In the collection ofArt Institute of Chicago
Sicilian Glass Lamp, Frederick S. Shirley, c. 1878, Glass
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New Bedford

Sicilian Glass Lamp

Frederick S. Shirley · New Bedford · c. 1878

This lamp exemplifies the first group of artistic glassware patented by the Mount Washington Glass Company. Frederick S. Shirley, an English-born and trained glassmaker, introduced the Sicilian line, which was inspired by excavations of the ancient city of Pompeii in the 1860s and included the chemical elements of volcanic lava in its ingredients. Shirley also developed the process of fusing separate shards of glass in the body of his Sicilian wares, resulting in the unusual appearance of these vibrantly colored vessels.

— Art Institute of Chicago, catalogue text
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
61 × 15.2 cm (24 × 6 in.)
Accession
1998.314
Credit line
Gift of Steven G. Gittens and James E. Disrud

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