Thomas Webb & Sons

Contents

Thomas Webb & Sons – Cameo Glass
crystal glass
Glass with enamel and gilding
Glass with precious stones

One of England’s most celebrated glass companies in the 19th century, Thomas Webb & Sons is best known for its engraved glassware.

Quadruple glass cameo vase with foxglove, butterfly and bee, 33.5 cm high, Thomas Webb & Sons, circa 1885

Thomas Webb & Sons – Cameo Glass

The Woodall team has been the driving force behind the production and has been rewarded with recognition at numerous exhibitions. At the 1878 exhibition, Thomas Webb & Sons products received the Grand Prix, and the then head, Thomas Wilkes Webb, received the Legion of Honor. This was followed by prizes and awards with gold medals in Sydney (1880) and Melbourne (1881 and 1889), another Grand Prix in Paris (1889).

Cameo vase Castle Window in four layers of glass, height 33.5 cm, Thomas Webb & Sons, circa 1889-1905

Bowl with pedestal in cameo glass with Persian design, pedestal diameter 18.6 cm, Thomas Webb & Sons, circa 1880

crystal glass

Products made of high quality transparent crystal glass with thick walls, imitating natural rock crystal, cut or engraved, brought the company the unofficial title of “King of Crystal”.

Craftsmen from Bohemia, a recognized European center for crystal processing, made their contribution to the development of the company. This style, which continues the traditions of the cutting techniques of the Renaissance, originated in Bohemia and was transferred to English soil by masters Frederick Engelbert Knee, William Fritsche, Fridolin Kretschmann.

Engraved vase by William Fritsche, height 15 cm, Thomas Webb & Sons, circa 1900, V&A Museum, London.

Fine engraved large jug richly decorated with a variety of designs including birds, reptiles, animals and grotesques, probably Frederick Knee, 43 cm high, Thomas Webb & Sons, circa 1876

Massive Egyptian-style engraved bowl by John Thomas Fereday, 25 cm high, Thomas Webb & Sons, circa 1922

Engraved jar showing three putti inside a leafy cartouche, probably John Northwood, 25 cm high, Thomas Webb & Sons, circa 1877 — Engraved jar showing three putti inside a leafy cartouche, probably John Northwood, 25 cm high, 1877

Glass with enamel and gilding

Glassware with exquisite patterns in gilded enamel, which contributed to the success of Thomas Webb & Sons at international exhibitions, is the merit of craftsmen who worked under the guidance of a remarkable master from France – Jules Barbet.

Candlestick made of glass in a bronze frame, decorated with gilding, height 44.5 cm, Thomas Webb & Sons, circa 1900 — Candlestick made of glass in a bronze frame, decorated with gilding, height 44.5 cm, 1900

Oriental style vase decorated with enamel and gilt, height 26.6 cm, probably Thomas Webb & Sons, circa 1895 — Oriental style vase decorated with enamel and gilt, height 26.6 cm, 1895

Japanese-style opal bottle-shaped enameled and gilded vase, height 17 cm, Jules Barbet, Thomas Webb & Sons, circa 1880 — Japanese-style opal bottle-shaped enameled and gilded vase, height 17 cm, Jules Barbet, 1880

Glass with precious stones

Gemstoned glassware is a very small product group of Thomas Webb & Sons, and in our time is an extremely rare luck for collectors.

The glass is delicately tinted to mimic the appearance of ivory, the spherical body of the vase, carved in low relief, is embellished with imitation ruby cabochons and other precious stones.

The design of this vase can be seen on the bottom row of the Thomas Webb & Sons sketch sheet. Published in English Cameo Glass (1980).

Cameo vase with inlays of precious stones white opal, turquoise, jade, garnet, coral and black onyx, height 19 cm, — Cameo vase with inlays of precious stones: white opal, turquoise, jade, garnet, coral and black onyx, height 19 cm. According to the company archive, this vase was sold for £12, the engraver was paid 65 shillings and 25 shillings for the design.

Indian-style cameo vase with imitation gemstones, 14 cm high, Thomas Webb & Sons, circa 1885 — Indian-style cameo vase with imitation gemstones, 14 cm high, 1885

peach glass

Technological advances in glassmaking during the Victorian era were incredible, with hundreds of new patents and technologies introduced in this highly competitive market. Colored glass products came into fashion.

Thomas Webb & Sons introduced sixty-five different colors between 1875 and 1898. Peachblow heat-sensitive colored glass has a tint ranging from opaque cream to pink or red, sometimes over opaque white. This glass was modeled after the Morgan vase, a famous 18th-century Chinese peach blossom porcelain vase that sold at auction in 1886 for an astounding $18,000. This sale was widely reported, and glass and ceramic manufacturers rushed to capitalize on the publicity by producing items similar in shape and color to the Morgan vase.

Pair of peach glass vases adorned with gold relief of plum blossom branches and butterflies, 16.5 cm high, Thomas Webb & Sons, circa 1880-1890. — Pair of peach glass vases adorned with gold relief of plum blossom branches and butterflies, 16.5 cm high, 1880-1890.

Peachblow glass vase adorned with golden relief of plum blossom branches, 40.6 cm high, Thomas Webb & Sons, circa 1890 — Peachblow glass vase adorned with golden relief of plum blossom branches, 40.6 cm high, 1890

Burmese glass

Burmese glass is another type of commercially successful colored glass from Thomas Webb & Sons. With the light hand of Queen Victoria, who compared its delicate colors with a sunset in Burma, this type of uranium glass got its name. Products from Burmese glass were produced in two versions – with a matte satin finish or with a glossy surface.

Pair of Burmese glass vases painted with oak leaves and acorns, 9 cm high, Thomas Webb & Sons, circa 1900 — Pair of Burmese glass vases painted with oak leaves and acorns, 9 cm high, 1900

Curio glass

There is a small group in the assortment of Thomas Webb & Sons, designated in the archives of the factory as Curio glass. This technique is also known as “stuffing”, in which small colored glass pads were placed on the body of the vessel, in a place where, according to the designer’s intention, cameo reliefs were to be made, as an integral part of the overall decor.

Curio table centerpiece, carved with a salmon against a swirling whirlpool, probably by William Fritsche, height 26 cm, 1890

Curio vase, carved with leaves, fruits and flowers, some of which are painted in shades of yellow, green and blue, 20 cm high, 1890-1894.

Cameo vase with inner layer of opal glass, decorated with carved decoration including algae, corals, crabs and birds, height 27.5 cm, Thomas Webb & Sons, circa 1890 — Cameo vase with inner layer of opal glass, decorated with carved decoration including algae, corals, crabs and birds, height 27.5 cm, 1890

Framed cameo glass

Carved glass, in itself expensive to produce, was often produced in a metal setting. Jugs and bottles in a silver frame were popular, as well as lampshades made of such glass.