The Beauty of Waterford Crystal.
Waterford Crystal was first established in 1783 on land adjacent to Merchants’ Quay in the heart of the Irish harbour town of Waterford. Waterford Crystal has a well-earned reputation for being amongst the best crystal available anywhere in the world. Its founders were brothers George and William Penrose, important developers and principal exporters in the city. Their vision was to “create the finest quality crystal for drinking vessels and objects of beauty for the home.” More than two hundred years later, the reputation they established for creating luxury crystal of unsurpassed beauty and quality has transcended the intervening centuries.
The first glassmaking factory in Waterford opened in 1783, where Waterford crystal was immediately recognized for its clarity and purity of colour. Waterford enjoyed success well into the 1800s. In 1853 the economic woes of Europe force the factory into closure. The Waterford story resumed in 1947 when glassmaker Kael Bacik hired fellow Czech Miroslav Havel as Chief Designer for his fledgling glassmaking operation in Ireland. Havel spent many hours at the National Museum of Ireland studying surviving examples of the Penrose brothers’ crystal from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Using these traditional patterns made famous by the original artisans of Waterford the company was reborn and the old beautiful designs were kept alive, using these old patterns Miroslav Havel created the now-iconic Lismore cut design, Lismore is now the world’s best-selling crystal pattern. The history and skills of the original Waterford name have been carried over and maintained with these aged skills, quality material selection and attention to detail all helping to keep Waterford at the pinnacle of the worlds luxury crystal manufacture.
Waterford today have offerings of traditional drinking glasses and stemware right through to classic interior pieces. The Waterford range of luxury crystal pieces includes Stemware and Barware, Fine China & Flatware, Vases, Bowls & Centrepieces, Lighting, Chandeliers, Paperweights, Ornaments and Gifts.
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Waterford Crystal Cut Glass Table Lamps.
Here we are going to take a close look at the fine range of Waterford crystal hurricane lamps. The Waterford range of hurricane style lamps is available in two basic patterns. One is a classic globe style lamp with a round shade that is reminiscent of an enclosed oil or paraffin lamp. The second style has a large wider Vesta lamp style shade that encloses the lamp holder but provides more in the way of a downlighting effect as well as radiant and reflective lighting. The two styles of Waterford hurricane lamps are made from the best quality crystal glass with fine and beautifully executed cut glass decorations. The cut designs of the Waterford lampshades come to life in use with the cut patterns providing clear light as well as shadowing, sparkle and these Waterford lamps will add a touch of class and brightness to a whole host of settings, rooms and spaces. They can be used as mood lights, illumination for a corner with the vesta style lamps making great bedside or desk reading lamps.
The Waterford Globe style Hurricane crystal Lamp range.
The Inisheer Crystal Table Lamp.
Height is 30 Cm x Diameter of 16.2 Cm
The Inisheer lamp is named after the smallest of the Aran Islands. It is beautifully cut with a classic globe shade that is cross-cut at the base and clear at the top a perfect combination of cut crystal reflections and illumination lighting.
The Inishmaan Crystal Table Lamp.
Height 35 Cm x Diameter of 18 Cm
Inishmaan is the middle of the three Aran Islands and is the Waterford mid-sized lamp in the classically styled Globe shaded hurricane lamp. The Inishmaan is covered with rows of fine crosscut decorations which come to life in use.
The Inishmore Crystal Lamp.
Height 49 Cm x Diameter 22.5 Cm
The Inishmore is the largest of the Waterford Globe shaped table lamps as well as the largest of the Aran Islands. The Inishmore has the same cut pattern as the Inishmaan lamp but is a larger lamp making it a fine centrepiece in any setting.
The Waterford Vesta style Hurricane crystal lamp range.
The Achill Small Crystal Lamp.
Height 47.5 Cm
The Achill Small lamp is named after the largest of the islands in Ireland. The lamp has a vesta style shade with a beautiful cut pattern across the base and shade. The profile of the lampshade works in conjunction with the cut-glass patterns to provide a beautiful illumination and lighting effect.
The Achill Large Crystal Lamp.
Height 57.5 Cm
The Achill large lamp is the largest of the Waterford hurricane lamp range. As with the small version the lamp has a vesta style shade with a beautiful cut pattern across the base and shade and provides a beautiful illumination and lighting effect. The Achill large crystal lamp is a true classic centrepiece of quality lighting, big enough to light up a large space and with a reflective and shadowing lighting effect that would add class to any period interior.
After Care of Waterford Cut Glass Lamps.
Waterford crystal lighting is made from a beautiful quality product as well as being beautifully made, with such quality lighting care should be taken when cleaning.
- Ensure that the electrical supply is isolated before cleaning.
- All fittings should be cleaned regularly with a soft cloth.
- Do not use abrasive cleaners as this may damage the surface.
- Do not use damp cloths or water on the metal or electrical fittings.
Conclusion.
Waterford crystal is a beautiful product and the hurricane lamp range is at the top end of crystal lighting, Waterford cut glass crystal compares favourably to crystal from any manufacturer anywhere in the world. The quality comes with a price but this reflects the hours of work involved in the making of each lamp, skilled craftspeople & designers are involved in each lamp including moulding, glass blowing, cutting and polishing all carried out by people who often have decades of experience dealing with Waterford crystal.
You can read about some of the beautiful Waterford Crystal drinking ware in my blog post HERE.
I hope you have found this post interesting and that I may have sparked an interest in top quality cut glass Waterford hurricane table lamps, these lamps do add something special to any space. I am always happy to receive any comments. Thank you for reading.
michael@hertfordshire-lighting.com