Medieval Glass for Popes, Princes, and Peasants brings together rare objects from 500AD to the Renaissance, from international collections and treasuries
The unexpected variety of medieval glass vessels will be explored in an exhibition of objects for daily use and display at The Corning Museum of Glass beginning on May 15, 2010 and running through January 3, 2011. The exhibition Medieval Glass for Popes, Princes, and Peasants will follow the evolution of glass production over 1,000 years, from its height in the Roman Empire, through the radical social and political change of the Middle Ages when all but the simplest glassmaking techniques were forgotten, until the golden age of Venetian glassmaking during the Renaissance.
“The phrase ‘medieval glass’ often evokes an image of stained glass windows, but there exists a remarkable range of glass objects made for daily use which provide rare insight into a cross section of medieval society,” explains Dr. David Whitehouse, executive director of The Corning Museum of Glass and curator of this exhibition. “The objects in the exhibition trace the history of the Middle Ages in Europe through the lens of glassmaking. The story touches on politics, trade, urbanization and the disintegration of cities, religion, science, and technology and highlights the importance of the material to the development of the world we know today. Its arc spans a period of 1,000 years - nearly one quarter of the history of glassmaking- and depicts the rise of glassmaking from a dark period of reduced knowledge to an era of innovation.”
Glassmaking saw its greatest era in the ancient world during the Roman Empire, when glassmakers used a rich variety of techniques to meet the demands of wealthy patrons. As the Roman Empire disintegrated and Europe became politically fragmented, there were fewer glassmaking centers. The demand for glass and other luxury goods was reduced, and many glassmaking techniques were lost. It was not until the late Middle Ages with the rise of craft guilds and cities that glassmaking techniques were revived, setting the stage for the next great era of glassmaking: the emergence of Venice as the principal glassmaking center in the Renaissance.
The more than 100 objects in Medieval Glass are drawn from the Corning Museum’s collection, as well as from as well as from museums and cathedral treasuries in Europe.
