use harsh chemicals.
• Do not use hard, sharp tools.
• Never allow liquids to remain on or in glass. Do not allow water to evaporate. Always hand dry with a soft, clean, dry cloth.

Special Conditions

Sick Glass: This is an incurable disease. It is caused by moisture evaporating off the glass, sometimes combined with heat. Sick glass will have a thick, white cloudiness, a rough white lacing, or both embedded in the glass. A rainbow colored iridescent sheen is often present on Sick Glass.

Dishwasher’s extreme heat and harsh chemicals can cause sick glass. Old glass is more permeable and may sicken with age if not kept dry. It is impossible to remove. It can sometimes be lessened by lightly buffing it with wet jeweler’s grade ultra-fine steel wool. Tip: You can make the embedded calcium temporarily appear to disappear by wiping the area with a light oil (we use Old English Almond Oil). This is helpful if you want to keep and display it rather than throw it out.

Calcium Deposits:
Heavy calcium deposits contribute to sick glass. Some light calcium deposits can be removed by using a wet pad of jeweler’s grade fine steel wool. If the wool doesn’t remove it, then the calcium is embedded in the glass and cannot be removed. Attempt to remove calcium deposits at first sign, don’t let it remain on the glass if possible.

Very Dirty Glass: For the tough jobs use Efferdent. Add enough water to cover the encrustation and drop half a tablet in. Soak for 1-2 hours. This is a good method for bottle interiors. We’ve used this method for old dried stains of all kinds like wine, lamp oil, wax, heavy dirt, food, etc. Vinegar with kernels of uncooked rice also works well as a bottom scrubber.

Glass Cleaning Tools
• Micro-fiber Towels
• Gentle Soap
• Soft Sponge
• Wooden Chop Sticks or
• Long thin wooden dowels
• Soft bristled brushes
• Efferdent
• Vinegar / uncooked rice
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Museum Gel
• Jeweler Grade Fine Steel Wool

Displaying Glass
When displaying art glass, keep in mind the simple fact that glass breaks easily. Do not display art glass in walkways or where people may loiter. Display it where it can be seen, but not easily touched. Always use a topical adhesive such as Museum Gel to secure your art glass in position. Museum Gel is the best for securing glass because it is clear and very easy to remove. Other adhesives are Museum Wax and Museum Putty. When removing a secured item, use the sharp end of a wooden chopstick to gently nudge the base until air gets through, which will release the object.

Use lighting to accentuate your glass displays. Light gives clean glass the final touch and lets its beauty shine. Glass looks its best on a window sill with natural sun backlight.

Handling:
Before handling glass, wash and dry your hands. Oils and lotions will leave your hands slippery and also cause noticeable finger prints. Gloves can be worn to prevent prints from being left behind, however, be cautious as gloved hands are more apt to cause accidental damage due to loss of feeling.
1. The most important thing to remember when using your art glass is NEVER, EVER, allow liquid to remain inside. After use, remove all liquid residue immediately. When using water in vases, you must change the water daily, and clean the inner walls of the vessel. Water is the worst enemy of your glass. When water is allowed to sit too long, or evaporate in the vessel, it will leave residue stains behind. The residue stains can result in calcium deposits and can be impossible to remove if the stain is left untreated.
2. When using your special glass for table service, be sure it is warmed with warm water before adding warm foods. Cool with cool water before adding cold foods. Be careful to position the glass so it does not touch other objects on the table. The hostess should serve the food from the dish to guests individually, as it is easier than educating them about handling your glass.
3. Remove all metal from candles before using with candleholders. Today’s candles have a piece of metal securing the wick on the base. The metal will get hot enough to break the glass if not removed.
4. Do not fill large vases or bottles more than one-third full of water.

