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The glass material of the site "François Brugier, commune of Baigneaux (Gironde)

Updated: Jan 11, 2023


François Brugier's site in the commune of Baigneaux (33) delivered Gallo-Roman and medieval equipment to several plots of vines during various ploughings. On the site, there is currently a 16th century barn with a small adjoining dwelling house on the one hand and another house built in the 18th century. The archaeological intervention took place between two plots of vines. This excavation was directed by Jean-Claude Huguet.



The glass color of most glasses is yellowish or greenish. Only one object is blue/green in color. Two types of objects were found: drinking glasses and closed shapes

1- The drinking glasses of the form XVI.A1.c


Seven glasses have the stem hemmed by repression of the parison: They are composed of a single parison and their hollow stem can have a bulge or two. Some rods have an added glass pellet inside which is used to consolidate the rod during its manufacture. These opercula bear the imprint of the pontil. These glasses are dated to the 16th century and were used during the first half of the 17th century. Copies can be found in Tours[1], Epinal[2], Orléans[3]. In Aquitaine, this type of glass was found during the excavations of the Commandery of the temple of Breuil[4], at the castle of Herm (Dordogne) where it is dated to the second half of the 16th century [5].





2- Closed forms


Molded bottle form XVI.C4

A molded blue/green bottle could be partially reconstructed from numerous fragments. The bottom is re-entrant, the body hexagonal and the neck very long, flared at its mouth. This object is a wine measure made in the glassworks of the Grésigne forest. A few examples are present in the Museum of Fine Arts in Agen and are dated from the 16th century to the 18th century[6]. La Grésigne, a region located in Quercy (north west of the Tarn department), is a region where many glass factories have settled there since the 13th century. The glass industry developed strongly between the 16th century and the 17th century before disappearing in the 18th century[7]. The turquoise color of the glass is one of the characteristics of Grésigne productions.




18th/19th century bottles

Two fragments of bottles were collected, a re-entrant bottom of a bottle (This fragment is too small to determine its shape) and a complete neck. It has in its upper part an added glass net. The lip is cut clean. This type of object was present in France from the 17th century and was made in the 18th and 19th centuries[6].


Synthesis

The glassworks found on the site of Baigneaux, François Brugier, are not numerous but allow to bring some elements of dating of the site. Found forms, drinking glasses, bottles, wine measure are used from the end of the 16th century to the 18th century. As these objects revolve around wine, it is possible that the owners of the premises are wine producers and merchants. The fine quality of some glasses, even if they are not Venetian glasses or "Venice style", shows us that these people had a certain standard of living. This site is close to La Double, in the Dordogne, where glassmaking was important in the 16th and 17th centuries[8]. There is also a glass factory in Créon in the middle of the 16th century[9]. Additional excavations of the site should be able to provide us with additional information, in particular increasing the number of forms of drinking glass and bottle and thus confirming the exact nature of the activity at the site

Photo de Jean-Claude Huguet (Copyright)

Photos des verres de C. Hébrard-Salivas (copyright)

 

Indicative bibliography

[1] MOTTEAU J., Recherches sur Tours, volume 1, Tours, 1981.

[2] BERTIER M., Le verre,in BUR Michel, Le château d’Epinal XIIIe-XVIIe siècles, Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques, Paris, 2002, p. 257-273.

[3] BARRERA J., Archéologie de la ville, Orléans 3, Revue archéologique du Loiret, n°13, 1987.

[4] PONS Jacques, La commanderie du temple de Breuil, commune de Temple sur Lot, Association du Livradais, 1996.

[5] HEBRARD-SALIVAS Catherine, Le verre du château de l’Herm (XVIe-XVIIe siècles), Bulletin de l’A.F.A.V., 2007, p. 80-83.


[6] BELLANGER Jacqueline, Verre d’usage et de prestige, France 1500-1800, Paris, 1989.


[7] AURIOL J., L’industrie du verre en Quercy, Quercy-Recherches, 1988, p. 6-15.

[8] HEBRARD-SALIVAS C., Verre, verriers, verreries et marchands de verre à travers les actes de deux notaires bordelais, Raoul Brigot et Jehan Dubois, 1552-1583, Bulletin de liaison du centre généalogique du Sud-Ouest, n°54, 2007, p. 24-35.

[9]ADG 3 E 6648 fol° 384, notaire Jacques de Gorce, « Bordeaux le 25 jour de février lan mil cinq cent seize Personnellement etably Regne quissardier marchand verrier paroisse … de puy paulin par sa bonne volonte et confesse devoir a jehan julliot verrier paroisse de creon entre deux mers … la somme de huit livres et neuf sols tournois a cause et pour rayson de vendition de verres marchand… ».



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