Glass Bottle From Grésigne (tarn), Blue-green, 18th Century

The work of master glassmakers in the Grésigne Forest began in the 15th^e century and continued through the 19th^e century. A dozen workshops operated there, using all the raw materials provided in abundance by the forest: silica from sandstone as the main component of the glass, wood for fuel, water for washing, and eagle fern ash used as a flux to lower the melting temperature of the silica. The glass artisans controlled every stage of production—from the furnaces to the sale of finished products in the shops.

The families of the master glassmakers were recognized as noble. Many were settled within the jurisdiction of Penne. One of the oldest is the “Grenier” or “Granier” family, which has been tied to this territory since the Renaissance; it established its workshop and shop in Haute Serre, on the edge of the Grésigne Forest.

The so-called “Grésigne” glasses are characterized by a very distinctive green or blue-green color. The pieces in our collection showcase the great diversity of objects produced in the forest glassworks around Penne between the 17th and 19th centuries.

Antique item, shows signs of use
The photographs are part of the description