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.

The two pieces served different purposes, but were developed as one coordinated presentation through consistent layout, scale and engraving treatment.

Decanter and Glassware

The crest was redrawn for engraving, while the Square and Compasses on the accompanying glasses were 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.

The crest, inscription and supporting elements were positioned only after the usable engraving field had been mapped, allowing the composition to remain visually balanced within the changing width of the award.

Engraving

Once the Engraving Layouts were approved, the artwork was prepared for stencil production and both pieces were sandblasted to a consistent etched finish.

Outcome

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

The engraving follows the object rather than forcing the object to accommodate the engraving.