 Amber Necklace |
 Gin Glass |
 Neck Ornament |
 Irish Lady's Tresses Orchid |
 The Lennox Quilt |
 Fossil Crinoids |
 Madonna and Child |
 A Red Alga |
 Irish Wolfhound |
 Coates Family Photograph |
 Chinese Ivory Puzzle Ball |
 Early Medieval Tomb-shaped Shrine |
 The Green Coat, Sir John Lavery |
 Juvenile Bald Eagle |
Gin Glass
English, c.1715
M & L Stevenson Bequest
Accession number: V456
Height: 105 mm
In the 18th century many types of drinking glasses were made for different alcoholic beverages such as ale, cordial, and gin. This gin glass of perfect proportions displays all the beautiful qualities of an 18th century drinking glass. Eighteenth century glass-makers were very skilled because they were using an extremely expensive material. There are three very distinctive features of an 18th century drinking glass on this gin glass - the wide slanted foot, the folded edge of the footrim and the tool marks from the glass-makers tools.
Gin, or 'Mother's Ruin' as it was also referred to, became a major social problem in the 18th century. By the 1750's it was estimated that in certain parts of London one in four houses was a gin shop. George Cruickshank's illustration features an example of a Gin Shop. The Gin Shops advertised 'Drunk for a Penny', 'Dead Drunk for Two-pence' and 'Clean Straw for Nothing'.
Comment
Kim Mawhinney, Curator of Applied Art.
When I came to the Ulster Museum I did not know the historic glass collection very well and it was the one area I concentrated on during my first three years. As I got to know the collection I really fell in love with the early 18th century drinking glasses. The fact that this gin glass has survived perfectly from the start of the 18th century and that it was used by someone to drink from all those years ago is amazing. I am sure it has some stories to tell!
