Topic: Engraved wine glass.

[RoyJ99]

Yeah they are very similar, certainly same period and from the same region I would think.

[Baked_Beans]

I think the hand coming down from the clouds might be the 'hand of God' and they are some sort of vegetable, with the best one being picked. Here is an image of 'the foot of God' coming from a cloud,  an engraving dating from c1600's (much earlier) with some vegetables !

You have to scroll down about a quarter of the way down to see it .....

http://longstreet.typepad.com/thesciencebookstore/art_history/page/16/

Might be a red herring of course  The flower looks similar to the flower engraved on the bowl  of the glass  i.e. six petals .

[bat20]

Interesting stuff BB,I'll try to get a close up of the cloud/tree tomorrow.

[flying free]

Mike I think you are on to something with your theory.
m

[Baked_Beans]

I wonder if it's the same story ....they are saffron crocus bulbs and not vegetables  The flower on the bowl of the glass does have six pointed petals !

[bat20]

Here are the close ups,I'm leaning towards sacred hearts,I just wonder whether the had of God would be robed though?

[Baked_Beans]

So am I , the 'veg. / bulbs ' look very heart shaped !

[bat20]

It maybe something to do with John Calvin as his symbol is a heart aflame in Gods hand?

[bat20]

After a bit more research Calvinism maybe worth exploring,firstly the 5 points of the movement are represented by the tulip,not the number of petals,but the first letter of the points themselves,there are the small classic engraved tulips on the glass and the larger flowers may well be as well,secondly the Calvinist awakening through Northern Europe and New England is dated to 1730 to 1740,the dates given by Antwerp for the glass,and lastly so far,the heart aflame in the hand of God,the symbol of John Calvin himself...this may explain the amount of engraving on this glass being driven on a wave of religious belief....feel free to shoot all this down,I have been known to be wrong on the odd occasion 

[chopin-liszt]

I'm with you on the religious. scared heart theme.
I really suspect you have quite an ancient treasure.