Shipping:
If you plan to ship your glass, it must be packed with extreme care to avoid damage during transit. Below is the method I use to pack glass:
1. Wrap the entire piece in standard wrapping tissue paper. Leave no bare glass showing. Secure the tissue with tape.
2. Use bubble wrap to cover the tissue enfolded glass. Depending on the bubble size, you may need to wrap it around a few times to achieve a bubble wrap thickness of at least two (2) inches on all sides and top and bottom of the glass.
3. Find a box in which the glass will fit, with at least four (4) inches between the glass object and the box walls. The box walls must be sturdy. If you are recycling a box, be sure that the box wall strength has not deteriorated from previous shipments. A box should never be “re-used” more than three times.
4. Pad the bottom of the box with at least 4″ of cushioning material. DO NOT USE PACKING PEANUTS! An object can move within the peanuts during shipment. Packing materials should surround and hold the object in place.
5. Place the bubble-wrapped object on top of the bottom layer.
6. Hold the glass in the center and proceed to pad all sides and top with cushioning material.
7. Close the box and gently shake the box. Listen carefully for any movement sound. If you hear movement, then you must add more padding. The glass object must not be allowed to move inside the box. At the same time, it must not be packed too tightly. Make sure the box does not bulge from over packing. Over packing can result in crushed glass.
8. Seal the box.

Double box your glass if you have the slightest concern. If you are worried that it may not make it to the destination intact, you should double box it.

1. Find another box that is at least 2 inches wider on all sides than the first box.
2. Pad the bottom of the box with 2 inches of any sort of cushioning material.
3. Place the packed box on the bottom layer of the second box and proceed to pad all sides and top with cushioning material.
4. Gently shake the sealed box and listen carefully for any movement sound. If you can hear movement, then you must reopen and add more padding.

Simple methods, common-sense rules and household tools is all you need to care for your important glass and preserve it for future generations.

WorthPoint: Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

Philanthropists, fine-art buyers, community leaders and famous glass artists were in attendance, while online bidders followed the action live via high-definition video produced by Auction Network.

The entire fourth-floor ballroom held displays of more than 350 stunning art-glass objects. Slow, cool jazz tunes played live as guests mingled among the exhibits, enjoying appetizers and cocktails, admiring the brilliant art on display and placing “silent” bids” on more than 250 objects of glass art. The silent bidding ended as dinner was served.

Finely appointed dining tables encircled a large raised platform where the auctioneer, Kip Toner, dazzled the audience and encouraged bidding. Tuxedoed servers provided food and wine as some 70 glass-art objects were presented to the audience, one by one, for live auction. The guests bid happily and competitively, raising more than $800,000 for the school. It was an eye-dazzling event successfully orchestrated to help fund the important work being done at Pilchuck.

Pilchuck Glass School is recognized worldwide as a leader in art education in the medium of glass. Established in 1971 by famed artist Dale Chihuly, benefactors Anne Gould Hauberg and John H. Hauberg, Pilchuck is now an international center for glass-art education. The school operates under the visionary methods of Mr. Chihuly and is now co-chaired by him and Leslie Jackson Chihuly.

For further information concerning support, educational programs, future events, etc., call the Pilchuck Glass School at 206-621-8422.

WorthPoint—the premier Web site for art, antiques and collectibles

Imagine yourself comfortably wiggling your toes near the fireplace or sipping java on an overstuffed couch at the local café or entertaining good friends at your home . . . while simultaneously attending the world-renowned Pilchuck Glass School black-tie gala auction at the luxurious Westin Hotel in Seattle. You could watch the gala, bid on investment-quality art glass, experience the excitement of live competition, hear the hammer fall and bask in the glow of winning . . . all in real time from anywhere in the world you happen to be.

On October 30, 2008, the Pilchuck Glass School’s 30th-annual, contemporary art-glass auction will be presented live in streaming high-definition on the Internet by Auction Network. WorthPoint Worthologist Lisa Huff will be part of the Auction Network team in Seattle.

Featuring hundreds of beautiful works from students and masters of the school founded by Dale Chihuly in 1970, this fundraiser is the art-glass event of the year. Proceeds go for student scholarships and support of the school.

The Pilchuck Glass School hosts famous resident artists and teachers from around the world. Glass masters such as Bertil Vallien (Sweden), Lino Tagliapietra (Italy), Fritz Dreisbach (U.S.), Benjamin Moore (U.S.), Dale Chihuly himself and more will have objects of art available at this auction. Pilchuck’s talented students, the masters of the future, will offer hundreds of one-of-a-kind works. This is your chance to own one of these renowned pieces that celebrities have collected for years. This auction presents your finest opportunity to invest in stunning glass art at a fraction of its near-future value.

Participating in Auction Network live bidding, or just watching the action, is free and easy. Anonymous bids placed through the site will be conveyed to the auctioneer via an Auction Network representative. Competitors on the floor and phone will compete with you.

