English: Jug, 1876, James Powell & Sons V&A Museum no. 548-1877

Techniques - Green glass, with blue threading and combed white threading marvered in; pressed prunt at the base of the handle

Place - London, England

Dimensions - Height 21.9 cm, Width 14.5 cm (including handle), Depth 12 cm, Diameter 7.6 cm (base)

Object Type - This thinly-blown elegant jug is a supremely functional shape in Powell's perfected green glass. Although usable for water, for instance, it was not made as part of a set and would have been seen as highly decorative. Although it has no direct precursors, its design shows the influence of Powell's interest in Renaissance Venetian glass.

Materials & Making - This blown-glass jug is decorated over the lower part of the body with trailed lines of white glass which have been carefully pulled into scalloped loops with a pointed tool and then smoothed by rolling on a flat metal surface (a 'marver') while soft. The remaining decoration around the shoulder and neck is of trailed lines of glass left raised, as applied.

People -

In the late 1860s and early 1870s, the family-run glasshouse of James Powell & Sons in Whitefriars, London was joined by the latest generation. Each brought different skills to the company. Harry Powell was especially important as a designer and travelled throughout Europe studying historic glasses in museums and in galleries through the medium of paintings. He made detailed sketches and on his return to London he supplied the family glassworks with a wealth of designs for tablewares, based on the historic glasses he had seen on his travels. The company often made similar glassware, like this jug, without his direct input.