I was so happy to find this. I've been looking for a bottle to add to my opaline collection for a long time (one that was affordable). It's a Bohemian or German milchglas schnapsflasche, beautiful glass that glows bright orange at the smallest hint of a light source. The pictures shown below, in my reply post, are without artificial lighting in overcast daylight with no sun. I think it dates to mid 18th century from what I can see comparing the figure on it with others.
Enamelled all over with flowers and then with a lady on the front, there is some small loss to some of the enamel but otherwise it's perfect. Measures just about 10cm tall.
I think dating to around 1750 it is semi translucent glass made with the addition of bone ash as an opacifier. It is opaline glass basically. But once you get near the neck where the glass has been pulled into shape and it thins, you can see the opalescent effect between the body of the bottle and the neck. It is a bluey grey colour with orange just when looking at it on casual inspection. When you hold it to daylight even without sunshine or artificial lighting it immediately glows bright orange.
It is known as Milchglas - but perhaps this is the good example of 17th century ' opaline ' glass and the opalescent effect from the different rates of cooling between the thick and thin areas of glass.
I've added some comparison pictures of this and a mid 18th century opaline glass jug (French I think) to show the differences in the glass. One of the pictures is in normal daylight on white with no artificial or sunshine.
Now all I need to add is an 1830s piece of coloured or white French opaline and my collection will be complete
Topic: 18th century Milchglas schnapsflasche - my oldest piece of glass (Read 9042 times)
