Frederick Carder

Ray and Lee Grover, Naples, FL, 1987

Albert Christian Revi, American Art Nouveau Glass, Camden, NJ, 1968, p. 182 (for related examples)
Paul V. Gardner, The Glass of Frederick Carder, New York, 1971, pl. XXXII, figs. A-B and p. 132, figs. III.206-208 (for related examples)
Paul V. Gardner, Frederick Carder:  Portrait of a Glassmaker, exh. cat., The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY, 1985, pp. 112-115 (for related examples)
Thomas P. Dimitroff, Frederick Carder and Steuben:  American Glass Classics, Atglen, PA, 1998, p. 114 (for a related example)

Overall in very good condition. The exterior and interior surfaces of the vase show a variety of surface irregularities and imperfections, as well as tiny air bubble inclusions and some occasional particulate inclusions, all inherent in the making and pâte-de-verre technique. The top rim also shows a small irregularly ground facet to the exterior contour of the rim and small decorative bead below, also inherent in the making. There is one very small hole in the interior wall of the vase, located approximately 2 ¾ inches above the base and just at the level where the relief decoration begins. This hole is only perceptible under close inspection from the vase interior with a strong light source. The exterior open relief decoration is in remarkably good condition with no visible damage. The relief decoration with a few occasional irregular holes within the connecting devices to the vase and with a variety of surface irregularities inherent in the making. The columnar base also shows irregularities in the making, with four of the six columns having recessed interiors in between the vase body, and the others being filled with glass. The side contours of the foot with two shallow irregular ground facets, inherent in the making. An extraordinary example of this rare and challenging decorative technique displaying outstanding scale and form, a highly complex decorative scheme, and stunning coloration. When viewed in person the vase is dazzling and quite sculptural.
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Corning Glass Works unceremoniously replaced Frederick Carder as Steuben’s manager and director in 1932.  The glasshouse had been running at a deficit for several years and, although changing tastes did have some impact on its financial situation, management felt Carder’s reluctance to modernize and streamline the operation was a greater hindrance.  So, at the age of 69 and after running Steuben since its founding in 1903, Frederick Carder was forced to find a new outlet for his considerable energy and talents.  Allowed to keep his large office at Corning Glass Works, Carder soon converted it into a studio-workshop, complete with its own glass furnace.  He spent the remaining thirty years of his life conducting experiments and creating a number of remarkable objects, including Diatreta.

Carder received his artistic training as a youth in England, and, as was typical of the late 19^th century, much of his education was classically based.  His bronze sculpture of an archer, cast in 1897, and the Greco-Roman designs for the cameo work he did while at Stevens and Williams best exemplify his devotion to this artistic style.  Hence, it is not surprising that he decided to accept the challenge of attempting to create ancient Diatreta vases once he was granted the freedom to do so.

Diatreta objects, also known as cage cups, first appeared in Rome during the 4^th century A.D.  At that time, glassworkers used lapidary tools to carve away at the thick glass, so that the design in relief was connected to the body of the vase only by small, thin struts.  The most famous example is the “Lycurgus Cup” in the British Museum.  Glassmakers had tried to reproduce this technique for centuries, and Carder attempted it by using the cire perdue, or lost wax, method to make the molds and the pâte-de-verre technique to create the objects.  All of Carder’s Diatreta vases, which are exceptionally rare, were made between 1945 and 1959 and were done entirely by him, except for the grinding of the bottoms.  Tiffany Furnaces also produced a type of vase known as Diatreta in a very limited number, but their quality and artistry never came close to approximating what Frederick Carder was able to accomplish.

─Paul Doros