Grand Union Lodge 9641: Presentation Sets for a Lodge Meeting
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This work involved preparing multiple engraved glassware sets for a lodge presentation evening.
The Commission
The initial request was for three sets:
- A wine decanter with two Atelier wine glasses
- A whisky decanter with two Atelier whisky glasses
- A separate pair of Atelier wine glasses, engraved on both sides
Each piece carried the lodge crest on the front, with individually prepared inscriptions on the reverse.
Reference and Preparation
The lodge crest included a number of detailed elements and was supplied as a painted image rather than engraving artwork.
The crest was redrawn and simplified for sandblasting, refining line weights, spacing and internal detail so the design would remain legible across a range of different glass forms. Particular attention was given to smaller elements within the composition, including the swan and architectural features, which required adjustment to maintain clarity at engraving scale.
Some elements required more than simple redrawing. The swan within the crest was enlarged slightly from the supplied reference so that enough internal detail would remain visible when reduced to engraving scale.
The same crest could not simply be scaled uniformly across every item. Each glass form offered a different engraving area, so the artwork was adjusted individually while retaining a consistent visual treatment across the commission.
Reverse inscriptions were prepared separately and positioned to align consistently throughout the commission.
Additional Work
After the original order had been completed and dispatched, another member of the lodge commissioned a further set for presentation to the original commissioner.
Because the crest artwork and layout system had already been established, the additional pieces could be prepared consistently with the first commission.
Engraving
Once the Engraving Layouts were approved, the artwork was prepared for stencil production and the pieces were sandblasted individually.
Outcome
The completed commission brought together several presentation sets using different glass forms, shared crest artwork and individually prepared inscriptions, with each layout adapted to its own object while remaining part of the same visual system.
