Intro: Hedwig glasses or Hedwig beakers are a type of glass beaker dating from 9th-13th centuries AD. They are named after the Silesian princess Saint Hedwig (1174-1245), to whom three of them are traditionally said to have belonged. So far a total of 14 complete glasses are known, and 10 fragments of the glasses. The exact origin of the glases are still disputed among scholars, some saying.... are possible sources. [Briefly introduce the appearance/and iconogrpahies in this section]?
Origins: Discuss how the origins are disputed, where they could be from the main scholars... also close out this paragraph with where they currently reside today. [mostly doing Lierke's theories, theories about the Islamic world/the Levant, and then also theories about Central Europe.
Medieval Context: Hedwig glass derives its name from the Silesian Saint Hedwig (ca. 1178-1243, canonized 1267), Duchess of Andechs-Meran and wife the Duke of Wroclaw. According to the legend of Saint Hedwig, recorded in a manuscript from the court of Duke Ludwig I in 1353, the beakers were the vessel for a miracle frequently performed by Hedwig in which she transformed water into wine. The direct association of the beakers with the miracles of Saint Hedwig lead the glass series to be highly sought after, with almost all of them being immediately absorbed into monastic and cathedral treasuries. The relation of the beakers to the Patron Saint of Silesia led to a quasi-relic status of the series, with six out of 10 glasses transformed into chalices, ostensories or reliquaries indicative of their high-status within medieval treasuries. The elevated status of the glass led many to believe in its protective and healing abilities, perhaps most notably the women of the House of Wettin who regarded the glass an insurance of safe childbirth. Additionally, a Hedwig Beaker was even said to come into the possession of Martin Luther, rendered in a drawing by his Cranach workshop in 1507. From all of these factors, scholars can generally conclude that the religious status of the beakers was just as, if not more, important as the material status.
Design: The material appearance of the Hedwig beakers resemble rock crystal, or quartz probably due to the fact that they are made of a specific type of glass, called soda glass ash, composed of plant ash and quartz sand(chem comp). Although no two look exactly alike, all have a similar conical shape, thick walls, and wheel-cut ornamentations(ways of seeing). The beakers differ both in size, ranging from 8 to 15 centimeters, and also in color, with some being ash grey and others, golden yellow(chem comp). Their high-relief decorations seems to fall into two distinct groups. The first being the beakers that depict plant and animal imagery which includes images of eagles, lions, griffins, and a variety of plants. The second group of beakers incorporates palmettes, crescents, geometric designs, as well as vegetation(ways of seeing). These ornamentations are raised from the surface, and give the beakers a sculpture-like appearance. Furthermore, all the beakers have engraved parallel lines cut into them, that work with the translucent nature of the glass to create patterns of shadow and light along the surfaces(ways of seeing). Similar to other scholars, Lierke, recognizes that the Hedwig glasses were likely made to emulate the rock crystal carved vessels made earlier in Fatimid Egypt, objects which have survived in church treasuries. Like the rock crystal Ewers, a number of the Hedwig glasses were turned into chalices and reliquaries. An example she uses is in the book resides in the Treasury of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, which has a rock-crystal ewer in a similar style to that of the Hedwig Glasses (their source 6). [cannot tell if this is accurate information from her book; although on page 51 of the 4 modes of seeing book they discuss a rock crystal bowl at this same treasury which resemnbles hedwig glass could use that as an example instead..)
Distribution: The majority of the completed glasses reside in mueseums and monastaries- with them being in London (3), Poland (3), Germany (5), Holland (1), Belgium (1), and USA (1), the fragments reside moslty in Germany, Russia, Poland, and Hungary. The peculiar thing about them residing mostly in Europe now is... (cite the specific places they were FOUND, if we can find that information).
Intro: Mention in the Intro how these are 14 known completed beakers, and then 10 additional fragments Hedwig glasses or Hedwig beakers are a type of glass beaker originating in the Middle East or Norman Sicily and dating from the 10th-12th centuries AD. They are named after the Silesian princess Saint Hedwig (1174–1245), to whom three of them are traditionally said to have belonged.[1] So far, a total of 14 complete glasses are known.[2] The exact origin of the glasses is disputed, with Egypt, Iran and Syria all suggested as possible sources; if they are not of Islamic manufacture they are certainly influenced by Islamic glass.[3][4] Probably made by Muslim craftsmen, some of the iconography is Christian, suggesting they may have been made for export or for Christian clients.[5] The theory that they instead originate from Norman Sicily in the 11th century was first fully set out in a book in 2005 by Rosemarie Lierke, and has attracted some support from specialists.[6]
"Design": All 14 of the complete Hedwig glasses so far known all have roughly the same form: they are squat, thick-walled and straight-sided with a flange around the base. They are around Change to range in height from 8 to 16 centimeters high14 cm high and have a diameter of nearly 14 cm. All but one are richly decorated with wheel-cut relief with hatched details. The glasses are mostly of a smoky metal colour with a couple of greenish or yellowish glass. The decorations are in two styles: four have abstract decorations derived from Samarra Style C; another eight have zoomorphic decorations of lions, griffins and eagles and palm trees.[1] They were probably made in emulation of the rock crystal carved vessels made in Fatimid Egypt rather earlier, which were objects of great luxury in the Middle Ages, and have also mostly survived in church treasuries.;[6] an example can be seen in the Treasury of St Mark's Basilica in Venice, which also possesses a rock-crystal ewer in the same style. A number of the glasses were elaborated into reliquaries, or in one case a chalice, during the Middle Ages, with the addition of goldsmith's work, including those at Namur, Krakow and Halberstadt (see below). Lierke suggests that notches in the bases of many indicate that they were originally given other metalwork settings, perhaps as chalices, but none of these have survived.[7] Seven of the known Hedwig glasses have 13th- to 15th-century metal mounts.[8]
"Distribution": Move this part about them being high status objects to the section with Mythological History'The Hedwig glasses were clearly high status objects. According to Ettinghausen and Grabar, writing in 1987, so far no examples of this type of glass have been found in the Near East: "all the preserved pieces come from the treasuries of Western churches and noble houses".['1] Small shards of broken Hedwig glasses have been found in excavations. In common with many Islamic objects imported into medieval Europe, they were credited with more antiquity than was in fact the case. The Amsterdam goblet carries the inscription: "Alsz diesz glas war alt tausent jahr Es Pfalzgraf Ludwig Philipsen verehret war: 1643" ("When this glass was a thousand years old, it was given to Ludwig Philipsen, Count Palatine: 1643") As of 2009, 14 complete Hedwig glasses and ten additional fragments are known.[2]Delete section about Distribution going to dissolve this into a paragraph about Origins/where they currently reside
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