WITH A LOAN EXHIBITION FROM THE CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS

September 18, 2008 -- The Winter Antiques Show announces that The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, home to the world's most comprehensive collection of glass, will display more than 50 exceptional works during the renowned 55th annual Winter Antiques Show, January 23-February 1, 2009, at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City. The loan exhibition, The Fragile Art: Extraordinary Objects from The Corning Museum of Glass, will present works spanning four continents, more than three millennia, and the full range of artistic ingenuity and technical innovation in glass. The loan exhibition is sponsored by Chubb Personal Insurance for the thirteenth consecutive year.

Arie L. Kopelman, Winter Antiques Show Committee Chairman, notes "we are proud to host this unprecedented exhibition from Corning-after seeing the fifty stellar objects in our loan exhibition, you'll want to visit Corning to see the ‘other' 45,000 pieces! It's also a great complement to our two dozen exhibitors who include ancient through 1950s glass in their booths."

The Fragile Art: Extraordinary Objects from The Corning Museum of Glass includes an ancient Roman serving dish cover in the form of a fish, a glass allegory depicting Marie Antoinette and lamenting the demise of the aristocracy during the French Revolution, a covered tumbler that is one of the earliest known dated pieces of American glass, and a 1930s illuminated glass radiator.

The exhibition also includes rare books and drawings from the Museum's Rakow Research Library. Internationally renowned designer Massimo Vignelli / Vignelli Associates will create the installation for the Winter Antiques Show.

Complementing the loan exhibition, the museum will present a lecture series at the Winter Antiques Show; topics range from goblet-making techniques to 1950s glass. Highlights of the exhibition: Cover in the form of a Fish, probably Italy, 1st century A.D. Believed to be the cover of a serving dish, presumably for fish, it is one of only two known examples of this form.Boot-Shaped Cup, Islamic, Egypt, 7th-9th century A.D. The shape of this cup recalls thetradition, documented in Iranian literature, of drinking at banquets from cups known as"wine legs."

Stained Glass Bowl, Probably Egypt, 10th-11th century. One of the most extraordinary stained glass objects that has survived from the Islamic period.

Lampworked Scene, Marie Antoinette Sacrifices the Heart of the Nobility on the Altar of the French Republic, France, Nevers, about 1790. The allegorical scene, signed by the artist Pierre Haly, depicts Marie Antoinette amid classical ruins. Made in 1790 to mark the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, and likely commissioned by a royalist client, the work symbolizes the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution.Drinking Flask, Spain, Catalonia, about 1650-1750. A drinking vessel, or càntir, was often used as a gift for marriages and baptisms.

Cobalt Blue Glass Table, Birmingham, England, about 1880-1884. This blown and cut glass table was made by F. & C. Osler at a time when British and French glass manufacturers tailored one-of-a-kind and limited production glass furniture to the tastes of the wealthy Indian royalty and elite.

Four-layer Vase, Cambridge, MA, 1848-1858. Produced by the New England Glass Company, this vase demonstrates an exquisite and extremely difficult glass cutting technique in which the glass is cut and engraved to show through to each layer.

Tobias and the Angel Covered Tumbler, New Bremen, MD, 1788. One of the earliest known dated pieces of American glass, this covered tumbler was produced at the factory of John Frederick Amelung, the first glass manufacturer on record to start a business after the Revolutionary War.

Sugar Bowl and Creamer, NY, 1835-1850. Created as a pair in either the Redford or Redwood Glass Works in upstate New York, these examples were made from the greenish glass that factories used to make windows. At the end of the day, glassworkers used the remaining glass in their furnaces to make what they wished. American coins are enclosed in the stems of both, probably indicating that these pieces were made to commemorate a special occasion.

Les Iris Sculptural Vessel, Nancy, France, 1895-1900. The work of Emile Gallé, a manufacturer of art glass, ceramics, and wood furniture, is represented by the sculptural vessel, Irises. A dark and complex work designed by Gallé at the end of his life, this piece was influenced by the artist's love of the natural world.

Dish, Finland, 1952. During the 1950s and early 1960s, Scandinavian design, exemplified in this exhibition by the influential Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala, was internationally popular. Inspired by the northern landscape, Wirkkala used shapes reminiscent of chunks of ice.

Vase with Abstract Decoration, Prague, Czechoslovakia, 1959. Vladimír Kopecký's vase is a rare example of the innovative design that characterized the post-war period in Czechoslovakia, when designers and artists were working under repressive Communist rule.

