Crackle Glass

Iced or crackle glass was pioneered by the Venetians in the 16th century, and eventually spread across the Continent to Spain and Bohemia.

Popularity had waned by around 1800. It was revived by Apsley Pellat at his Falcon Glass Works around 1845 to 1850, when he introduced the term ‘Venetian Frosted Glass’.

To produce crackle glass, the molten glass is immersed in cold water, causing cracks. It is then reheated and either mould-blown or hand-fashioned to give the desired finish. This reheating seals the cracks and smooths the inner surface of the glass.

Other firms trademarked names like ‘Craquelle’ (Hobbs, Brockunier & Company) and ‘Overshot’ (Boston & Sandwich Glass Works).

Overshot, although classed under ‘Iced Glass’, has a different production process from crackle glass. The blown glass gather would be rolled over a marver (a steel sheet) that had previously been coated with fragments of ground and pounded glass. The fragments would adhere to the molten glass, and upon reheating, would smooth the edges of the fragments but leave a textured, frosted effect on the exterior.