A collection of antique mercury glass candlesticks and vases.
“Mercury” silvered glass was produced originally around 1840 until at least 1930 in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), Germany, France and was also manufactured in England from 1849 to 1855.
Made for show rather than practicality, mercury glass, ‘poor man’s silver’, or silvered glass as it is more accurately termed, usually has nothing to do with mercury. The metallic effect involves blowing a double-walled glass object, then filling the gap between the layers with silver-coloured metal. Usually this is made from a mixture of silver nitrate and glucose or grape juice, which helps the metal to adhere to the glass wall. Excess metal is then poured away and the gap sealed in some way. A display of mercury glass items at the 1851 Great Exhibition met with great acclaim and, for the next decade or so, fashionable well-to-do buyers proudly displayed silvered glass candlesticks, vases and bowls in their homes. They make for great decorative items and they look especially attractive displayed in a group.
