Fragile Beauty: GLASS at Perth Museum

Perth’s relationship to craft runs deep. Once known as a ‘Craftis Toun’ in Medieval times, it has long been an epicentre of making, a tradition that earned it the title of the UK’s only UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2021. Now, a new exhibition at Perth Art Gallery, simply titled GLASS, turns the spotlight on a material that has a rich social history. But more than a historical survey, the exhibition asks a compelling question: could it spark a glassmaking revival in the region?

Spanning centuries, from ancient civilisations to contemporary practice, GLASS traces the evolution of the medium, revealing its artistic and technical transformations. It begins over 2,000 years ago with Syrian glass, examining how early makers refined the craft. Moving forward, it explores the Venetian revival of glassblowing in the 19th century, with a focus on Murano, which remains synonymous with exquisite glasswork today. Perth’s own history is woven into this global story, specifically its glassmaking legacy shaped by migration, innovation and industry.

The region’s rise as a glassmaking hub can be traced back to the early 20th century and a Spanish migrant named Salvador Ysart. He worked at John Moncrieff’s factory, where he produced practical glass on the clock but experimented with sculptural techniques during his lunch breaks. His artistry caught the eye of Isabelle Moncrieff, the factory owner’s wife, leading to a new product line called Monart Glass, which blended craftsmanship with creative expression. In turn, Perth’s glass industry thrived, with companies such as Vasart Glass and Strathearn Glass following in Ysart’s footsteps. While large-scale manufacturing dwindled in the 1990s due to deindustrialisation, the craft never disappeared. The skills, techniques and traditions were passed down, kept alive in small artisan studios, particularly in rural Perthshire.

Ghost Orchid by Siobhan Healy (2011).

GLASS also showcases the contemporary makers who push the limits of the medium. As JP Reid, the exhibition’s curator, points out: visitors will be both ‘surprised’ and ‘excited’ about what glass can achieve in ways that are inconsistent with its practical and everyday function. Some of the artists featured even have direct links to the historic manufacturers, their work demonstrating both continuity and reinvention. Take Jane Drysdale, for example, a Crieff-based artist who has ties to the old Caithness Glass factory and Perthshire Paperweights. While her experimental kiln formed glass can be purchased in independent shops across the country, it’s never been displayed in a public museum context before.

The exhibition also highlights commissioned pieces that respond to museum collections, bringing fresh perspectives to the material’s possibilities. Among them is Ghost Orchid (2011), inspired by the botanical collections cared for at Perth Art Gallery. This is an intricate glass recreation of an incredibly rare flower recently rediscovered in the UK made by Siobhan Healy, a glass sculptor who focuses on endangered flora, fauna and corals. Ghost Orchid is both technically impressive and conceptually resonant: glass becomes a metaphor for the precarious state of biodiversity.

19th-century works by father-and-son team Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka also capture glass and nature in all its shared fragile beauty. During their lifetimes, the Blaschka duo made over 10,000 sculptures that capture the mystery and vastness of the sea and its inhabitants. Perth Art Gallery displays Serpulid Worm and Organ Pipe Coral, both astonishing for their scientific precision.

Another exhibition highlight is Perthshire Sheep by Carrie Fertig, a life-size sheep sculpture unusually made entirely from borosilicate glass, which is a material most associated with test tubes. Layering fine coils of glass to mimic the texture of wool, Fertig’s work both highlights the practicalities of the medium and its artistic potential.

Through the revival of traditional techniques and entirely innovative approaches, GLASS makes a compelling case for the enduring power of the craft. 

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GLASS, Perth Art Gallery, opens 4 Apr. Tickets available individually or as part of a discounted combination ticket with Macbeth: An Exhibition at Perth Museum; visit www.culturepk.org.uk/glass for more information