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Thomas Webb & Sons was an 
The company, known originally as the "Crystal King of England," was noted for the high quality of its
File:Thomas webb e figli, vaso, 1875-85, vetro, stourbridge UK, 1875-85 ca.jpg, Vase by Thomas Webb, 1875–85
File:Milton Vase.jpg, The Milton Vase, by John Northwood, 1878
File:Vase, probably Thomas Webb & Sons, England, 1880-1900, glass - Portland Museum of Art - Portland, Maine - DSC04415.jpg, Vase, probably Thomas Webb & Sons, England, 1880–1900, Portland Museum of Art
File:Vase, 1885-1890, made by Thomas Webb & Sons, engraved by George Woodall, England, blown and cased glass - Art Institute of Chicago - DSC09887.JPG, Vase by Thomas Webb & Sons, 1885-1890
File:Cameo vase by Thomas Webb.jpg, Cameo Glass Vase by Thomas Webb & Sons for Tiffany & Co., exhibited at Exposition Universelle in 1889
File:Thomas Webb & Sons (attrib) vase - Indianapolis Museum of Art - DSC00553.JPG, Vase attributed to Thomas Webb & Sons, c. 1890
File:The Race by Woodall Brothers.jpg, ''The Race'', vase by George & Thomas Woodall, c. 1890
File:Intruders by Woodall Brothers.jpg, ''Intruders'', plaque by George & Thomas Woodall, c. 1893
File:The Attack by Woodall Brothers.jpg, ''The Attack'', plaque by George & Thomas Woodall, 1896
The Glass Association
''The Cameo Glass of Thomas and George Woodall''
Poster Stamp
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas Webb and Sons Glassmaking companies of England Companies based in Dudley
Thomas Webb & Sons was an English
English usually refers to:
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* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
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glass
Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling ( quenching ...
company, founded in 1837 by Thomas Webb (1804-1869) near Stourbridge
Stourbridge is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England, situated on the River Stour. Historically in Worcestershire, it was the centre of British glass making during the Industrial Revolution. The ...
, England. The name T. Webb & Co. was adopted in 1842, and later became Thomas Webb & Sons. Webb operated the Platts glasshouse from 1837 to 1856 and then the Dennis glassworks from 1855 to 1990.
The company, known originally as the "Crystal King of England," was noted for the high quality of its Cameo glass
Cameo glass is a luxury form of glass art produced by cameo glass engraving or etching and carving through fused layers of differently colored glass to produce designs, usually with white opaque glass figures and motifs on a dark-colored backgroun ...
. Cameo glass is created by a process of etching
Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...
and carving through a layer of opaque white glass, leaving a white relief design on a darker colored glass body. Some pieces used two layers of etched glass to create a three-color Cameo glass product. In the 1870s John Northwood produced the first pieces, inspired by the Portland Vase
The Portland Vase is a Roman cameo glass vase, which is dated to between AD 1 and AD 25, though low BC dates have some scholarly support. It is the best known piece of Roman cameo glass and has served as an inspiration to many glass and porcelain ...
. George Woodall would produce the most distinguished Webb Cameo work towards the end of the 19th century.
The finest and most valuable pieces were signed with "GEM CAMEO" included in the mark - Roman cameo glass was itself an imitation of the luxury art form of the cameo engraved gem
An engraved gem, frequently referred to as an intaglio, is a small and usually semi-precious gemstone that has been carved, in the Western tradition normally with images or inscriptions only on one face. The engraving of gemstones was a major lux ...
.
In 1889 Thomas Webb & Sons secured an American patent for their process, and in that same year they received a Grand Prix for their exquisite colored glass at the 1889 Paris Exposition. They were part of the Tiffany & Co
Tiffany & Co. (colloquially known as Tiffany's) is a high-end luxury jewelry and specialty retailer, headquartered on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. It sells jewelry, sterling silver, porcelain, crystal, stationery, fragrances, water bottles, watc ...
. exhibit at the exposition.
Examples
References
External links
The Glass Association
''The Cameo Glass of Thomas and George Woodall''
Poster Stamp
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas Webb and Sons Glassmaking companies of England Companies based in Dudley