Friday 29 June 2012

Mainly stone and glass from Kelvingrove


The chap at the top of the page there and lady below, sit at either side of the Kelvingrove museum - they've been there over a hundred years now so how sensible of the lady to bring a book. It's easy to get carried away with the contents of a building and not to look at the building itself. Some of them are adorned with works of art themselves especially if the Victorians have had a hand in building it.


The next four items are all from the Italian art exhibition at Kelvinside that had a whole blog to itself not that long ago.

This delicate 16th century Venetian wine glass. Lovely though it may be,with those edges I think much spilling would have ensued if they were used.

This very oddly shaped glass, also 6th ventury Venice, looks as if it might be even more awkward to drink out of. There seems to be a bit of a resevoir at the bottom and when I visialise drinking out of this, I can see myself having to tip it up a long way to empty it. I can see a sudden rush of wine and a very wet face. Perhaps there is some student of fluid dynamics out there would like to take up this glass as a project.

This jug is dated 1714 and inscribes "Wylich" which could have been the name of the owner. The label does admit that it could have been a tankard.
During the Renaissence many vessels were carved from gemstones. Venetian glassblowers in the 16th century were making glass to resemble carved gemstone. The bowl below is an example of those.

This is a much later example, about 1890, which is a glass copy of an agate chalice in St Mark's Cathedral (I assume St Mark's in Venice)

The Sunflower - Garden Piece by Gilbert Ledlard in 1932.

I'm glad it's up here on the balcomy where it probably looks as good as it did when it was made 80 years ago - certainly not if it had found its way into a garden.
The next few pieces come from a cabinet of glass on the ground floor - the lighting in the cabinet was great for viewing but my camera didn't seem to like it so much and has give them all a yellow tinge. Still the pieces are well worth a look.
A jug made at the Jenkinson's Norton Park Glassworks in Edinburgh in 1876


A wine glass, also from Jenkinson's


The Russian dancer goblet is by Alison Geissler from Edinburgh and the decanter behind it is a piece of Caithness lead crystal engraved by Denis mann.




She is the Summer in the Cold Time between Christmas and Easter
A long title for this lovely plate - blown by David Kaplan of Galashiels and engraved by Alison Kinnaird of Midlothian in 1981. Mount by JF Coull.
David Kaplan again, this time with Annica Sandstrom in 1986
A glass balloon by Adrienne McStay of the Edinburgh College of Art

Syrinx by William McMillan. This was voted the best sculpture of 1925 by the Royal Society of British Sculptors.


 This was made in 1916 by Auguste Renoir and Richard Guino. Called simply Madame Renoir, it is Renoir's wife who had died the previous year.

And finally, this rather snazzy jacket which is to be found hiding anongst the Scottish paintings.

I must be moving along now - I've got an appointment with my tailor.

9 comments:

Ellie said...

Ok Sandy you have convinced me I have to pay a visit to Kelvingrove before the end of the summer. It's only about an hour from here so there is no excuse really.
Lots of beautiful things to see - I just love some of that glasswork.
Thank you for liking my raindrop pictures - I will be so glad when it finally stops all of the rain won't you?

Shundo said...

I think you're right about that second Venetian glass, Sandy. It looks like one of those 'yards' you get with fancy Belgian beers sometimes, which are often going to pour expensive brew right down your front in my experience...
"Best sculpture of 1925" is funny - I assume that contest isn't held any more, or doesn't make the papers at least.

Sandy's witterings said...

Ellie,I should think Glasgow's an easy train trip for you (I have to be desperate before I drive a car into Glasgow - I can't get back out.)

Shundo, I tried a half yard of ale once (I was young and stupider than I am now) - it's still a lot of beer and you need to swirl the yard to get the beer out of the bulb. I think a yard of Belgium beer would be fatal.

Ellie said...

Ha ha you are right about driving into Glasgow - I hate it and usually get myself lost. But Danny doesn't mind doing it so I will probably just talk sweetly to him. Then again the train is easier and a lot less stressful.

Bengts fotoblogg said...

Great shots, beautiful glass.

The Glebe Blog said...

Some very interesting 'objets d'art' in this post Sandy. I must get up to the metropolis sometime with my bus pass. You and other bloggers keep showing me what I'm missing.

Sandy's witterings said...

Ellie, having somebody who can negotiate Glasgow is invaluable.

Thank you Bengts

Jim, A bus pass is great. Getting out of D&G on the bus though and getting back takes a bit of serious planning on the bus.

Shundo said...

Luckily the Belgian ones are more like a foot than a yard, otherwise I wouldn't be writing to you now.

Poppy (aka Val) said...

I love the Venetian glass :) You always find some very interesting places to visit, my list of 'places to see' grows longer every month :)