Auction Network is the first 24/7, multimedia network solely dedicated to auctions. It celebrates the sport and competitive spirit of auctions with a fast-paced, interactive programming environment where buyers meet sellers. A preview of the 350-plus art-glass forms created by current and future masters of the craft with accompanying short biographies is available on the site. Your winning art-glass treasure(s) will be wrapped and shipped via a professional concierge service directly to your door. Be sure to register early, study the catalog, and plan your strategy.

The Pilchuck 30th-Annual Auction will be held Thursday, October 30, with auction highlights beginning at 6:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time and auction bidding beginning 7:25 p.m.. Internet users can access and participate in the auction through Auction Network. Register now. It’s free and easy to Watch, Bid. and Win.

WorthPoint—Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

It can be difficult to identify unknown art glass. I’ve studied 20th Century glass for a very long time, and have learned how to spot the clues that point in the direction of identification, but it doesn’t always end well. Often, after months of research in my library and on the web, after following every clue I could squeeze out the object, I end up more confused then when I began. Here are a couple of good examples of glass mysteries that have me stumped:

Set of Hand-Blown Soft Form Bullet Vases with Exterior Monochrome & Aventurine Murrina Décor

Found the two vases a year ago at an estate sale in Las Vegas. The sale was full of mid-century modern (1940s-1970s) décor items. First thing I noted as I brought one down from a shelf was the weight. It was very heavy for its size (3.7 lbs, 9.5” tall). Looking over the unusual decor, I discovered why. It was made of thick blown cobalt blue glass and a thick layer of monochrome and metallic murrina (bits of glass rods) “rolled” over the entire vase. An outer layer of clear glass is normally found encasing décor like this, but there was none. The murrina layer was added to the surface, and causes a slightly raised irregular texture. As I reached for the matching vase, my heart raced. Whoever made these vases was very good at the art. The décor told me that they were very difficult to create. I just knew that it would be easy to find more information about them…but it wasn’t.

My first thought was Italian (Venini, Toso, etc) or Bohemian, 1940s/1960s. I was positive the décor alone would lead the way to the maker. To my surprise, every clue gleamed from the vases led to a dead-end. Next I tried other regions and contemporary studio glass. No luck. The only thing I’ve managed to learn about these vases is the exterior décor process is called “Roll Up”:

ROLL UP – Glass technique that uses colorful sheets of glass produced with kiln-fusing, which are then rolled over the blown vessel, then attached to a blow pipe and blown again. It involves warm, hot, and cold methods all in unison.

Italian LABELLED Blue Crystal Modernistic Egg-Shaped Pokal Goblet

It has a label, should be a breeze to discover its origin! It’s thoroughly modernistic shape suggests mid 20th century Franco Pozzi, Joe Colombo, Moretti…and more. All I had to do was match the label. No such luck. The label, the best clue one could possibly hope for, led to a dead-end.

A “Pokal” is a covered wine goblet used in the far past to keep insects and varmints out of the drink. Church’s and royalty used Pokals. This strange and beautiful goblet was made of quality blue hand-blown crystal. The lid gently slips over the vessel, there is no lid ledge to hold it in place. When covered, it resembles a stemmed egg. I am confident that it was made sometime in the mid-20th century. It’s a modernistic Pokal form.

Research continues on these objects. Readers who have clues or suggestions to pass along are welcome to post them here.

At the start of 13th century, the city of Venice was the known world’s major hub of glassmaking. Its glassmaking secrets had been refined throughout time as a result of commerce with the Islamic territories of Levant and North Africa. By the late 13th century, glassmakers on the group of islands off the coast of Venice, called Murano, had perfected the art with brilliant methods and recipes.

The secret recipes and decorative techniques of Venetian glass were guarded as if they were classified material. Glass artists enjoyed high social status and accumulated great wealth, but were held captive on the Island of Murano, by the government of Venice, for fear their secrets would be shared with the rest of the world. It is widely believed the glassmakers and their furnaces were isolated on the Murano islands of the Venice lagoon (Adriatic Sea) to prevent fires from spreading in the city of Venice. The fear of fire may have been a factor, but proprietary secrets were the main concern.

Although their captors provided them with the finer things in life, captivity itself made them yearn to leave. The trade monopoly was crumbling by the mid 14th century as escapees from Murano plied their trade outside of the Republic of Venice. By the 1600s, Venetian glass secrets were spread around the world.