The Art of Glass (L'Arte Vetraria), Florence, Italy, 1662. Written by Antonio Neri, a Florentine priest, this glassmaking handbook was originally published in Italian in 1612.Christopher Merret, an English physician, botanist, and Librarian of the Royal College of Physicians, published this English-language translation in 1662 and presented it to King Charles

Design for a Cameo Glass Vase, 1886. An original design by Frederick Carder, managerof Steuben Glass from 1903 to 1932, this drawing is from his work at the Englishglassmaking company, Stevens & Williams, where he worked before he came to Steuben.

To complement the exhibition and offer a deeper context for the objects on view, Museum staffwill present a series of lectures during the Show. Lectures are held in the "Tiffany" Room at thePark Avenue Armory. Seating is on a first-come basis and is complimentary with Showadmission: Sunday, January 25, 2:30 p.m.

Goblet-Making Techniques: The Middle Ages to Today

A glass artist and historian's insights into goblets throughout history, and how they weremade.

William Gudenrath, adviser to The Studio of The Corning Museum of Glass and glassHistorian Monday, January 26, 2:30 p.m.

Glass through the Ages

Highlights in the history of glassmaking from the Bronze Age to the present. Dr. David Whitehouse, executive director and curator of ancient and Islamic glass Tuesday, January 27, 2:30 p.m.

Reflecting Antiquity

A discussion of glass inspired by ancient Roman techniques. Dr. David Whitehouse, executive director and curator of ancient and Islamic glass Wednesday, January 28, 2:30 p.m.

Dining with the President: White House Table Settings

An examination of presidential dining customs, as well as White House glass and china from the Washingtons to the Reagans. Jane Shadel Spillman, curator of American glass Thursday, January 29, 2:30 p.m.

Early American Glass

A survey of objects used in 19th-century America and practical clues for solving the mysteries of dating and identifying glass.Mary Cheek Mills, manager of education programs Friday, January 30, 2:30 p.m.

1950s Glass

Italian, Scandinavian, and Czechoslovakian design in glass is explored. Tina Oldknow, curator of modern glass

About the Winter Antiques Show

The Winter Antiques Show celebrates its 55th year as America's most prestigious antiques show, featuring 75 renowned experts in American, English, European and Asian fine and decorative arts in a fully vettedShow. The Show was established in 1955 by East Side House Settlement, a social services institutionlocated in the South Bronx. All net proceeds from the Show benefit East Side House Settlement. TheWinter Antiques Show will run from January 23-February 1st at the Park Avenue Armory, 67th Street and Park Avenue, New York City. Show hours are from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily, except Sundays and Thursday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. To purchase tickets for the Opening Night Party on Thursday, January 22nd or the Young Collectors' Night on Thursday, January 29th, please call (718) 292-7392 or visit the Show's website at http://www.winterantiquesshow.com. General admission to the Show is $20, which includes the Show's awardwinning catalogue.

About East Side House Settlement

East Side House Settlement was founded in 1891 to help immigrants and lower income families on the East Side of Manhattan. In 1962, it moved to the South Bronx where it serves 8,000 residents annually within one of America's poorest congressional districts, the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx. Among the initiatives that focus on educational attainment as the gateway out of poverty is the innovative and highly acclaimed Mott Haven Village Preparatory School, a national model profiled in Business Week. For more information, please visit " target="_blank">http://www.eastsidehouse.org.

About The Corning Museum of Glass

The Corning Museum of Glass is home to the world's most comprehensive collection of glass from all periods and cultures, ranging from ancient Egyptian and Renaissance Venetian masterpieces to contemporary works by such masters as Dale Chihuly and Josiah McElheny. The Museum's interactive scientific and technological installations tell the story of historic advancements and contemporary innovations in glass technology. Live glassblowing demonstrations and a state-of-the-art glassmaking studio bring the material to life. An Artist-in-Residence program gives six artists annually the opportunity to expand their work and to master new techniques. The Museum also houses the Rakow Research Library, the world's foremost library on the history of glassmaking, and publishes annually scholarly publications including New Glass Review and Journal of Glass Studies.

Located in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, the Museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed only January 1, Thanksgiving Day, December 24, and 25. For more information visit

" target="_blank">http://www.cmog.org.

Press Contact/Corning Museum of Glass: Chris D'Aleo Resnicow Schroeder Associates 212-671-5178 cdaleo@resnicowschroeder.com