Not sure what a confidence label is? Or what makes a distributor different from a manufacturer? You’re in the right spot.
This page walks you through some key terms and how to navigate the Glass Database like a pro (no white gloves required).
🟦 Confidence Levels
Each entry in the database includes one of four labels that reflect how certain we are about its accuracy:
- Unknown – There’s some information here, but we don’t yet know where it came from or how reliable it is.
- Possible – There’s a clue or source, but it’s early days.
- Likely – Multiple sources point in the same direction. Not confirmed, but solid.
- Confirmed – Documented, cross-referenced, widely agreed upon.
You’ll see these throughout the site so you can explore with context.
🟪 Record Types
The core of the archive is built on four main kinds of entries:
- Manufacturers – The glassworks: factories, studios, and production houses behind the objects.
- Artists – Designers, engravers, blowers—anyone who shaped how the glass looks and feels.
- Distributors – Companies or individuals who sold, exported, relabeled, or helped glass reach the world.
- Objects – Bottles, bowls, panes, figurines… the physical result of all the above.
Everything connects to something else—you’ll often see links across these categories in a single record.
🟨 Contributor Badges
As you explore, you might spot contributors with badges. These show earned expertise in certain areas, such as:
- Regions or countries
- Specific makers or artists
- (TBC) Types of glass (pressed, stained, blown, etc.)
Badges help surface trusted voices—but contributions are welcome from everyone.
🟩 Object Tags & Filters
Want to see only perfume bottles from the 1920s? Or etched glass made in Austria?
Our object entries are tagged by:
- Type (e.g. goblet, mirror, bottle)
- Technique (e.g. cut glass, enamel, uranium)
- Period (estimated decade or century)
- Location (where it was likely made)
Use these filters to narrow things down—or just follow the links and see where the glass takes you.
> Search is key, but still evolving. Some features and filters will appear gradually as we build confidence in the data and tools behind them. We’re holding off on anything that isn’t reliable—yet.
🧭 Quick Tips for Exploring
- Start with a category (like Manufacturers)
- Use tags to filter within a category
- Confidence labels help you know what’s certain and what’s still being explored
- You don’t need to log in to browse—just curiosity is enough