Glass: A Pocket Dictionary Of Terms Commonly Used - Corning ...

A Abrasion:
6
The technique of grinding shallow decoration
with a wheel or some other device. The decorated
areas are left unpolished.
Acanthus: (1) A group of Mediterranean, Asian, and
African plants with large, spiny leaves; hence (2) ornament
that resembles the leaves of the species Acanthus
spinosus.
Acid-etched vase. France,
Maurice Marinot, about
1934. H. 17 cm.
Acid etching: The process of etching the surface of
glass with hydrofluoric acid. Acid-etched decoration is
produced by covering the glass with an acid-resistant
substance such as wax, through which the design is
scratched. The object is then immersed in hydrofluoric
acid, or a mixture of dilute hydrofluoric acid and potassium
fluoride is applied to etch the exposed areas of
glass. Acid etching was first developed on a commercial
scale by richardson’s of stourbridge, England, which
registered a patent in 1857. An effect superficially similar
to weathering can be obtained by exposing glass to
fumes of hydrofluoric acid to make an allover matte
surface.
Acid polishing: The process of making a glossy, polished
surface by dipping the object, usually of cut glass, into
a mixture of hydrofluoric and sulfuric acids. This technique
was developed in the late 19th century.