Tazza

Glasshouse of the Duke of Buckingham

ca. 1665–70 · Glass · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Light, delicate and sparklingly clear, traditionally Venetian glassware- called "cristallo"- was exported in great quantities to northern Europe. However, in the 1660s, the fabulously wealthy British courtier and royal favourite, George Villiers, second Duke of Buckingham, led the vanguard of domestic production, sponsoring London-based workshops, often employing immigrant Venetian craftsmen, to create a cheaper British-made alternative, emulating the physical characteristics of Venetian glassware, and imitating Italian vessel shapes. This tazza is an exceedingly rare survival attributed to the Duke’s Greenwich-based glasshouse; it was originally part of a set of tableware, produced for the top-end of the market.

Artist

Glasshouse of the Duke of Buckingham

Date

ca. 1665–70

Medium

Glass

Culture

British, London

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Purchase, Gift of Mrs. Hugh J. Grant, in memory of her husband, Hugh J. Grant, by exchange, Gift of Margaret M. Carney, in memory of Farrell Joseph Carney, by exchange, and Bequest of Maria P. James, by exchange, 2016