Model of mid-18th century glass furnace

Didactic model in glazed china of mid-18th century European glass furnace (Scale – 1:20).

This teaching model represents a type of furnace used throughout Europe at the time of its construction in the 18th century and, to some extent, in the early 19th century. Potentially constructed in Lunéville, France, a well-known faience-making region in Northern Europe. The earthenware furnace’s detailed construction shows how the glass was melted in pots in the lower part of the furnace while the upper chamber was used for annealing. This practice has persisted for several centuries. The waste gases leaving this chamber passed along a horizontal flue below which there was another chamber known as a “pot-arch” for heating the pots before transferring them to the furnace. A separate firing chamber was provided for the pot-arch.