Short Dram

Date1740 - 1750

Object NameDram

Mediumlead glass

ClassificationsApplied Art

DimensionsHeight: 12.5 cm
z Bowl At Rim: 5.8cm
Foot: 7cm

AcquisitionPurchased in 1980.

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDAG000934

Keywords

Drinking

About MeA short trumpet drawn dram glass with a mercury twist stem on a plain foot.

During the seventeenth century glass was taxed by weight, so hollow stems or tears of air were introduced to make it lighter. In the Georgian period the wealthier members of society were looking for a new, exciting aesthetic. More or less tears of air could be manipulated through the stem to different effect. The tears were introduced into a squat cylinder of glass which was then heated, drawn out and twisted to give a pattern of filaments of air just below the surface of the glass. Two tears can be used to produce a mercury twist, so named because it reflects the light to give a delightful quicksilver effect. Twelve evenly produced filaments are much more common, forming what is known as a multiple spiral air twist.