AN APPEAL from Isabelle Biron Call for information about Venetian enamelled glass from reliably dated contexts Since 2009, the laboratory of the Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF) has been involved in a research programme concerning enamelled and gilded Venetian Renaissance glass in the Musée du Louvre, in collaboration with F. Barbe (curator), R. Barovier (independent Venetian glass specialist) and M. Verità (research scientist specializing in glass at the Laboratorio di Analisi dei Materiali Antichi (LAMA – Università IUAV, Venice). The purpose of the project is to establish, through chemical analysis of the glass and enamels, the criteria that enable Venetian Renaissance enamelled glass to be distinguished from façon de Venise production. The database being developed is the first to be dedicated to this subject. Indeed, in spite of the interest shown by collectors, museums and specialists for more than a century, questions still remain to be answered about Venetian enamelled glass. Although, since the mid-19th century, the majority of these glasses have been attributed to Venice, it seems that Venetian production, which met with enormous success in Europe, was quickly imitated in many other glassmaking centres (Tyrol, Austria, Bohemia, Low Countries … ) over an extensive period (16th – 18th centuries). This production is known as façon de Venise. Furthermore, specialists agree that some examples are in fact copies or fakes made in the 19th century, as a result of the high prices collectors were paying for Venetian Renaissance glass. This project has been extended to incorporate a historic and stylistic study of Venetian Renaissance enamelled glass, alongside and in tandem with the physico-chemical studies being carried out by the C2RMF on glasses in various French collections. The first results of our analysis have established a range of compositional groups: typical Venetian Renaissance recipes (cristallo and vitrum blanchum) and others that are not specifically Venetian – perhaps contemporary (16th century), or later, even problematic (17th – 19th century) (I. Biron and M. Verità, ‘Analytical investigation on Renaissance Venetian enamelled glasses from the Louvre collections’, Journal of Archaeological Science, 39 (2012) 2706-2713). In addition to those objects in French collections that can be firmly dated, it is essential for the next phase of the project to include analysis of well dated and/or well documented glasses which can serve as references by which to gauge the groups that have been identified through chemical analysis. Recent finds of enamelled glass fragments datable to the Renaissance in archaeological contexts (Italy, France, Hungary, Great Britain, Russia … ) provide rare and indisputable evidence about this problematic production. The C2RMF is currently appealing on a European-wide level for information about such objects or fragments in museum collections or from archaeological excavations; this quest will lead, at the next stage, to requests to analyse some of this material. We would be very grateful for any information about items relevant to this research project. If you can provide information, please contact Isabelle Biron at the following address: [email protected].
Posted on: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:05:08 +0000
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