Mariner’s Weather Glass
Title
Mariner’s Weather Glass
Subject
Meteorology, Navigation, Sailing, Boating, Glasswork, History
Description
A French weatherglass that uses the elevation of water to predict changes in weather. It is designed to hang off a hook attached to the wall of a boat. The hook is connected to a wooden base with a metal plate on it that explains the implications of the varying water elevations. The water levels adjust based on the humidity of the air, which changes the pressure applied to the water on both portions of the glass. Sailors would use the glass as a form of barometer to predict the weather.
Description (ID):
A rectangular wooden plank is attached to a wall vertically. The bottom of the plank has a small metal plate attached to it with four engraved pictures of different water elevations of the weather glass. Next to each image is a descriptor of the weather in French, English, Dutch, and German. If the water in the spout is lower than in the body, the weather is “fair”. If it has slightly more, it is “rain”. If it has much more, it’s a “storm”. If both have equal elevations, the weather is “variable”.
A circular metal plate sits above the information guide and is connected to a strip of metal that goes up to the top of the plate, where the hook sits. Attached to the hook is a see-through glass container with a thin top that widens out into a thick bottom. The top of the glass is shaped into a ring to fit the hook through it. Near the bottom of the container, where it slopes back inward, a spout goes up and outward, curving toward the glass. At the end of the spout, a short portion of it curves back outward. The very bottom is shaped into a glass ball to increase the barometer's weight. Water, colored dark blue for visibility, can be seen in the container.
Physical Dimensions: ~6 inches (15.24 cm) by ~16.75 inches (42.55 cm)
Description (ID):
A rectangular wooden plank is attached to a wall vertically. The bottom of the plank has a small metal plate attached to it with four engraved pictures of different water elevations of the weather glass. Next to each image is a descriptor of the weather in French, English, Dutch, and German. If the water in the spout is lower than in the body, the weather is “fair”. If it has slightly more, it is “rain”. If it has much more, it’s a “storm”. If both have equal elevations, the weather is “variable”.
A circular metal plate sits above the information guide and is connected to a strip of metal that goes up to the top of the plate, where the hook sits. Attached to the hook is a see-through glass container with a thin top that widens out into a thick bottom. The top of the glass is shaped into a ring to fit the hook through it. Near the bottom of the container, where it slopes back inward, a spout goes up and outward, curving toward the glass. At the end of the spout, a short portion of it curves back outward. The very bottom is shaped into a glass ball to increase the barometer's weight. Water, colored dark blue for visibility, can be seen in the container.
Physical Dimensions: ~6 inches (15.24 cm) by ~16.75 inches (42.55 cm)
Creator
Unknown
Source
Personal collection
Date
Circa 20th century
Contributor
Liam Austin Blair
Rights
This material is subject to copyright law and is made available for private study, scholarship, and research purposes only.
Format
JPG
Language
French, English, Dutch, German
Type
Physical Object
Collection
Citation
Unknown, “Mariner’s Weather Glass,” Aegis Digital Museum, accessed December 8, 2025, https://aegisdigitalmuseum.kennesaw.edu/items/show/257.
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