Mercury glass

Sealing methods include metal discs covered with a glass round or a cork inserted into the unpolished pontil scar.

"Mercury" silvered glass was produced originally around 1840 until at least 1930 in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), Germany and was also manufactured in England from 1849 to 1855.

Edward Varnish and Frederick Hale Thomson patented the technique for silvering glass vessels in 1849.

The English examples were often cased with a layer of colored glass in jewel tones of ruby red, cobalt blue, amethyst purple and emerald green then cut to silver as illustrated in the photograph.

Silvered mercury glass from Bohemia was also decorated with a variety of techniques including painting, enameling, etching, and surface engraving.