During the 19th century, casting, and porcelain- glass technology. Chinese its cut geometric patterns, chinoiserie patterns on glass making enjoy a long history opaque white glass from this which were reminiscent endured, and enjoyed a and are noteworthy for their period resembles porcelain of English and American resurgence of popularity widespread influence. By and also shows the tradition “cut crystal.” Japanese during the Neoclassicism contrast, the East-Asian of decorating vessels with manufacturers also explored of the 1810s to 1830s. tradition of glassmaking, enamel colors presenting the possibilities of pressed Increased cultural exchange which dates back at least landscapes, flora, and glass, and imitated their own also led Europeans to collect to the Warring States fauna adopted from scroll cutting by pressing more curiosities such as vessels Period (475–227 BC), was paintings. economically produced and carved from jade, rock less inventive and more thinly executed domestic crystal, bamboo, and ivory. dependent on Western Carved pieces of glass objects with floral and Consequently, glasshouses, techniques and styles. incorporated the highly arabesque patterns. such as Baccarat (founded developed Eastern traditions in 1764), Escalier de In the 18th and 19th of stone and lacquer carving, Technological exchange Cristal (founded in 1802), centuries, East-Asian glass as well as the translucent and stylistic influences and Thomas Webb and imitated indigenous stone- and multicolored overlay continued into the 20th Sons (founded in 1837), carvings and porcelain, but techniques used in Europe. century, with ongoing and designers, including began to use European Ruby glass, for instance, led global influences in glass François-Eugène Rousseau glassblowing and cutting in the East to an array of design and the emergence (1827–1890), emulated, in methods. European finely executed objects using of an international scene color and form, the carved Christian missionaries the deeply colored and yet of glass artists who skillfully naturalia imported from brought to Asia glassmaking translucent material and employed traditional East Asia. formulas and skills that employing the meticulous techniques and newly revolutionized the local cutting, grinding, and interpreted historic craft Following Japan’s political manufacturing practices in carving methods long traditions. opening to the Western China. One such missionary practiced on nephrite stone. world during the Meiji(?) and scientist, Kilian Stumpf, Members-only tours will period (1853–1867), a organized a glassworks in Influenced by imported take place Saturday, Western Japonisme style Beijing in the 1680s. Western brilliant cut glass November 20, at 10:00 a.m. introduced elegant and pressed glass, Japanese and 11:00 a.m. The tours ornamentation that was Glass produced during glasshouses adopted will be provided by less playful and more the Qing dynasty in China Western practices during curator Florian Knothe. sober than the theatrical (1644–1911) and Edo dynasty the second half of the RSVP at 607.974.8442 or chinoiserie designs. in Japan (1603–1868) shows 19th century. High-quality [email protected]. unique characteristics tableware from the Satsuma West Influences East reminiscent of the cultural Clan factory, for example, In East Asia, the arts of influence the Western gained a reputation for its hardstone carving, bronze Jesuits had on East Asian high-content lead glass and Bowl with cover, Francesco Vezzi, Sakazuki cup set, made by Satsuma Hyalith beaker, glassworks of the Tray, made by Harrach Glasshouse, Venice, Italy, 1720 – 1724. Clan Factory, Shuseikan Kyushu, Count of Buquoy, southern Bohemia, Neuwelt, Bohemia, 1780 – 1790. Japan, about 1857. Gift of the Asahi about 1825 – 1840. Bequest of Glass Company. Jerome Strauss. The Gather | Fall 2010/Winter 2011 4 Thomas S. Buechner with Harvey Littleton and Museum staff in the office area between 1956 and Thomas S. Buechner examining Islamic mosque others in Germany, 1977. 1960. Thomas S. Buechner is shown on the phone. lamps, between 1956 and 1960. of glass around the world. He was Glass 59 grew out of Buechner’s Another highlight of his second tenure so cheerful and engaging, people involvement with major designers was working with architect Gunnar loved him, and that went a long way associated with glass factories Birkerts to design the expansion in establishing the Museum in a milieu worldwide. Although designers far of the Museum, which opened in that could have been skeptical. Tom outnumbered individual artists, the 1980. Dwight Lanmon, who was then convinced [collectors and experts] exhibit included a history-making deputy director of collections, and of the integrity of what the Museum cast-glass sculpture by the then- later director of the Museum, recalls wanted to be.” He played a formative unknown Czech artists Stanislav the intellectual intensity with which role in making it “a serious intellectual Libenský and Jaroslava Zahradnikova Buechner planned how visitors would enterprise.” (nee