Irish glass, more especially Waterford, of the typical period, may be distinguished from contemporary English glass and foreign and modern fakes of all nationalities by a number of characteristics which may be grouped under the headings of Weight, Colour, Resilience, Feeling to the Touch, and Ring. Let me take these one by one.
WEIGHT.
Irish glass is generally very heavy, though there are exceptions to this rule, markedly in the blown specimens from about 1735 to 1750, which are extremely light. These pieces were never cut, but either engraved only or left perfectly plain. They can be distinguished from foreign pieces of similar weight, as they never show the little specks of sand in the metal peculiar to the latter. On the other hand, air-bubbles often appear in the Irish glass, which were caused by the faulty stirring of the molten metal. These are sometimes so minute that they appear like sand specks to the naked eye, and it is only possible definitely to identify them as bubbles by the use of a magnifying glass.
COLOUR.
All old Irish glass has a peculiar depth of tone, but the early glass of Cork, Waterford, and Dublin is especially distinguished in this quality. Its steel or grey-blue tone is unique. In this respect there is very little difference between the wares from the three places, as they are all characterised by the same mysterious grey colour (supposed to be caused by impure ingredients). It should be remembered that the factories in all three localities obtained their materials for glass-making from the same sources, and that the workmen employed in them frequently passed from one to another, so that, theoretically, the metal produced in the three towns should be practically identical. There are, however, tangible differences in at least a portion of the glass emanating from the various localities. Thus I have noticed that some Cork glass has a decided yellowish tinge which Waterford never has. On the other hand, Waterford glass is often distinguished by a peculiar cloudy bloom covering the metal, which can be rubbed off, but will assuredly return. This "bloom" must not be confused with the milkiness found in decanters, etc., which is caused by wine or water being allowed to remain in them for long periods. It is quite different: a soft bloom, exactly like that on grapes, the same colour, or even darker, than the glass, and often will be found forming a beautiful band of rainbow hue running round the piece it adorns. I do not know, for certain, the cause of this appearance, but it probably originates in some atmospheric action on the lead in the metal. It is only found on very early dark pieces, and its possession may be regarded not only as an additional charm of the piece so characterised but also as a proof of its authenticity. These pieces are most interesting, but are not always appreciated as they should be. Some time ago I parted with a magnificent Waterford bowl, beautifully toned in this manner, only to find a week later that it had been chemically polished clear and bright, leaving it with not a tithe of its pristine beauty.
These distinctions of tone and colour which I have ventured to point out are by no means universal, so that a piece which does not possess them must not be rejected as spurious merely on this account. Sometimes it is impossible to say from what county a piece came, and this has led experts to refer to the products supposed to emanate from the Cork or Waterford factories as "Munster glass." Even this term is not broad enough, however, for it fails to include the pieces turned out by the Dublin factories, and these are nearly as likely to be mistaken for Cork or Waterford wares, as the two latter are likely to be mistaken for each other. The blue-grey tinge popularly regarded as exclusively associated with Waterford glass is quite an erroneous means of identification, as most of the pieces I have come across, actually impressed with the mark "Cork Glass Co.," were of this tint. Dublin glass, before 1800, was very dark in colour, and the very early pieces are almost black.
It is very frequently suggested that the chemical action of the air on old Irish glass may have something to do with the mystery of its unique coloration; and, strange as it may seem, it is an undoubted fact that glass does change its tone with the slow lapse of years. I believe this to be specially so with Irish glass which has remained a long time in Ireland; and the existence of such phenomena is borne out by the effect that the atmosphere of Ireland has on old white marble. It may be argued that, should this be the case, the coloration of Irish glass may be caused entirely by the atmospheric conditions under which it is kept, and owe nothing to its local peculiarities of manufacture. This theory, however, cannot be substantiated, as English glass does not appear to be affected by Irish atmosphere to anything like the same degree as the native metal. I have frequently seen old Irish dessert services and chandeliers in which individual pieces which had been broken had been replaced by facsimiles made in England. These replaced pieces, however early their origin, do not appear to have changed colour in the least, and because of this can be readily singled out among their fellows of native manufacture.
RESILIENCE OF IRISH GLASS.
Irish glass is far tougher and stronger than any other, hence its wonderful survival even when in constant use. It takes a severe blow to break it, or even chip it, and I have seen solid pieces fall on a hard floor without being any the worse, beyond "singing" loudly. It has a wonderful elasticity, and actually bounces in a way that I have never found in any other glass. Some time ago the ring securing a large and valuable chandelier to the ceiling of one of my rooms gave way, with the result that the chandelier fell to the ground from a height of twelve or fifteen feet. It was, of course, broken with the fall from such a height, but the centre pendant, a large solid lump of lead glass, weighing 9 lbs., had not been shattered in the least, though the force of the fall had flattened its point.
THE FEEL OF IRISH GLASS.
Irish glass does not feel harsh or cold like most English or foreign, but gives a sense of soft warmth to the touch. There is something of the same distinction as between porcelain and earthenware, though not nearly to such a marked extent. One has to acquire a knowledge of it by experience; and though the tyro may at first perceive little or no variation between the feel of Irish and English glass, if he will cultivate his sense of touch by handling authenticated pieces of both varieties, he will soon find that there is a small but perfectly distinguishable difference between them.
THE RING OF IRISH GLASS.
I must make special mention of the ring of Irish glass, as this is an important point. All British glass has a clear, definite, bright ring, but to anyone with a musical ear it will be interesting to listen to the peculiar throb in Irish glass, not so much a ring as a rich throb, sometimes (particularly in large pieces) like a vibrato between two notes. I do not say that you get this in all Irish glass, only in the greater part of it.
No one, for instance, would expect a candlestick to ring or a salt-cellar, or a thick shallow piece heavily cut. Jugs, as a rule, also have a special dislike to displaying their voices, so, naturally, people must use their discernment.
DIFFERENCE IN THE RING OF OTHER GLASS.
This peculiar ring of Irish glass is not to be found in glass of alien origin. The foreign copies are quite different. Sometimes they will not ring at all, especially the wine glasses; the better ones give a sound of sorts, but it is very dead, and, if carefully listened to, the note is never true, just a little flat, quite unlike the "singing Waterford."
