Accession No
4576
Brief Description
one set of glass crystal models, 23 of 25 in number, in a fitted box of which the base remains, 19th Century
Origin
Maker
Class
chemistry; crystallography; demonstration
Earliest Date
1800
Latest Date
1900
Inscription Date
Material
glass; wood; cloth (velvet)
Dimensions
Box length 328mm; breadth 240mm; height 50mm
Special Collection
Provenance
Purchased from Scientific & Medical Antiques, London, on 12/12/1996.
Inscription
Description Notes
Set of glass crystal models in varying shapes and sizes and cuts to the crystal. There are 23 from a set of 25. They are contained in a wooden based fitted box that is lined with brown velvet. Top of box is not original. Some of the crystals have chips to their surface and edges, though most are small.
Condition good; incomplete (2 crystals missing)
References
Events
Description
These teaching models represent different crystal formations of various minerals and gems. Models are essential to teaching and research in crystallography. They are useful tools for visualising the structures, shapes and morphology of minerals. The first set of crystal models were made of clay and produced by the French mineralogist Romé de l’Isle (1736–1790) to accompany his book Cristallographie (1783). René Just Haüy (1743–1822) produced a wooden set of crystals to better illustrate the images in his Traité de Minérologie (1801). This teaching-aid set is made from cut glass and dates from the nineteenth century.
10/03/2014
Created by: Allison Ksiazkiewicz on 10/03/2014
FM:40277
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