Lead glass by George Ravenscroft
The first English lead glass, heavy, clear and marked with a raven’s-head seal as a guarantee.
George Ravenscroft was granted a patent for lead glass in London in 1674, after experiments to replace costly Venetian glass. Lead glass became the basis of English and Irish crystal. Glasses with the raven seal are in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum.
Materials: Lead glass (crystal)
Manufacture: Lead was added to the batch, making it soft to work, heavy and highly refractive.
The small seal with a raven’s head on the glass – Ravenscroft’s guarantee against crizzling.
The heavy, brilliant metal, clearer than Venetian glass.