The Arts and Crafts of Older Spain, Volume 2 (of 3)Williams, Leonard
History
The Arts and Crafts of Older Spain, Volume 2 (of 3)
Williams, Leonard
Decorative arts -- Spain -- History
During the seventeenth century, glass-work of various kinds continued to
be produced upon a large scale at Barcelona, Mataró, Gerona, Cuenca,
Toledo, Valmaqueda, and Seville. In 1680 the Duke of Villahermosa
established a glass factory at San Martin de Valdeiglesias, and placed
it under the direction of a native of Namur named Diodonet Lambot, aided
by various other artists from the Netherlands. In 1683 Lambot was
succeeded by Santiago Vandoleto, who proved incompetent, and caused, in
1692, the total stoppage of the factory.
I have said that glass was made at Medina del Campo, in the province of
Valladolid. Pinheiro da Veiga's _Pincigraphia_, written at the beginning
of the seventeenth century, contains an interesting notice of this
glassware. "Really, the glass-work of Valladolid is most beautiful, and
worth going to see if only for the pleasure of its contemplation. There
are objects of considerable size, such as (glass) pitchers of every form
and colour. Others are called _penados_, and are of a syphon shape,
pouring out water in small quantities.[117] Besides this there are all
manner of cunningly contrived retorts such as we never see in Lisbon,
and yet in Valladolid their cost is only moderate.... The principal
shops for selling these and porcelain are two in number, and the prices
are the same as in Portugal."
[117] "_Penado._ A narrow-mouthed vessel that affords the liquor with
scantiness and difficulty." Connelly and Higgins' Dictionary;
A.D. 1798.
Two very important Spanish glass factories were founded in the
eighteenth century. The first, which was under Crown protection, was
established by Don Juan Goyeneche in the year 1720 at a place called
Nuevo Baztán, in the province of Toledo. The royal privilege allowed
this factory to produce "all articles of glass up to a height of twenty
inches, working and polishing the same, embellishing, and coating them
with metal; to make looking-glasses and similar ornaments, glass vessels
of all descriptions, white glass for window-panes, and glass objects of
any kind or shape, whether already known to us, or that may be invented
in the future."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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