Ian Dury of Stourbridge Glass Engravers is sponsoring an exciting project at Ruskin Glass Centre, Stourbridge as part of the run up to the 400th celebrations of glassmaking in Stourbridge in 2012. The Portland Vase will be recreated in Stourbridge. Click the photo to take you to information about this amazing piece. The following link takes you to information about previous reproductions of this famous vase- http://www.cmog.org/dynamic.aspx?id=1376&terms=portland vase locke
Richard has been asked to recreate the Portland Vase blank.This will be done by Richard and a team of glassmakers at the Ruskin Glass Centre, Stourbridge on Saturday 24th September. The blank will then be handed to Terri Colledge, one of the best cameo engravers working today, to carve the vase. This will take many, many hours and Terri aims to complete it during the Glass Bienalle in August 2012.
Richard and Merlyn Farwell of PyElectronics have been experimenting with glass recipes in Merlyn's workshop using a tiny version
of the COMBO furnace developed by Merlyn for Station Glass. Richard is renowned for his glass recipes and this project has seen him poring over his old "recipe books" to fine tune a batch mix that will get as close as possible to the original. Plowden and Thompson and Gerald Mann of Industrial Mineral Services are helping by sponsoring the batch materials and m
ixing.
The photo to the left shows one of the first Portland Trials made by Richard and Anona, August 2011, as they practice handles. A small number (in iridescent blue or gold) will be made available for Friends of Station Glass on a first-come basis. Get in touch if you`d like to reserve one of these special pieces - deatails on -Just For Friends
Richard, Terri and Ian met Dr . Paul Roberts, a curator from the British Museum, early on the 24th August to discuss the project and examine the Portland Vase in detail. None of them can get over the honour of being able to hold such an iconic piece of glass history.
Several things surprised Richard, causing him to rethink how he will make the blanks. The rim is folded and the detail of carving around the handles means that they can be made differently. The actual colour is interesting - a very dark cobalt b
lue which looks totally different with a light behind it. Paul is the co-author of a fascinating book " Cameo Roman Glass in the British Museum" which gives a technical insight into how the Portland Vase and it`s lesser known "sister" piece, the Auldjo Jug was made. Details of Paul`s book are available from - http://www.oxbowbooks.com/bookinfo.cfm/ID/86917//Location/Oxbow
True to form, once Richard and Terri saw the Auldjo jug (pictured on the right) they fell in love and decided that they had to recreate that too. Click on the photo to find out a bit more about this lovely piece. All being well, a blank will be made after the Portland blanks are blown on the 24th September.
The confimed moments of the schedule for the making of the blanks includes:
| Wednesday 21st | Merlyn will be installing his electric furnace ready for melting the white opal |
| Friday 23rd | The blue batch will be loaded into the furnace in the Stourbridge Glassblowers Furnace and the white opal in the electric furnace |
Saturday 24th | 8.00am - Team meets in Cafe 8.30am - Video cameraman arrives 9.00am - Interveiw recording with Graham Fisher and Charles Hajdamach 10.00am - Interview recording with Graham Fisher and John Northwood the 3rd 10.30am - Video recording children from St James`s School. Press cal with Ian Dury, John Northwood, Terri Colledge and Richard Throughout the day starting around 9.00am - Richard (assisted by Anona Wyi and Steve Foster) hopes to make 2 flat bottomed vases and 2 amphoara shaped vases (the original shape before th Portland Vse as we know it was damaged). If time allows he will also attempt to make the Auldjo Jug |
Sunday 25 th | (When we  get up) - Richard will be at Ruskin to supervise the blanks coming out of the lehr. |
This page was last modified on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 05:53:16 PM