WHATS SEALED STAYED SEALED.

I have sealed many objects inside glass tubes. Mainly for artistic reasons but also there have been scientific examples. One organisation I worked for wanted stainless steel samples inside glass that was sealed under a vacuum. Usually, the items inside the glass are not physically attached to the tube but on occasions this is appropriate. As an example, look at glass ships in bottles where there is a small stub at the base of the hull which is fused onto the inner wall of a glass tube. I have done several pieces which include various ships but also other forms of transport as well as sports figures.

My first experience with placing non glass items into tubes was using cigarettes. This was for humorous gifts for people trying to give up smoking and the glass was fixed on card with the caption “In emergency, break glass” printing on. I have also completed commissions which saw me make many lochs Ness Monsters with water from the actual Loch Ness sealed inside.

The method for sealing objects in glass is similar in that I start with a test tube shape, place the item inside and heat up the tube close but not too close to the object as I close the glass tube down to completely seal the tube. One must take care as there will be no where for the trapped air to escape so the glass could either blow out to a hole or suck in. Either way this is not good and requires a good level of skill to make a nice clean seal. Of course, getting the flame to close to the item inside the glass can distort the item. Especially true if its plastic and many plastic toys have melted in my attempts of risky a close finish. I have even tried sealing cholates in glass but burnt the wrappers and contents. One could cheat of course and glue a piece of glass on the open end of a tube, but this is cheating.

I have sealed coins in pigs as lucky charms and other money sealed includes banknotes. There is a famous story of a glassblower who went bankrupt by sealing pound notes in glass tubes and selling them for 99p! I once sealed a red rose in a tube and surprised myself that the heat from the flame made the red rose turn yellow. I still have this in my studio, and it looks identical to that day 25 years ago although a bit dustier!

Liquids are tricky to seal in glass as you must leave an amount of air between the liquid and the glass that is being heated to avoid cracking of the glass tube. I have made many animals containing coloured water. A few years ago, glass angels containing whisky was popular but the whisky being impossible to extract confused buyers, so demand waived. Human and animal hair is also popular. Babies first hair cut offers endless possibilities for glass designs to hold this unique memory of a person. In similar fashion deceased people’s hair sealed in glass becomes perceived as more permanent and acts as a reminder of the person no longer physically present. I was asked once to seal some pubic hair in a glass tube as a gift from a boyfriend to his girlfriend which I thought very brave and often wonder if they are still a couple!

The Covid epidemic provided hundreds of opportunities to seal objects in glass and these included masks and test kits. This fashion neatly linked to my past work of sealing drugs (legal) into glass. Other medically linked objects included bandages and plasters. This I thought appropriate when breaking the glass, the cutting of flesh is highly likely.

I would like to share a couple of stories with you about the fun or trouble that I got into whilst obeying customers desires of creating a fun object. First the story of the lobster and here I must emphasise that I would never do this again. It was wrong and I urge no one to repeat my experience. You may ask why I am writing about it? Well, we cannot ignore history no matter how many people urge others to do so!

A customers asked me to see a lobster inside a glass tube but didn’t want it red but the natural colour of blue. They told me to go down to the local harbour and get one. I was given instructions as to what boat to climb aboard and duly set off. I didn’t realise the lobsters would be alive in cages attached to the boat and in the water. I was very nervous as I picked one up and panicked when the claws started looking for my flesh. The nearest instrument to me was the brush of a dustpan set so I used this to knock the creature out. Taking the lobster back to my studio I realised it was cruel to seal this innocent being in a glass tube and contacted the customer for advice. He said the most humane way was not to boil it but to freeze it which is what happened. I duly sealed the lobster in a tube, but the irony was the heat from the flame turned the lobster from blue to red which is exactly what the customer didn’t want. Never again!

Finally, a little humour concerning a condom in a glass tube. Obviously new and ready for that occasional emergency! Think it may have been asked for by a customer going on a stag night. It was a long time ago. I didn’t have any condoms handy in my studio so popped out to get some. My hometown of Thurso is small where everyone knows everyone. I admit to being nervous going into a chemist asking for a box full of condoms. My idea was to buy a few in case I burnt one or two. Always handy having a spare. Trouble is I thought my character would be damage my people seeing me and drawing the wrong conclusions. This was the time before condom machines in toilets.

I was running from chemist to chemist finding one that was empty of people and then a friend stopped and asked me why I was running around and so much out of breath. I just leant against a wall and blurted out that I was desperate for a condom. I didn’t expand on this to add that the customer was visiting me in half an hour’s times to collect his order. My friend knows me and makes allowances for my artists streak to confuse others at times. This was one of those times. Eventually I got my condoms, and the customer got his order. Importantly no rubber was burnt in carrying out this job. Phew!