Understanding the Appeal of a Steuben Vase
A Steuben vase is to America what a Baccarat vase is to France. Both brands of glassware represent unparalleled quality and elegance; however, the vases developed by both brands differ in a variety of ways. Most of these differences in design and production stem from the company's histories.
Baccarat began in the eighteenth century in France, while Steuben came into existence in the United States in the early twentieth century. An English glassmaker named Frederick Carder joined with a glass engraver named T.G. Hawkes to found the Steuben Glass Company in Steuben County, New York in 1903. The era in which both companies matured influenced how they each developed their reputations. Baccarat began making crystal in the era of princes and kings and gained international appeal for its reputation for elegance and quality, while the roots of Steuben's fame can be traced to the development of advanced technology. Carder's earliest designs emphasized colored glass in an art noveau style, and Baccarat vases still boast elegant designs in a multiplicity of colors. At the end of the First World War, however, Steuben Glass became a part of Corning Glass Works, and in 1932, Corning Glass made a technological breakthrough by creating "10m" glass. This special, highly refractive glass allows the entire spectrum of ultraviolet light to pass through it, and is still used by Corning on the televisions it manufactures. Incredible clarity became the defining characteristic of Steuben Glass, and the company no longer produced colored glass. Steuben also became for its copper-wheel engraving process that results in beautiful designs etched onto the surface of the glass. Steuben vases are simple, heavy, incredibly clear and frequently embellished with engravings.
Steuben gained its initial fame for combining art and technology in order to create beautiful glassware, and its reputation continued to grow in the realms of art and society. In 1947, President Truman gave Queen Elizabeth a Steuben glass bowl and plates for her wedding, and Princess Diana received a Steuben bowl for her wedding in 1981. In 1955, Steuben introduced the series "Studies in Crystal," which emphasize designs with no utilitarian purpose, designs that utilize crystal for the sake of fine art and sculpture. In the 60s and 70s, Steuben's reputation for glassmaking continued to grow. A traveling museum exhibit on Steuben glass began in Toledo and visited eight museums across America, including the Smithsonian, in 1974. Today, a Steuben vase can be considered one of the best pieces of any glass collection.