Burmese Glass – Opaque Satin Glass

Burmese glass (1885) was an almost opaque satin glass. Its shading was from salmon pink at the top to pale yellow below. It was attractive mostly when illuminated and was much used in fairy lamps and occasionally in chandeliers and candelabra. Some pieces have gilt or enamel decoration and many have frilled edges and foot-rims.

It was invented at the Mount Washington Glass Company, New Bedford, Massachusetts and some of them were sold to Queen Victoria. It was briefly popular in Britain when under license (1886) by Webb of Stouribdge (marked ‘Queen’s Burmese’). It was expensive to make, gold-producing the pink and uranium the yellow.

Sources

Payton, M., & Payton, G. (1979). The observer’s book of Glass. Frederick Warne & Co., Ltd.