(4) Miniature Glass Gravy Boats and (1) Mid-Century Modern Glass Pitcher. 

Pitcher has a distinctive design with a tall, slender neck, a wide, flared base, and a unique top piece with a small handle. Gravy boats are small and delicate, with a fluted design and a small handle. 

Size: (largest) 5 1/2 x 4 3/4 x 6 1/4 in. 

#4406 . 

Glass’ brilliant luster, smooth touch, and harmonious ring have mesmerized man since the first batch of sand and potash was melted to produce a glowing product. Glassware dates back to 2500 B.C. during the Bronze Age. Ancient Egyptian glass, which can be traced to as early as 3,000 years ago, indicates that they likely invented the blowpipe, or possibly adopted the practice from an earlier/late contemporary civilization that did not have surviving pieces. Romans blew glass not just for table and decorative use, but for windows and glass tiles for floors, perfecting the process that the Egyptians had begun. During the Dark Ages glassware diminished, and it wasn’t until the early Renaissance period that it began to resurface and even thrive, particularly in Venice, Italy. Beautifully-colored Venetian glass became known throughout the world, and inspired many other countries to adopt the techniques. Up to that time glass was opaque or tinted, but Venetians discovered a method to produce “cristallo,” a transparent, clear product that soon became the most popular form for functional wares in Europe. Industrialization, starting as early as the 1600s, led to massive production by French, German, and Bohemian companies with hundreds of workers, rather than just individual workshops. England’s contribution was the addition of lead oxide, which lent sparkle, weight, and ring, acquiring a purity and brilliance like rock crystal; hence the name crystal. The more lead, the clearer and more refractive the ware, but it was eventually discovered that liquid stored in lead crystal over a period of time can leach lead into it. Glassware was not widely introduced to the United States until the early 19th Century, as pewter and wood had proved just fine as drinking ware. In 1825 the Sandwich Glass Factory opened in Massachusetts, generating American-made glass tableware so abundantly that it finally became affordable. Glass is primarily made of sand and potash, while crystal is made by melting a mixture of three parts silica (fine sand) to two parts lead oxide, one part potash, and various other ingredients to facilitate melting in tanks. This mixture, called the batch, is given a first melting in temperatures between 1000 and 2000 degrees for about 36 hours. A fine melting follows in which most of the gas and air bubbles escape, which can take up to 12 hours. Innovations like electric furnaces have accelerated the process and can keep the melting constant, but the tanks must be fired 24 hours a day. Major advances in machine-made glass have included computer-control furnaces (1970s), the use of alloyed molds instead of cast iron (1980s), and electronic inspection (1990s).