Another Glass Elephant

Today’s elephant appears to be a combination of different pieces of glass moulded in the shape of an elephant.  The body of this elephant looks like cut glass.  The face and ears of the elephant is clearer glass but I can still see the cut glass pattern on its face and ears. The trunk seems to be made with a more cloudy glass.  

This elephant is quite close to the ground and appears to be lying on its stomach. There are four small round pieces of glass which seem to be glued to the bottom of the elephant’s body so the elephant is actually standing on its legs.  I guess it makes sense since the elephant has a low centre of gravity making it hard for an elephant to topple over and fall to the ground.

Cut glass is glass that has been decorated by hand using rotating wheels.  Cuts are made into the smooth surface of the glass by artisans holding and moving the piece of glass against various sized metal or stone wheels. The artisan is working to produce a predetermined pattern.

During the mid 1800’s the pressed-glass process was used to manufacture glassware that closely resembled cut glass in appearance at a much lower cost.  Today much cut glass is partially moulded and then finished at the wheel. This eliminates the expensive work of marking out the design and making a rough cut. 

To test if something is cut glass you can hold the piece of glass up to the light.  If it creates a rainbow, refracting light the same way a prism does, then it is cut glass.

My little elephant doesn’t appear to make a rainbow in this artificial light but he does create a lovely shadow! I must hold it up to the sunlight and see if it will make a rainbow.

# living life abundandly    # published author