Discovering glass objects exhibited in the showcases which come either from archaeological finds (a Merovingian legless drinking glass and a necklace with a few glass beads) or from donations, legacies, deposits from other museums, or acquisitions produced by the Louvre Museum.
The best way to discover these objects is to go to the Louvre Museum to appreciate their beauty
Objects from archaeological finds
A glass from a female tomb is dated to the 6th century located in Jouy-le-Comte, Parmain (Val-d'Oise), while the 7th century necklace is of unknown origin. (Deposits of the M.A.N. national museum and national domain of Saint-Germain-en Laye, Inv 24572, 27915)
This legless glass with a height of 12.5 cm and a diameter of 6.4 cm, is a streamlined goblet without decoration with a terminal knob. There are many threads on its surface. It is one of the most common types of glass from the Merovingian period. It can be compared to those deposited in the museum of Saint-Germain-en-Laye discovered in the Marne and which come from the De Baye collection (inventory number: 68080; 68064). To the extent of our knowledge, no glass of this type has been discovered in the South-West of France.
This necklace is composed of 28 pearls and medallions which are in gold. Only a few beads are made of glass, the others being made of deer antler. This necklace measures 30 cm. We can recognize pearls of type 8, 20 and 37 of the typology of Legoux René. Necklaces from the Merovingian period are on display at the Carnavalet Museum (Paris).
These two objects are exhibited in the Richelieu wing, room 501, Charlemagne, Showcase 4, Merovingian
Bibliographie
Legoux 1993
Legoux R., De la Typologie à la chronologie, In: Verre et merveilles, mille ans de verre dans le nord de la Gaule, Guiry-en-Vexin, 103-108.
Feyeux 2003
Feyeux J.-Y., Le verre mérovingien du quart nord-est de la France, Paris, 2003.
Other glass objects held by the Louvre Museumautres
Flasks from the Eastern Mediterranean (Syrian production) dated to the 6th-7th centuries
Two bottles acquired by the museum in 1910 are objects blown into a mold to give them a Christian decor (references for these two objects: OA 6417 and OA 6418).
The hexagonal bottle opposite has a handle and a flared neck. Its faces have different patterns. (OA 6418)
This other square greenish bottle with a handle is 14.8 cm high and 4.5 wide. Each side bears a different decoration: stylized monk, pattée cross, bird, pattern of braces. (OA 6417)
These two objects are exhibited in the Richelieu wing, level 1
16th-17th century objects exhibited in the Richelieu wing
In this showcase in room 517 are objects from the 16th century.
We can recognize glasses decorated with polychrome enamels and gilding, two gourds from northern France called "pilgrim's gourd", one of which is in opaque blue glass and the other decorated with enamels and gilding.
This beautiful enamelled glass with a hollow leg composed of a ribbed button is slightly greyish. Its foot is hemmed by repression of the parison. This object was made in three parts: one for the foot, one for the ribbed stem and one for the conical container. Inscriptions are located on its belly and foot, including this one: "PORTAM IVSTI INTRAV HANC" (=The righteous will pass through the door"). This object measures 18.7 cm in height and has an opening diameter of 13, 6cm.
This showcase (room 518) brings together objects from the 16th century and the 17th century. Many hollow leg glasses are from Venice or made in the "Venice way". Some are finned or serpentine. Cups, one of which is enamelled, a "tazza" with twelve ribs engraved with diamond point, a gourd and a "cracked" white glass ewer complete this exhibition. These glassworks come from gifts from Charles Sauvageot in 1856, bequests from Baroness Salomon de Rothschild in 1922 and the acquisition of the former collection of Pierre Revoil in 1828.
The objects in this showcase are here also essentially from the 16th and 17th centuries, except for the large winged glass which would be from the 18th century. They are all from Venice or in the "Venice way" except for the covered vase with a white glass filigree decoration which could have a Spanish origin (to the right of the top shelf). We note cups and glasses with lids on hollow stems with buttons or lions' muzzles which are decorated with enamel or gilding. A polylobed cup, a nave-shaped ewer and a "deceptive" glass stand out from the "ordinary" shapes. All come from donations from Charles Sauvageot in 1856 and bequests from Baroness Salomon de Rothschild in 1922. (room 518)
Many glass objects, stemmed glasses, "Pilgrim's gourd" are decorated with reticello and are dated from the end of the 16th century and the 17th century. A low cup and other stemmed glasses from the same period are filigree a fili et a retortoli decoration. A white and filigree glass tankard is said to have a German and Dutch origin. These are gifts from Charles Sauvageot in 1856, bequests from Mme Thiers in 1880 and bequests from Adolphe Thiers in 1881. On the bottom row we can see 6 objects: two goblets with filigree decoration in the "Venice style" of the 17th century, one with blue vertical lines would come from Antwerp, the other has a blue foot in the form cord, a plate, a basin with lattimo decoration, a stemmed glass, a filigree glass horn from Austria or Germany. Their presence is explained by the donations of Charles Sauvageot in 1856 and by the acquisition in 1850 of the former Debruge-Duménil collection. (room 518)
Not all of the glass objects on display at the Louvre are presented here so as not to spoil the discovery of these magnificent glasses which deserve a complete visit to the Richelieu wing...
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