Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Object of the Day: A Pressed Glass Dish Commemorating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee

Goofus glass—a form of pressed glass which has been reverse-painted with predominantly gold paint—is a distinctly American art form unique to the early Twentieth Century. However, the medium does have predecessors which were created in England at the end of the Nineteenth Century.


British glassmakers produced a form of pressed, reverse-painted glass which features crisp patterns. This was often used to create objects to commemorate special occasions. This sparkling dish is an excellent example of that wonderful art. Here, we have a beautiful dish created in honor of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897—marking sixty years as Monarch.

Reading, “1897, Diamond Jubilee,” the dish bears the image of Queen Victoria, reverse-painted in gold. Around her, a border of symbolic thistles, roses and clover reminds us of the countries in her realm. This lovely dish was made for British subjects wishing to have a souvenir of the long reign of their beloved queen. Victoria’s reign ended with her death in 1901. She will forever be remembered as the monarch under which Britain experienced a period of exceptional growth and development.



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