Hemispherical Cup on Stem (Trick Cup)

DateProbably 17th century

DimensionsH: 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm); Rim Diam: 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm)

MediumGlass; free blown, tooled

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.857

Not on View

DescriptionThin glass. Numerous small bubbles, very irregularly shaped on underside of base, and a few black specks. Colorless, with greenish tinge; double hemispherical body; short stem; circular foot with tooled edge. The vessel was formed by first blowing a sphere of glass which was then depressed inward to form a double-walled bowl. It would have been turned upside-down and filled through the foot and hollow stem. Then a stopper was placed inside the stem to hold the liquid in the bowl, between the two layers of glass. Transparent natural pale green tint (5 G 7/2). Free-blown. No pontil mark. Wide convex rim formed by pushing up base of bubble to form inner cup within the cup. Hemispherical walls. Short tubular stem. High pushed-in base with narrow tubular base ring.

Comparative ReferencesSee also Corning, New York; The Corning Museum of Glass, Glass from the Ancient World, 1957, fig. 241, p. 129 (A similar vessel with added decoration around stem).