Rethinking the anatomy of crystal glassware with Nigel Peake and J. Hill’s Standard

It’s hard to beat the luck of the Irish, but with regards to a new design collaboration between Irish crystal manufacturers J. Hill Standard and fellow countryman, the artist and illustrator Nigel Peake, it’s not just luck that’s on their side. The two have come together on a beautiful collection of crystal glassware that’s been named ‘Hand Drawn Glass’, which departs from the rigidly cut patterns of traditional cut crystal and embraces a more fluid approach to form and embellishment.

The collection is comprised of a limited edition series of four patterns, and complemented by an open edition of seven other patterns. Peake, who’s known for his intricate paintings and illustrations of build and unbuilt landscapes, has conceived three tumblers in various sizes, as well as a carafe, a decanter and a bowl. The designs embrace clean, elemental shapes and where deployed, cuts in the crystal reveal the imprint of the artist’s hand by capturing the spontaneous and fleeting movements of line drawing.

‘Making cut crystal comes with a heavy weight of visual history,’ explains J. Hill Standard’s founder Anike Tyrell. ‘I found someone who can draw in an effort to usurp the immutable cut patterns. We began to explore a more organic approach to making - honouring the hand that makes and showing it's imprint. The glass is both the drawing and the drawn upon - the creative impulse caught on the wing.'

For this new collection, the company has not only fused traditional craftsmanship with contemporary form, but championed new flourishes as well. Some of the designs are accompanied by robust, oak-wood lids (signed by Peake) that effortlessly transforming simple everyday shapes into versatile vessels, containers and jars that can be cleverly used away from the dining table.

Find the Hand Drawn Glass collection exhibited at Atelier Courbet in New York’s Chelsea district this month.

INFORMATION

nigelpeake.com

jhillsstandard.com