J.C. HEMPEL’S COLLECTION
J.C. Hempel’s Glass Collection
J.C. Hempel’s interest for ancient glass was the base for establishing his own collection which in particular was collected in the years 1950-1970. It comprises over 1000 items of which one third is dating back to the antique cultures where, e.g. small bottles from Egypt from about 1500 years before our time have been preserved. From the century before our time, the technique with glass blowing was developed in the Near East and which in principle remained unchanged for almost 2000 year. In Hempel’s collection you find glass from Egypt as well as the Middle East, among this the Roman Empire where the glass art was flourishing.
After the disintegration of the Roman Empire, the glass production also declined in Europe but continued in the Middle East from where, via Venice, it returned and was revived in the Rhine-countries and Holland and later in the rest of Europe. This entire history can be seen in Hempel’s collection of glass which is permanently exhibited in Hempel Glass Museum.
The centre of gravity in the Hempel Collection is dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The collection is very versatile and representative of the glass production in several countries and stylistic periods. Here you find glasses from Venice, Bohemia, Silesia, Austria, Germany, England, France, Spain, Russia, Holland, Belgium, Sweden, Norway and a few from Denmark. It is the largest collection of ornamental glasses and decorated goblets in Northern Europe.