Topic: Identify and date latge Bohemian? cut crystal rubu glass Decanater?

[jeanne]

Hello everyone
It is some time since I posted a question here for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice on the Isle of Wight. This piece of glass came to us set up as a lamp base with a metal clamp bulb holder over the top rim. We thought at first it was a vase but early research suggests it may have been a decanter and the stopper is lost.
Apart from a little loss of the red casing on the top rim ( a casualty of the lamp holder perhaps) and much of the gilding being rubbed away it is in sound condition.
It is very, very heavy which would indicate crystal or lead glass. It is 34 cms tall.
We would like to have some indication of age, perhaps manufacture.
Any information that will help a detailed description for ebay will improve the price we can achieve, all good for the hospice funds.
Jeanne

[catshome]

Hello Jeanne,

Your piece looks a lot like the one in the link below......if it is, it was a really lovely donation and a good spot by you and your team.  I suspect the stopper got broken and some enterprising person converted it to a lamp.

https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/dining-entertaining/tableware/bohemian-ruby-cut-glass-enameled-antique-decanter/id-f_6934603/

Fingers crossed!

[Lustrousstone]

First Dibs prices should be taken with a bucket of salt...

[Paul S.]

I hope Jeanne that you do well with this one  -  shame about the loss of the stopper, and presumably now to be sold as an ornament only - assume there's a hole somewhere near the bottom for the wiring.            I'm staggered at the prices quoted in the link - attractive in a rustic way they may be, but they're naïvely made pieces that are probably just ruby flash over clear glass  -  heaviness can be equally due to thickness rather than lead, and unlikely to be crystal whatever that means  -  possibly potash glass or Forest Glass.        Andy McConnell suggests they were Bohemian export pieces, often for the middle eastern market and look to have been made well into the C20.
Mind you, a lot of 'front' can sometimes achieve good results  -  put a low price on something and punters assume it's not worth anything -  try starting at two thousand guineas.
Wish you luck with the sale.

[jeanne]

Thank you all for the replies. This was the kind of information we had found, so it is good to have it confirmed. There is no hole. The cable went up to  the neck mounted bulb holder.
I think a truck load of salt might be more appropriate. The main clue to it being a decanter was the Georgian style neck, with the rings. Filled with liquid it would have required a weight lifter to use it.
Jeanne

[Anne Tique]

I have been once to 1stDibs in NY and I have to admit, everything on display there was absolutely stunning but indeed, the prices are something else.
I had several conversations with dealers, not only there but other places in NY too and it was quite interesting. They all agreed that a lot of dealers focus on a specific public, often interior designers out on the hunt for a client. People with money who don't care how old something is and if it was made last week or a 100 years ago. If it has the look that they're after then they're happy to pay whatever the price is, no questions asked.

The Manhattan Art & Antiques Centre is very similar, very nice to visit and to have a look but you don't want to buy anything.

[catshome]

Perhaps they were influenced by the prices achieved in this auction, albeit for slightly more decorative pieces

https://www.antiquestradegazette.com/news/2011/middle-eastern-bidding-brings-multiple-estimate-showstoppers/

I also saw, iirc, a yellow Vaseline glass one, without a stopper, that sold for four figures.  Will try to find it again.

[Paul S.]

McConnell shows (in b. & w. unfortunately) an Annagrun example (uranium) similarly decorated bottle which he dates to c. 1840.        There appear to have been a fair amount of 'Turkish' bottles from around this period, many of which are to die for - and we're all entitled to spend our money how we wish, provided the quality is there, you'd hope.
If you can find a coloured picture of the 'Vaseline' bottle that would be interesting.

I'd assumed that the neck rings were moulded on these things, but really not sure.

[catshome]

Have looked everywhere for the yellow Vaseline one, tried to recreate the search as I did it originally, but with no luck at all.  I do remember it wasn't an English language website.  Sometimes my iPad seems to "lose" images once I have looked at them.  I don't know if Google search omits images you've already clicked on, when you try and repeat the search, but it is quite frustrating at times!