Steuben "Spiral" Bowl by Donald Pollard

This crystal bowl is in a classic shape and adorned on the base with two spiraling arrow or snake-like applications.

Dimensions: Approximately 17.7 cm (7 in) diameter.

Signature: "Steuben" script signature on the base.

Condition: Very good. No chips, cracks, or repairs. Some wear consistent with age.

Reference: ""Steuben Glass, An American Tradition in Crystal" by Mary Jean Madigan, page 268 (see photo).

A Note About the Artist:

Donald Pollard joined Steuben in 1950.

Pollard was born in Bronxville, New York in 1924. At the Rhode Island School of Design, he worked under the trainee program of the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art and then worked in architectural theatre design.

Among his many designs for Steuben, his best known is The Great Ring of Canada, presented by the President to the Prime Minister and the people of Canada on the its Centenary in 1967.

Today, examples of Pollard's work for Steuben are held in many major private and public collections.

A Note About the Manufacturer:

For 100 years, Steuben had been at the forefront of glass design, balancing state-of-the-art technological advancements with centuries-old traditional glassmaking techniques. Founder Frederick Carder was born in England and was a self-trained chemist, physicist, draftsman, and potter. He became passionate about glassmaking as a child growing up in Staffordshire and spent time sketching, modeling, and playing with clay at his grandfather's pottery factory.

In 1903, Carder met Thomas E. Hawkes, the president of a Corning company that bought glass blanks. When Hawkes offered to establish a glass factory for Carder, Carder accepted. He named the company Steuben after the county where it was located and began production almost immediately. Steuben Glass Works specialized in colorful Art Nouveau glass just coming into popularity, and the early years were the most productive.

In 1918, the Corning Glass Works acquired Steuben as both companies positioned themselves for the years following World War I, and Frederick Carder continued in his capacity of Managing Director of the new "Steuben Division" of Corning Glass.

In 1932, Steuben made one of its most significant technological advances, a glass they named "10M" which had extremely high refractive qualities that permitting the entire light wave spectrum to pass through the glass, including the ultraviolet range. In 1933, Arthur A. Houghton, Jr. became Steuben's new president, and he introduced to the market this clear, pure 10M glass now known as Steuben crystal.

Houghton collaborated with sculptor Sidney Waugh and architect John Gates. With the introduction of Steuben crystal, colored glass was gradually phased out of Steuben production, and the Steuben Division became known as simply Steuben Glass.

Gazelle, Steuben's first major engraved design, was introduced in 1935 and reflects the influences of Swedish simplicity and the massive geometry of Art Deco; this is the first Steuben pattern that utilizes all of Steuben's renowned glassmaking techniques: blowing, cutting, polishing, and copper-wheel engraving.

Having made glass for over 100 years, Steuben had always sought to balance state-of-the-art technological advancements with the centuries old craft of glass making and the skills of the craftsmen. Regrettably Steuben is no longer in production as of 2012.

Item ID: 6126