In the early 19th century, crystal products became popular in Russia, following a trend that originated in Europe. This perfectly clear type of glass was invented in England in the second half of the 17th century but became truly widespread only by the end of the 18th century.
Because of the hardness of the new material, crystal products often had thicker walls than glass ones and were decorated using the technique of deep cutting. The names of many glass processing methods also included the word “diamond”. As a result, almost any technique was referred to as diamond cutting.
The museum houses a number of crystal objects made in the first quarter of the 19th century. These include the eye-catching tall and narrow goblets with bent rims. At the bottom, they are decorated with large diamond-shaped facets. Each goblet has a short stem and a stable square base. The goblets are distinguished by the high quality of both the material and the cutting.
Glass and crystal objects were rarely marked during this period, which makes their attribution more difficult. However, it is quite certain that these goblets from the museum’s collection were produced at the Milyatino Glass Factory in the Mosalsky Uyezd, Kaluga Governorate.
The enterprise was founded by the merchant Yakov Nemchinov in the 18th century. The factory flourished under Mikhail Orlov — a hero of the Patriotic War who had inherited the family business from his father, Fyodor Orlov, in 1814.
Being a very active and energetic person, the new owner sought to understand all the nuances of production. Under his leadership, the factory succeeded in establishing the manufacturing of both high-quality colorless and colored glass and significantly improved its decorative techniques. During that period, products at the Milyatino Factory were decorated with engraving, gilding, and white enamel — the so-called “mulyovka”.
It was through Mikhail Orlov’s efforts that the workers mastered crystal production and achieved a high level of craftsmanship. The glassware manufactured at the Milyatino Factory was of such a high quality that it was even supplied to the Imperial Court.
In 1829, Orlov’s factory was ranked among the nation’s top-three private glassworks at the 1st All-Russian Industrial Exhibition in St. Petersburg, along with the Maltsov and Bakhmetyev factories. It was awarded the Small Gold Medal.
Because of the hardness of the new material, crystal products often had thicker walls than glass ones and were decorated using the technique of deep cutting. The names of many glass processing methods also included the word “diamond”. As a result, almost any technique was referred to as diamond cutting.
The museum houses a number of crystal objects made in the first quarter of the 19th century. These include the eye-catching tall and narrow goblets with bent rims. At the bottom, they are decorated with large diamond-shaped facets. Each goblet has a short stem and a stable square base. The goblets are distinguished by the high quality of both the material and the cutting.
Glass and crystal objects were rarely marked during this period, which makes their attribution more difficult. However, it is quite certain that these goblets from the museum’s collection were produced at the Milyatino Glass Factory in the Mosalsky Uyezd, Kaluga Governorate.
The enterprise was founded by the merchant Yakov Nemchinov in the 18th century. The factory flourished under Mikhail Orlov — a hero of the Patriotic War who had inherited the family business from his father, Fyodor Orlov, in 1814.
Being a very active and energetic person, the new owner sought to understand all the nuances of production. Under his leadership, the factory succeeded in establishing the manufacturing of both high-quality colorless and colored glass and significantly improved its decorative techniques. During that period, products at the Milyatino Factory were decorated with engraving, gilding, and white enamel — the so-called “mulyovka”.
It was through Mikhail Orlov’s efforts that the workers mastered crystal production and achieved a high level of craftsmanship. The glassware manufactured at the Milyatino Factory was of such a high quality that it was even supplied to the Imperial Court.
In 1829, Orlov’s factory was ranked among the nation’s top-three private glassworks at the 1st All-Russian Industrial Exhibition in St. Petersburg, along with the Maltsov and Bakhmetyev factories. It was awarded the Small Gold Medal.
