As well as the items in my Etsy Shop, I am a resident artist in Buckenham Galleries, Southwold.
This is a vintage lead crystal cullet from the Whitefriars Factory which closed in October 1980, after 300 years of glassmaking. I purchased several cullets many years ago, from a gentleman who had bought them from the factory when it closed. He had had them as ornaments in his garden. Cullets are left over crystal. These have been annealed (cooled very slowly) to ensure they become solid.
They arrived in several large boxes, covered in years of dirt and mud. Over time I have been slowly engraving them. They are utterly exquisite to engrave. Soft, vibrant. I normally polish the sharp raw facet edges, but for this piece I have deliberately left them in their natural raw state. (warning – they are sharp) My hand engraved strokes are simple and bold. The letter serifs represent the “Spike Protein”.
The cullet appears delicate, yet is lethal and solid, with many facets. A reminder of this unprecedented time. Price £3500.00
© Lesley Pyke