Brychtová). The slide submitted encounter and react to objects in by Libenský was small and poor, the Museum. “He was all about When Buechner was hired in but the jury wanted to have people and making glass interesting. December 1950, Steuben had already Czechoslovakia represented. When He wanted to lead people into a given the Museum its collection the piece arrived, Buechner thought discovery.” of English glass. Buechner then that Head I resembled a soldier’s shin embarked on making the collection guard. Only when it was on display, Corning-area painter Marty Poole has encyclopedic. In his 2006 oral history, with light shining through it, did the similar recollections about Buechner’s he recalled how he would visit outlines of a head emerge. Buechner focus on people and how they see curators at the Metropolitan, saying, was “awestruck.” art. “He was a rarity among artists, “I have this new job. I am going to be gregarious, an organizer. He loved to directing this glass museum. They all By the time he championed New create opportunities for artists to meet thought this was hysterical because Glass 79, during his second stint as other artists, to help people used to here I was, a kid from the Display head of the Museum, “the tables had working alone work as a group and to Department.” Although individual turned,” says Whitehouse. “Individual focus their thinking about painting. He curators would not provide the names artists were designing and making the held classes in his studio, organized of the dealers they used, they were objects, and glass was recognized as Sunday morning painting sessions, happy to tell their former colleague an artistic medium.” During his career, and painted with friends. He was about the sources used by other Buechner befriended and encouraged good at helping us understand how curators. He traveled internationally, many postwar Czech artists, a young an image gets into a viewer’s head. acquiring objects and gaining entry Dale Chihuly, and other pioneers of Buechner created an umbrella under to the then-small community of the Studio Glass Movement. He is which we all could grow.” scholars, dealers, and collectors of widely acknowledged as a protagonist American, European, Islamic, ancient, of the movement in America. He also Sixty years later, the Museum that and even Chinese glass, whom he started the annual publication, New Buechner helped establish is the enlisted as advisors and donors to the Glass Review, to heighten awareness premier glass museum in the world. glass collection and to the Museum’s and appreciation of contemporary The core collection of 1951 has grown notable Library. glass. to more than 45,000 objects, spanning 35 centuries of glassmaking. The Two particularly momentous events A pivotal moment in his second Library he helped create houses one during Buechner’s first tenure as tenure as head of the Museum came of the world’s most comprehensive director of the Museum occurred in late in June 1972, when Hurricane collections on the art and history of 1959. One was the juried exhibition, Agnes unleashed a flood that nearly glass. Also, the scientific research on Glass 59, which provided a view into submerged the Museum, overturning ancient and historic glass, publications the state of contemporary design and display cases and destroying a third read around the world, the Museum’s foreshadowed a seismic shift about to of the Museum’s Library. “Without support of contemporary artists, and occur in the world of glassmaking: a consulting with anyone, Buechner its embrace of the community—all move from mainly factory-produced announced that the Museum would tenets of his leadership—not only glass to objects designed and made reopen in one month,” recalls Perrot. continue but flourish. by individual artists. The second “That took vision and determination event that year was the introduction that few would have had.” The of the Journal of Glass Studies, which Museum reopened on schedule remains both an outlet and stimulus August 1. for research on glass, with impact around the world. The Gather | Fall 2010/Winter 2011 6 Meet the Rakow Commission Artist: Luke Jerram Photos provided by Wellcome Images. by Wellcome Photos provided Luke Jerram describes himself as a Jerram’s approach to art-making is grants and awards in the U.K. for his “color-blind installation artist, who multidisciplinary, and he uses whatever wide-ranging projects. In addition to fuses his artistic sculptural practice materials are most appropriate to his independent studio practice, he with scientific and perceptual studies.” realize his ideas. His projects, which is currently a research fellow at the He creates sculptures, installations, have garnered much media exposure, University of Southampton. soundscapes, and public art projects range from placing upright pianos in that investigate how the mind works, outdoor locations in cities around the You can learn more about Jerram at particularly in connection with world for the public to make music his website, www.lukejerram.com. perception and reality.