Venetians lose fine glass dominance

No longer holding the monopoly of fine glass, and unhappily under the rule of Austria, the Venetians experienced a decline until the mid 19th century. The Austrian government preferred Bohemian glass and the import of raw materials to Murano was restricted and highly taxed.

To its rescue came the Fratelli Toso family in 1854 and Antonia Salviati in 1859. Their companies employed the skills and inventions of Murano’s glory days, lost for over 200 years, and incorporated ancient forms and methods once practiced by the Phoenicians Romans. Again Murano glass found itself in the welcoming arms of the world.

Then, in 1866, Venice freed itself from Austria to become part of the Kingdom of Italy. Glass producers from the region again began to flourish. The wealthy of America routinely enjoyed lengthy tours of Europe and it is estimated that 80% of the Italian glass output was brought to America as souvenirs during the mid 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the 1950’s, an explosion of creativity prompted yet another world-wide craving for Italian-made glass. The Toso and Salviati companies were joined by the likes of Vistosi, Venini , Barbini, and Seguso, among others. The glass factories of Italy produced innovative designs to appease the thoroughly modern population who proudly displayed fashionable Italian art glass in their homes.

Fabulous examples of mid-century modern Italian glass can be seen in the background of many films made in the 1930’s to 1970s. Sophia Loren, in Three Coins in a Fountain, decorated her lavish villa with modernistic Italian glass; Lolita’s mother displayed miniatures in her home before she was run over by a car and her husband ran off with her daughter; nearly all of the “Rat Pack” movies have examples of the most modern Italian glass of the time, to mention a few examples. Take a look into the blurry backgrounds of 1950s movies, you’ll find many examples of mid-century modernistic glass design.

The images with this article of were provided by Retro Art Glass (www.retroartglass.com). These examples show a range of the décor and styles used during the mid 20th century. The glass was almost always hand-blown. The forms were usually large and heavy, often free-formed. Lavish use of aventurine, cannes, layering, intentional inclusions, optics, unusual colors, flame heated applications, and modernist shapes thrilled the buyers then, and still do today.

Vintage glass a good investment

Collecting this type of vintage glass is a good investment. Examples are still plentiful today, and affordable, but as time passes by this will quickly change. Glass breaks, so over time great quantities of this fabulous art glass will be lost to accidents. The pure genius and exceptional quality of the Italian artists of the mid-century era will probably never be produced again. Today, most decorative glassware is made in China. Much of it tries to replicate the “retro-look”, but the quality and décor is very poor in comparison. New art glass of today’s progressive artists can be of exceptional quality and design, but is very, very expensive to obtain.

Authentic mid-century glass will become rare and expensive in the near future, just as most antique art glass is today. Mid-century Modernism is now an official category of the Antique Decorative Arts trade, and is just beginning to see an upsurge of popularity among the young of today who love the “Vintage Retro Modern” look.

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During the middle years of the 20th century (1920s – 1970s), glass design mirrored the attitudes and fashions of a world surging ahead of its previous limitations. From the Arts & Crafts, Modernism, Art Deco, Eames, Atomic, and Post Modernism eras, came fabulous glass decor from all over the world. Glass artists pushed the envelope in decor and style, took advantage of new techniques, modified old techniques, and produced a bounty of beautiful, fragile decor items that are now the antiques of the very near future. The value of mid-century glass is increasing rapidly.

Decor fashions through the years are often repeated and modified. Today, the Retro style is popular with the younger generation who appreciate the bold and beautiful designs of the Modernists and Hippie generation. We older Hippies still appreciate it too. Big, bold, colorful glass from the 1950s-1970s make for eye-catching decor focal points, and often can be found at a very good value compared to the cost of today’s new glass in the retro style. Authentic vintage retro glass is of much better quality than the new “knock-offs” of today.

Collecting good retro vintage glass is tons of fun, but identifying it correctly can be difficult. The 20th century produced billions of glass items, from thousands of different makers. Some makers have “tell-tale” signs of their art style or creation method that can help identify. There are also clues that can be followed in relation to distinctive era décor, specific colors and forms, the glass “recipe”, and regional styles throughout the world.

Do you have a glass item from the past? Can you name the maker and era? Does it have a story? Or is it a mystery? Post your fabulous finds, comments and questions here.