vase

Tyrian is one of the rarest decorations created by Frederick Carder. It is an opaque glass that shades from green to bluish purple. The shading was developed by having the gaffer reheat the piece several times in the glory hole. The longer this heating continued, the deeper the purplish color became. Because of this lengthy process, Tyrian was difficult to produce. It was therefore made for only a year or so, around 1916– 1917. It was one of the more expensive glasses sold by Steuben, but it was also an unstable glass, which was easily broken. This is probably another reason why it is rare today, and it may have contributed to the short manufacturing period of the glass. The name Tyrian “was suggested by its subtle overtones of purple, which reminded Carder of the color of the imperial purple fabrics that were the fame of ancient Tyre” (Gardner, p. 67; see below). This vase is decorated with applied Gold Aurene leaves and threads, which were marvered into the surface so that they became smooth. This was the standard ornamentation for Tyrian. The glass was then sprayed with stannous chloride and reheated in a reducing atmosphere to make it iridescent. Most Tyrian pieces, including this one, are trademarked “Steuben” with a fleur-de-lis. Tyrian glass is discussed in Paul Vickers Gardner, The Glass of Frederick Carder, Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Pub. Ltd., 1971, repr. 2000, p. 67.