Aphrodite

Notice of Upcoming Content and Access Change

The Museum is working on the future of our online collections access. A new version will be available later in 2023. During this transition period, the current version of the Collections Browser may have reduced functionality and data may be not be updated. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. For any questions or concerns, please contact us.

What is AAT?

The Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) (r) is a structured vocabulary for generic concepts related to art and architecture. It was developed by The Getty Research Institute to help research institutions become consistent in the terminology they use.Learn More

Object Name: 
Plaque
Title: 
Aphrodite
Maker(s): 
Place Made: 
England, Amblecote
Accession Number: 
89.2.16
Dimensions: 
Overall H: 2.7 cm, Diam (max): 33.3 cm
Location: 
On Display
Date: 
1892
Credit Line: 
Gift of Juliette K. Rakow in memory of Leonard S. Rakow
Primary Description: 
Plaque, "Aphrodite." Opaque white and amethyst lead glass; blown, overlaid, etched, cameo-carved. Shallow, circular shape; with upcurved rim; overlaid white on amethyst, cameo-carved to create a depiction of a nude woman floating on waves and sea foam, which partly covers her; birds flying in the foreground and background, with seaweed on rocks in the foreground; reverse polished, with acid-etched marks.

More Info

Department: 
Modern
Provenance: 
Revi, Albert Christian, Former Collection
Nettlefold, Former Collection
Rakow Estate, Juliette K. (Mrs. Leonard S.) (d. 1992), Source
1989-06-07
Color: 
white
amethyst
Technique: 
glassblowing
etching
carving
Material: 
lead glass
Inscription: 
COLLECTION OF DR. & MRS. LEONARD S. RAKOW / CG-6
Label
THOMAS WEBB & SONS
Mark
GEM / CAMEO
Mark
WEBB
Mark
APHRODITE
Mark
G. Woodall. 1892
Signature and date

Exhibitions (4)

Charlotte Potter and April Surgent: Cameo Glass in Context
Venue(s)
Wichita Art Museum 2018-06-09 through 2018-09-30
“Charlotte Potter and April Surgent: Cameo Glass in Context,” organized by the Wichita Art Museum in Wichita, Kansas, focuses on the work of these two contemporary cameo makers in context of their historical precedents. The exhibition, curated by guest curator Vicki Halper, formerly of the Seattle Art Museum, will feature ancient and European historical examples of glass cameos, alongside Charlotte and April’s work. The Wichita Art Museum has a small, but growing collection of glass with an emphasis on Steuben, supported by the F. Price Cossman Trust. In addition to providing context for the exhibition overall, some of the requested pieces, especially those by George Woodall, have particular resonance for individual works by either of the two contemporary artists. The show is scheduled to open at the Wichita Art Museum on June 9th, 2018 and run through October 30th, 2018. There are no other venues planned.
Cameo Glass: Masterpieces from 2000 Years of Glassmaking
Venue(s)
Corning Museum of Glass 1982-05-01 through 1982-10-31
Cameo glass, one of the most costly and difficult decorating techniques since first century B.C., is documented and illustrated in this catalog. Included are examples from Rome, Islam, and China, as well as English 19th-century masterpieces by John Northwood and George Woodall among others. For the purposes of this catalog, the term “cameo glass” is used to refer to cased glass objects with two or more differently colored layers. The outer layer is usually an opaque or opalescent white, and the outer layer or layers have been carved in to leave the decoration standing in relief against a body of contrasting color. Shading is produced by thinning down the carved layer; highlights are created where the glass is left thickest. Both this catalog, and the exhibition for which it was created, documents the 2000-year cameo glass tradition.
 
Nineteenth Century English Cameo Glass from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Christian Revi
Venue(s)
Corning Museum of Glass 1963 through 1963
World's Columbian Exposition
 

Publications (16)

Uncovering treasures in the Empire State (1999) p. 132, fig. 7; BIB# AI43699
Uncovering treasures in the Empire State (1999) p. 132, fig. 7; BIB# AI43699
English Cameo Glass in The Corning Museum of Glass (1994) illustrated, pp. 9, 40, 61, fig. 35; BIB# 35913
The Corning Museum of Glass and the Finger Lakes Region (1993) illustrated, p. 26, #39; BIB# 35681
Hikari no shouchu: sekai no garasu = The glass (1992) p. 55, #90; p. 197; BIB# 58995
Recent Important Acquisitions, 32 (1990) illustrated, p. 195, #16; BIB# AI74245
The Corning Museum of Glass Annual Report 1989 (1990) p. 5; BIB# AI96380
Cameo Glass: Masterpieces from 2000 Years of Glassmaking (1982) illustrated, pp. 76, 115, #68; BIB# 30609
Antiques: Expressions in Cameo Glass (1969-11-29) p. 30;
Nineteenth Century Glass: Its Genesis and Development (Galahad Books Edition) (1967) illustrated, p. 153; BIB# 86244
Nineteenth Century Glass: Its Genesis and Development (London, Camden, NJ [etc] Edition) (1967) illustrated, p. 153; BIB# 27674
English Nineteenth Century Cameo Glass, from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Christian Revi: a special exhibition (1963) p. 28, #10; BIB# 27745
Nineteenth Century Glass: Its Genesis and Development (Nelson Edition) (1959) illustrated, p. 141; BIB# 25303
Nineteenth Century Cameo Glass (1956) pp. 77-78, 118-119, pl. XII, fig. 48; BIB# 27784
Modern Ceramic Art (1907) p. 2, fig. 6;
Title Unknown (Brierley Hill Advertiser) (1893-01-21) p. 5;