Vintage hand blown ( pontil mark on base ) cranberry glass art nouveau glass jar

Vintage hand blown (pontil mark on base) cranberry glass art nouveau glass jar, (unfortunately this jar, I believe the rim has been damaged at some point and been cut down. The lid sits on top, but not as secure as should be), but this does not detract from the beauty of the item and I have priced accordingly. This piece may be older (possibly antique Victorian late 19th century?).

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16 cm tall

9 cm round

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Cranberry glass originated in the Roman Empire, was later rediscovered in Bohemia, and reached peak popularity during the Victorian era. Its characteristic red colour is achieved by adding gold chloride to molten glass, a process that makes it difficult to manufacture and resulted in small-batch production rather than large quantities. While production methods have evolved and are sometimes done with chemical additives, antique pieces are still highly sought after by collectors.

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Origins and early history

Ancient Roman Empire: Some historians believe a form of this glass was first made in the late Roman Empire, evidenced by artifacts like the 4th-century Roman Lycurgus Cup, notes Wikipedia.

Arabic work: The Arabic work Kitab al-Asrar contains one of the earliest modern descriptions of how to make gold ruby glass, says Wikipedia.

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17th Century rediscovery: The craft was lost and rediscovered in Bohemia in the 17th century, possibly by Johann Kunckel or Antonio Neri, according to Wikipedia.

Scientific confirmation: In 1925, chemist Richard Adolf Zsigmondy was able to understand and explain that the red colour came from small gold colloids, notes Wikipedia.

Manufacturing process

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Adding gold: Gold chloride is added to molten glass to create the red colour, says Pelmont Home Antiques.

Colour variation: The shade can range from deep burgundy to a pinkish-red, depending on the amount of gold added, notes Solvang Antiques.

Difficulty: The process is difficult because a slight mistake can "muddy" the batch and make it unusable, notes Pelmont Home Antiques and Los Angeles Times.

Popularity and collection

Victorian era: Cranberry glass reached its peak popularity during the Victorian era, particularly in the 19th century.

Collector's item: It remains popular today, and antique Victorian pieces are highly sought after by collectors, according to Pelmont Home Antiques and Solvang Antiques.