Air Twist Stems
Antique Georgian air twist stem wine glasses are amongst the most widely appreciated of all antique wine glasses. They are the most widely recognised of all Georgian wine glasses. The air twist stem was an 18th century evolution from the air tears and twisted tears in earlier plain stem glasses and those with beaded knops. The glass excise act created an imperative to reduce the taxable weight of glasses and the resultant air twist ensued Air twists increased the brilliance of the stems via the introduction of most commonly six or more evenly spaced bubbles into the gather of glass via nails fixed into a wooden former and then drawing this into a stem.
Rolling the blowing iron and fixing the opposite end of the glass stem with pucellas fabricated the twist. Tooling marks on the stems of some glasses evidences this. I am advised that all glass blowers were taught to ply their trade right handed, hence all English twists rotate in the same direction.
The shape and size of the nails and pattern of nails on the former were changed with startling results. Tightly packed thin nails result in a cable, flat-sided nails the “mercury” twist. The variation in the patterns of air twist defies belief when one considers that these were all made by hand in the eighteenth century. To date we have had nine types of twist for sale !
All antique glass does have some jargon and Georgian glass is no exception.The multi series Georgian air twist glass, or MSAT, is widely accepted to have been the earliest form with up to twelve strands or air spiralling up a stem. To be strict in our nomenclature the MSAT is effectively a single series. Single spiral gauzes and four-ply spiral bands outside loose spiral threads and cables have the most incredible refractive properties where either the inside or outside twist is a mercury type. It is worth noting double series air twist stem are the rarer form, the opposite being true for opaque twist stems.
Other air twist glasses to watch out for are those with multiple knops which become progressively rarer as the number of knops increases and those with vermiform collars. If you are looking for just one fine Georgian drinking glass for a present of gift then air twist stems are a good choice.
Air Twist Stem Georgian Wine Glass c1750
A very fine Georgian composite stem wine glass from c1750 in excellent condition. For more antique glassware, including a wide range of Georgian drinking glasses, please visit Scottish Antiques online store.
£170.00
Air Twist Stem Georgian Wine Glass c1750
A very fine Georgian air twist stem wine glass from c1750 in excellent condition. For more antique glassware, including a wide range of Georgian drinking glasses, please visit Scottish Antiques online store.
£225.00
Multi Spiral Air Twist Pan Top Georgian Wine Glass c1750
A very fine Georgian multi spiral air twist wine glas from c1750 in excellent condition. For more antique glassware, including a wide range of Georgian drinking glasses, please visit Scottish Antiques online store.
£160.00
Georgian Air Twist Stem Wine Glass c1750
A very fine Georgian air twist stem wine glass from c1750. For more antique glassware, including a wide range of Georgian drinking glasses, please visit Scottish Antiques online store.
£140.00
Georgian Double Knop Composite Stem Wine Glass c1755
Georgian Double Knop Composite Stem Wine Glass c1755
£160.00
Georgian Multi Spiral Air Twist Wine Glass With Folded Foot c1745
Georgian Multi Spiral Air Twist Wine Glass With Folded Foot c1745
£260.00
Tall Georgian Air Twist Stem Wine Glass c1750
A very fine Georgian air twist stem wine glass from c1750 in excellent condition. For more antique glassware, including a wide range of Georgian drinking glasses, please visit Scottish Antiques online store.
£175.00
Folded Foot Air Twist Stem Georgian Wine Glass c1745
A very fine folded foot air twist stem Georgian wine glass from c1745 in excellent condition. For more antique glassware, including a wide range of Georgian drinking glasses, please visit Scottish Antiques online store.
£235.00
Georgian Air Twist Stem Wine Glass c1750
A very fine air twist stem Georgian wine glass from c1750 in excellent condition. For more antique glassware, including a wide range of Georgian drinking glasses, please visit Scottish Antiques online store.
£165.00
Air Twist Stem Georgian Wine Glass c1750
A very fine air twist stem Georgian wine glass from c1750 in excellent condition. For more antique glassware, including a wide range of Georgian drinking glasses, please visit Scottish Antiques online store.
£165.00
Air Twist Stem Georgian Wine Glass c1750
A very fine air twist stem Georgian wine glass from c1750 in excellent condition. For more antique glassware, including a wide range of Georgian drinking glasses, please visit Scottish Antiques online store.
£165.00
Georgian Composite Stem Bucket Bowl Wine Glass c1750
A very fine Georgian composite stem wine glass from c1750 in excellent condition. For more antique glassware, including a wide range of Georgian drinking glasses, please visit Scottish Antiques online store.
£340.00
A Very Fine Bucket Bowl Multi Spiral Air Twist Wine Glass c1760
A Very Fine Bucket Bowl Multi Spiral Air Twist Wine Glass c1760
£300.00
Georgian Air Twist Stem Wine Glass With Folded Foot c1750
A very fine Georgian air twist wine glass from c1745 in exccelent condition. For more antique glassware, including a wide range of Georgian drinking glasses, please visit Scottish Antiques online store.
£225.00
Georgian Air Twist Stem Wine Glass c1750
A very fine air twist stem Georgian wine glass from c1750 in excellent condition. For more antique glassware, including a wide range of Georgian drinking glasses, please visit Scottish Antiques online store.
£225.00
A Very Fine Georgian Air Twist Cable Wine Glass c1750
A Very Fine Georgian Air Twist Cable Wine Glass c1750
£325.00
A George II Double Series Air Twist Wine Glass c1750
A George II Double Series Air Twist Wine Glass c1750
£235.00
Rare Form Air Twist Wine Glass With Bell-shaped Bowl c1750
A Mercury Twist Wine Glass With Bell-shaped Bowl c1750
£325.00
Georgian Bell Bowl Double Series Mercury Twist Wine Glass c1750
Georgian Bell Bowl Double Series Mercury Twist Wine Glass c1750
£425.00
18th Century Multi Spiral Air Twist Wine Glass c1750
18th Century Multi Spiral Air Twist Wine Glass c1750
£245.00
Double Series Air Twist Wine Glass c1750
A very fine and rare double series air twist wine glass from c1750 in good condition. For more antique glassware, including a wide range of Georgian wine glasses, please visit Scottish Antiques online store.
£175.00
18th Century Drawn Trumpet Mercury Twist Wine Glass c1750
18th Century Drawn Trumpet Mercury Twist Wine Glass c1750
£275.00
Antique Double Knop Composite Stem Wine Glass c1750
Antique Double Knop Composite Stem Wine Glass c1750
£220.00
Very Tall Georgian Air Twist Wine Glass With Vermiform Collar c1750
Very Tall Georgian Air Twist Wine Glass With Vermiform Collar c1750
£525.00
A Double Series Air Twist Stem Wine Glass c1750
A Double Series Air Twist Stem Wine Glass c1750
£425.00
Georgian Multi Spiral Air Twist Stem Wine Glass c1750
Georgian Multi Spiral Air Twist Stem Wine Glass c1750
£135.00
Large Petal Moulded Bowl Mercury Twist Stem Georgian Wine Glass c1750
Large Petal Moulded Bowl Mercury Twist Stem Georgian Wine Glass c1750
£450.00
An 18th Century Air Twist Stem Wine Glass c1750
An 18th Century Air Twist Stem Wine Glass c1750
£185.00