Sea creatures of the deep - the Blaschka Glass models

During the late 19th century, Leopola Blaschka (1822-1895) and his son Rudolf (1857-1929) produced beautifully detailed glass models of bizarre sea creatures for natural history museums and aquaria all over the world.

Their work has been hailed as: “an artistic marvel in the field of science and a scientific marvel in the field of art.”

Today, the Blaschkas seem remarkably contemporary: working as they did on the cusp of design, craft, art and industry.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images from a selection of these remarkable glass models held at Amgueddfa Cymru.

Blaschka glass models

Actinia mesembryanthum
Synapta mammillosa
Rhizostoma cuvierii
Amoeba roteus
Glaucus longicirrhus
Life size 'moon jellyfish', or common jellyfish Aurelia aurita.
Life sized paper nautilus Argonauta argo
Highly magnified model of a single cell radiolarian (Actinophrys sol).

Diameter: 200mm (including spines).

Life sized Tunicate (Doliolum mülleri).

About 70mm long.

Original illustration of Female Paper Nautilus (Argonata Argo) from which the model was made.
Female Paper Nautilus (Argonata Argo) after repair.

Length: 225mm. Height: 150mm.

Female Paper Nautilus (Argonata Argo) before repair.

Length: 225mm. Height: 150mm.

Life sized squid (Loligo marmorae).

Length: 145mm.

Life sized squid (Loligo alessandrini).

Length: 85mm.

Sea anenomies displaying a territorial dispute.

Here S. troglodytes fires stinging cells at A. mesembryanthemum who has ventured too close. This behaviour was observed first hand in the aquaria at the Blaschka's home.
Base: 180x110mm. Height: 80mm.

Life sized soft coral (Xenia umbellata).

About 80mm high.

Life sized soft coral (Paralcyonium elegans).

About 130mm across.

Highly magnified model of the development stage of a sponge (Sycandra raphanus).

Diameter: 100mm

Highly magnified model of single cell amoeba (Amoeba proteus).

Diameter: 120mm.

Life sized model of marine snail (Cerithium vulgatum) with glass body fitted in real shell.

Length: 90mm.

Enlarged tube-dwelling marine worm (Sabellaria alveolata).

Length: 230mm.

A 'sea gooseberry' or 'comb jellyfish' (Pleurobranchia rhododactyla).

Length: 205mm.

Jellyfish (Pelagia cyanella).

Diameter of bell: 60mm. Height: 180mm.

Two Devonshire cup corals (Caryophyllia smithii), one expanded, one contracted.

Height: 100mm.

Actinoloba dianthus, Plumose Anenome - varieties of forms and growth stages.

Base: 300x575mm. Height: 250mm.

Life sized 'Sea Wasp' jellyfish (Charybdea periphyllum)

Width: 60mm. Height: 50mm.

'Colonial jellyfish' (Apolemia uvaria).

Width: 45mm. Height: 180mm.

Jellyfish (Carmarina hastata)

Diameter of bell: 80mm. Height: 110mm.

An intricate model of a Portuguese Man-of-War (Physalia arethusa)

The 'float' is about 55mm wide by 90mm long. Total height: 240mm. There are about two hundred tentacles made of thin coloured glass, supported and attached by fine copper wires.

Comments (3)

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Jbailey
28 March 2019, 17:24
Amazing
Colin Fraser
27 March 2017, 10:58
Beautiful and what skill...
Sabine Klingsöhr
26 July 2016, 08:45

The most fascinating glass-art-work I've ever seen. I love it with all my heart!!!