DISCOVERY: This jewel is one of the earliest surviving examples of English fine glass tableware, and pre-dates Ravenscroft pieces by about 10 to 15 years. Discovered, with 8 similar tazzas, at Wentworth Woodhouse in 1948, by E. Barrington Haynes, a highly preeminent glass scholar, the tazza still bears his handwritten label affixed to it at the time of his discovery. The label states:

"Buckingham fruit tazza. H. 2 7/16" to 2 9/16". diam. 7": depth at center 3/4": bowl junction 1" wide: foot 2 11/16" wide at fold: a central zone of gilding 4 1/16" in diam. No further gilding is observable. One of 9 similar items. No. 7 of the collection. 1948 E.B. Haynes"

In later writing Haynes mentions that the gilding zone was observed at the time of discovery by noting the residue of adhesive on several of the pieces, but that no traces of the gilding remained. On this particular piece the adhesive residue is no longer visible to the naked eye. It was Barrington Haynes' opinion that the tazzas most probably came from the Buckingham Glass house in Greenwich and had been in Wentworth Woodhouse since the mid 1600s. Wentworth Hall was built in the mid 17th century, and at the beginning of the 18th century became known as Wentworth Woodhouse, when it was expanded to 365 rooms, then and now the largest private residence in England, and twice the size of Buckingham Palace.

DESCRIPTION: The tazza is of very thinly blown soda metal glass, and has a shallow saucer-shaped bowl, which is on a hollow inverted trumpet foot with a folded rim. The height is 2 1/2", with the bowl 7" in diameter, and the foot 2 3/4" in diameter.

CONDITION: Perfect condition, with no chips, flaws, cracks, or restoration.

PROVENANCE: This tazza was passed from the Fitzwilliams (resident at Wentworth Woodhouse Hall until the 1980s and descendants of the original owners) to Lord & Lady Coates and by descent to their daughter Anne Coates, from whom this tazza was acquired. A full provenance, along with information about events at Wentworth, is available.

LITERATURE REFERENCES: “Strange And Rare” (50th Anniversary Exhibition of The Glass Circle 1937-1987), p. 20, plate 23
"Glass Through the Ages" by E. Barrington Haynes; Penguin Books, publ., p. 157

For a highly entertaining and exciting history of Wentworth Woodhouse in the 19th and 20th centuries, including ties of its inhabitants to the Kennedy family of the U.S., see "Black Diamonds: The Rise And Fall of an English Dynasty" by Catherine Bailey; Penguin Books, publ.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The only other item from the Haynes discovery to appear at auction was a 5" tall goblet, described as a highly important piece from Buckingham. It sold at that auction, in 1968, for $3,400, conservatively equivalent to $30,000 today, based on inflation and currency exchange rate changes.