Figure 1

John Blades was a leading glassmaker of the early nineteenth century. He was active from 1783, when he opened his shop at 5 Ludgate Hill, London, until his death in 1829. His business was far-reaching, with connections in both the Middle East and India, and eventually a division, Blades and Matthews, was established in Calcutta.

Figure 2

Known as the “great glass man of Ludgate-hill,”¹ Blades specialized in chandeliers and candelabra of superior quality. His clientele included the Second Earl Grosvenor and the Draper’s Company, a prestigious livery company in London, and in 1789 he was appointed Cut Glass Manufacturer to his Majesty, George III. He retained the services of architect and designer J.B. Papworth to design both his showroom and products, which was unusual in his field for the time. Papworth is credited with introducing the oblong, rule-cut drops that are so distinctive of Blades’ work and are found in a pair of candelabra in the Carlton Hobbs collection (figure 1). A print from Akerman’s Depository of the Arts depicts the Ludgate Hill showroom filled to capacity, and includes a candelabrum comparable to the present pair (figure 2).

Upon Blades’ death, the business was continued by Francis Jones and his sons, though Blades’ name and reputation were not forgotten. Jones’ trade card advertises himself as the “successor to the late John Blades, Cut Glass Manufacturer to his Majesty and the Honble East India Company” as well as promoting the company’s services as “By appointment to her royal highness the Duchess of Kent” and “By royal firmaun to his Majesty the Shah of Persia.”

Figure 3

Figure 4

The candelabra combine Blades’ characteristic design elements to produce an exquisite example of a lighting style popularized during the Regency period in England. They are probably the largest of this type, standing at 2 1/2 feet tall. A closely related, but smaller, pair of candelabra attributed to Blades is illustrated in Lighting in the Domestic Interior (figure 2),² and a design for a similar pair, made for the King of Persia, can be found in the Victoria & Albert Museum. Additionally, two similar pairs of English candelabra, published in Nineteenth Century Lighting, utilize the same gilt-bronze zoomorphic feet and drops comprised of vertically stacked glass balls atop faceted pendants (figure 3),³ which can also almost certainly be attributed to Blades.

<sub>Footnotes:
1. Urban, Sylvanus. The Gentleman’s Magazine and Historical Chronicle. Vol. XCIX. J.B. Nichols and Son, 1829.
2. Bourne, Jonathan and Vanessa Brett. Lighting in the Domestic Interior: Renaissance to Art Nouveau. New York: Philip Wilson, Ltd., 1991. 170.
3. Bacot, H. Parrot. Nineteenth Century Lighting: Candle-Powered Devices: 1783-1883. Grand Rapids: Schiffer, Ltd., 1987. 131.</sub>

Figure 1- Pair of Blue John Chimney Ornaments.

Figure 2- Treak Cliff and cavern

First discovered over two thousand years ago by the Romans, Blue John is an unusual mineral from the area around Mam Tor mountain at Treak Cliff near Castleton in Derbyshire, England (figure 2). This is the only known location where Blue John can be found, though other types of fluorspars are mined throughout the world. The name “Blue John” is believed to derive from the French bleu jaune,¹ meaning “blue-yellow,” and it is characterized by bands of blue/purple and yellow/white colored veins. It is a difficult material to work with, as the stone is soft, brittle, and can be altered in coloration by excessive heating.² Because of its rarity, the material is no longer used on a grand scale. Presently, only approximately one quarter of a ton is excavated each year and is used primarily for jewelry and small objects.

Figure 3- Blue John and ormolu mounted Sphinx vase by Boulton, c. 1770.

Figure 4- The Music Room at Kedleston Hall

Blue John was first used by the ancient Romans and then again beginning around 1760. In late 18th century England, local industry centered around the production of decorative objects in Blue John such as vases, obelisks, and mantel garnitures. These were sometimes embellished with gilt-bronze mounts (figure 3). One of the most proficient users of the stone was Matthew Boulton. He worked extensively in Derbyshire marbles and fluorspars to produce a variety of decorative objects like urns, cassolettes, and perfume burners. Boulton’s technical virtuosity is seen in both the sculpting and application of gilt-bronze mounts to the delicate stone.

Blue John was used to furnish the finest British houses, notably Chatsworth, home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, and Kedleston Hall, where it was first employed by Robert Adam. A chimneypiece designed by Adam and made by Joseph Hall or Derby was installed in the Kedleston Music Room in 1761 (figure 4). It is the earliest recoded use of Blue John in the applied arts.

In the Carlton Hobbs collection, a pair of blue john decorations are distinguished by their large scale and fine regular veining (figure 1). They were almost certainly employed as ornaments for the shelf of a fine neoclassical chimney piece.