Coordinated Masonic Presentation: Decanter Set and Glass Award

This commission involved preparing two presentation pieces for a single lodge meeting, each marking a different office.

The Commission

The first piece was an engraved apothecary decanter with two matching gin glasses.
The second was a jade glass presentation award.

Although separate in purpose, both were prepared to sit consistently in tone, layout and finish.

Decanter and Glassware

The decanter set was engraved with the lodge crest, redrawn for glass to ensure clarity and depth.

The accompanying glasses carried the Square and Compasses, with all elements scaled and spaced to maintain consistency across the set.

Glass Award

The award required a different approach.

Unlike a symmetrical plaque or rectangular award, the chosen jade glass form narrows and widens unevenly due to the shape of the bevel. While the award appears simple at first glance, the usable engraving area changes continuously from top to bottom.

A centrally aligned layout would have been straightforward to produce, but would not necessarily have appeared visually balanced once engraved. Instead, the layout needed to respond to the actual shape of the glass.

Layout and Alignment

The shape was mapped before the engraving layout was prepared.

Horizontal reference lines were drawn across the full height of the award and measurements taken from the centre line to the inner edge of the bevel. This created a working map of the usable engraving area at every point on the glass.

Only once this field had been established were the crest, inscription and supporting elements positioned.

By working from the geometry of the award rather than treating it as a rectangle, the finished composition could be balanced visually within the available space while maintaining comfortable margins around the engraving.

Engraving

Both pieces were transferred to stencil and sandblasted, producing a consistent etched finish across glassware and award.

Outcome

The completed work forms a coordinated presentation, with each piece resolved according to its form while maintaining a consistent visual approach.

Although the decanter set and award were produced for different offices within the lodge, both pieces share the same underlying approach. The engraving follows the object rather than forcing the object to accommodate the engraving.

A presentation commission shaped as much by preparation and layout as by the engraving itself.