Compositional distinctions between 16th century 'façon-de-Venise ...

Table 3 Mean values and standard deviations of some major element oxides within each of the clusters found in the large data set, comprising
compositions from Antwerp, various sites near Antwerp and Amsterdam, London, France and Venice
Average composition (% m/m) Number of objects in each cluster
Cluster Na 2 O K 2 O CaO MgO Antwerp Amsterdam London France Venice
Cluster a 17.2±1.1 2.9±0.5 4.8±0.8 1.68±0.38 9 — — 7 8
Cluster b 14.6±0.9 4.3±1.0 5.6±0.9 1.70±0.37 15 2 — 21 2
Cluster c
1
Cluster c
2
Cluster d
13.3±1.6
12.2±0.7
11.4±0.8
5.3±0.9
6.6±1.1
8.2±0.9
9.0±1.2
10.7±1.2
5.8±1.3
2.80±0.54
3.01±0.41
1.88±0.41
19
9
8
—
—
—
6
7
—
14
11
5
1
—
—
Cluster e
1
Cluster e
2
13.4±1.1
14.9±1.2
2.5±0.7
3.3±0.9
10.6±0.9
9.3±0.9
3.32±0.76
2.60±0.46
10
24
—
5
2
4
11
37
12
5
16th century and to elucidate how this local production can 2 K. H. Janssens, I. Deraedt, O. Schalm and J. Veeckman,
be distinguished from ‘real’ (i.e., imported) Venetian wares.
The analysis results for 122 ‘façon-de-Venise’ glass objects
excavated in Antwerp were considered. Clustering of the
Antwerp data revealed five compositional groups. Two groups
of glass objects were found that feature a typical Venetian
3
4
5
6
Microchim. Acta, 1998, 15, 315.
M. Verità, Rivi. Staz. Sper. Vetro, 1985, 1, 17.
M. Verità and T. Toninato, Rivi. Staz. Sper. Vetro, 1990, 4, 169.
J. Baart, personal communication, results obtained by P. McCray.
C. Mortimer, in Trade and Discovery: the Scientific Study of
Artefacts from Post-Medieval Europe and Beyond, Occasional
composition, one with a ‘Cristallo’-like composition and the Paper 109, ed. D. R. Hook and D. R. M. Gaimster, British
other closely resembling ‘Vitrum Blanchum’ glass. These Museum Press, London, 1995.
objects (58, or about half of the investigated vessels) were
probably imported from Venice as finished products. The three
other compositional groups contain glasses that were probably
fabricated locally. The composition of a waste glass marble
coincided with one of these groups. The differences between
these three groups may indicate that different types of alkali
7
8
9
H. Bronk, Chemisch-analytische Untersuchungen Fruhneuzeitlicher
Glaeser Mittel- und Sudeuropas unter Anwendung einer Quasi-
zerstorungsfreien Mikroprobenahmetechnik, Mensch und Buch,
Berlin, 1998.
J. Barrera and B. Velde, Archéol. Médiévale, 1989, 19, 81.
S. Ulitzka, in Venezianisches Glas der Sammlung der Veste Coburg,
ed. A.-E. Theuerkauff-Liederwald, Luca, Lingen, 1994, pp. 40–42.
were in use or it may represent a mixing of alkali types by the 10 P. Van der Wee, Bulletin van de Antwerpse vereniging voor Bodem-
glass workers. Since the ‘local products’ represent (slightly en Grotonderzoek, 1987, 3, 53–62.
more than) 50% of the investigated series of vessels, one can
conclude that an important fraction of the glass vessels have
a local origin. However, a profound study and comparison of
the trace composition of the Antwerp and Venetian glass
vessels is necessary for a definite answer concerning the origin
11
12
13
E. Ashtor and G. Cevidalli, J. Eur. Hist., 1983, 12, 475.
S. Denissen, Overzicht van de glasblazersfamilies te Antwerpen
tijdens de 17de eeuw, Bull. Antwerpse Vereni. Bodem-
Grotonderzoek, 1985, 5,9.
O. Schalm, K. Janssens and F. Adams, presented at EMAS’97,
11–15 May 1997, Torquay.
of the Antwerp glass vessels. The same non-Venetian composi- 14 I. Bondarenko, B. Treiger, R. Van Grieken and P. Van Espen,
tion was found in London, Amsterdam and various locations Spectrochim. Acta, Part B, 1996, 51, 441.
in northern France, which may be explained by export of
locally manufactured ‘façon-de-Venise’ vessels from Antwerp
to these nearby cities or by the use of similar fluxes or flux
mixtures to those in Antwerp.
15 H. E. Henkes, Glass without gloss: utility glass from five centuries
excavated in the low countries, 1300–1800, Rotterdam Papers 9,
Rotterdam, 1994.
References
1 L. Engen, Het Glas in Belgïe, Mercatorfonds, Antwerp 1989,
pp. 121–133.
498 J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 1999, 14, 493–498
Paper 8/08385A