This “Sunburst Snuff Jar,” manufactured in Keene, New Hampshire, sometime between 1815 and 1830, is one of the most sought-after glass bottles by collectors. We've had the pleasure of working on two of these bottles. Unfortunately, all but a couple still in existence are damaged in one way or another. This example came to us with a fairly sizable crack that had quite a dramatic impact on how the bottle displayed. Glass has a tendency to be somewhat unpredictable when it ...
We have seen countless examples of Handel lamp shades over the years. The earlier forms depict expertly painted landscapes that glow from within. Reverse painted enamel creates a sense of depth when viewed through the delicately patterned exterior and the light often resembles that of the setting sun. This particular shade came to us in dozens of pieces, but we have dealt with much worse. We reassembled every last piece provided to us, including some as small as a grain of rice, and the reconstructed ...
This very rare example of early American glass once contained mineral water and has survived to this day to be prized by collectors. Many pieces of everyday glassware from the early 19th century have since been discarded or destroyed. Those that have survived often find their way to us. This particular piece was subject to a poorly done repair. Thankfully, we have the means to undo such mistakes without damaging the glass in any way. Collectors rely on our care, attention to ...
As Steuben becomes rarer with every year since the workshops have closed down, it becomes more and more worthwhile to save their pieces from oblivion. This elegant Steuben bowl was missing a 3” by 1” curved section from its rim, and would have been completely useless if not restored. We made a silicone rubber mold from a good section of the rim, and cast the missing piece with optical epoxy. While not an exact refractive match to the original lead ...
This is a Tiffany glass globe that broke out on the side. Although we had all the pieces, the simplicity of the final surface made the assembled pieces quite obvious. Even though the optical epoxy made the seams almost disappear, there was a slight surface expression of the seams. The next step was to mask off the surface to limit the extent of our coating. Then we airbrushed several clear coats – first to completely cover the seams, then to polish the ...
Working with a chip in a large, clear glass sculpture can evoke a creative solution. Any chip or deep scratch attracts attention to itself, and the whole piece completely loses its aesthetic impact, because it depends on clean simplicity. With such a pieces we have a variety of options, from filling the chips with an optical epoxy, to regrinding and polishing the scratched surface – to imperceptibly lowering the rim of a glass to remove a chip. In this case, however, there ...
These Daum glass flowers were reassembled with optical epoxy, then filled with a colored optical epoxy and coated to recreate the satin texture of the original. Our rating of repairs called this a “near invisible” repair, which is quite good for glass repairs.
This Murano glass vase had broken off cleanly at the neck. Adhering it back with our optical epoxy produced an almost invisible repair that is stronger than the original glass. If, God forbid, it should ever break again, our experience shows that it will break along different lines.
When gold is fired onto a glass or a ceramic it is vanishingly thin. One of the most common signs of wear on such pieces is work spots on unprotected edges and surfaces. Although we can restore such damage, it is a costly process and we not usually recommend it. In some cases, as this vase, the gold is used as an integral part of the design – and so it is important to restore it. In this case an ...