Topic: Etruscan vase bright azure blue opaline c1850,what is the picture,which country?

[flying free]

I have been doing some more searching on this -  after many years of researching and reading    - and come to a conclusion.

I've found a vase (no longer listed unfortunately) that was sold on ebay in 2019.  It's marked Richardson vitrified and I believe it is one of the pieces as quoted in Jason Ellis's book page 327 which references that W.H., B. and J. Richardson were awarded the Royal Society of Art's Gold Isis Medal in 1847.
https://picclick.co.uk/W-H-B-J-Richardson-Vitrified-Blue-392204127851.html


The reference is part of a longer piece but I'm quoting the part specific to what I believe is the vase I've seen listed on ebay:
Quoted section removed as requested by OP.

This piece quoted refers to 1847 and of course Richardson may have continued to improve it's coloured glass by c. 1850 ish, but there is nothing in the whole information on pages 326 and 327 of that book, nor anything I've seen or found over the years of searching for this, to indicate Richardson's were producing the colour of blue opaline glass of my vase around that time.

For the moment then, I conclude that although the shape of the vase and top neck and rim are remarkably similar to many Richardson white opaline 'Etruscan' vases produced in that period, this was not produced at Richardson's glass c. 1850.

I don't think it is English glass because of the blue opaline and the shape of the stem and foot.  If it is English, I think it can only have been produced much later because of the blue opaline but against that however, it's my opinion the enamelling and decoration and the stem and foot leads me to believe it was produced c.1850 ish.

So, off to other climes with this one

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Came across this very interesting piece -

A green 'Chrysoprasglas' (uranium opaline glass) jug attributed to 'Annathal bei Schüttenhofen (zugeschrieben), um 1840-50.'

The jug is vertically panel cut with wide panels.  Each alternate panel is painted with a matt biscuit coloured background and finely handpainted with  scenes.  The way they are painted is intricate and detailed using paints and inks.  It isn't the same as the fine detailed line depiction on my vase which may have been done using a 'pen'. 

This is the first time I've found a piece from this period which appears to have the same biscuit coloured enamel background painted on.  It's described by the seller as a 'white' background

https://antikes-glas.de/glas-boehmen/seltene-kanne-eingefaerbtem-alabasterglas-emailmalerei-wohl-annathal-p-2496.html
Antikes Glas Neuwirth describe it as (google translate)

'Rare jug made of colored alabaster glass (so-called chrysoprase glass), offset multi-faceted foot, on the multi-faceted wall in gold and colorful enamel painting on a white background, depictions of mythical creatures and angels surrounded by floral bundles, leaves and tendrils, multiple, faceted, attached ears with gold line decor. Bottom with a dislocated demolition. Kanne is in a cured state.
Böhmen, Annathal bei Schüttenhofen (attributed), around 1840-50.
Height: approx. 24.8 cm, diameter: approx. 17.0 cm.'


My vase would certainly be the quality of Annathal bei Schüttenhofen glass  but it also indicates this type of matt biscuit enamelling background was done in the period 1840-1850 in Bohemia.

There is also a becher in matching style:
https://antikes-glas.de/glas-boehmen/seltener-becher-eingefaerbtem-alabasterglas-emailmalerei-wohl-annathal-p-2497.html

link to a close up of the biscuit coloured enamel painting on my vase:
https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=53085.0;attach=132748;image

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Kirk's outlines

Just adding this plate from Kirk's Outlines published 1804 as I came to search the thread and couldn't find any link to it.
It's the picture on my vase which we know is taken from Kirk's and not another source, because the drawing is exactly the same and the lion's paw is covering Hercules' modesty:

https://www.akg-images.com/archive/-2UMEBMBJYBGW0.html

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Just adding because it's turquoise blue opaline glass
finger rinser
V&A collection (from Jermyn Street collection?)
black and white pic
Turquoise blue opaline glass with gilded picture and picture has a ground (man carrying pitchfork/garden tool and basket of flowers walking towards house)
First quarter 19th century
French
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1285/wine-glass-cooler/?carousel-image=1

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for future reference - similarities in the way the design has been applied on the biscuit coloured background and outlined:

https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=53085.0;attach=132748;image

and this becher

https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-4179200

[flying free]

In reference to my post #135 where I said I believed the vases I was discussing in that post from George Bacchus were done with Kirk's outlines as the source for the pictures ...
see here:
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O6250/vase-george-bacchus-and/
Link to my post #135 here:
https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,53085.msg381580.html#msg381580

...I've come across this item for sale.  I'm adding it because it's blue opaline and the vendor says it's by George Bacchus.  I couldn't see a primary source reference for that identification though, however the seller references a decanter found on the cover of 5000 Years of Glass Hugh Tait:
https://www.exhibitantiques.com/item/3932/exhibitantiques/Rare-George-Bacchus-Blue-On-White-Cased-Glass-Decanter-c1850.html

The V&A have the decanter (white overlay over ruby with mitre cutting) which I believe is the one shown on the cover of 5000 Years of Glass Hugh Tait,  as by George Bacchus but I couldn't see a primary source reference for that identification either:
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O326654/decanter-and-stopper-george-bacchus-and/

I think this is the same as the one shown in British Glass 1800-1914 Charles Hajdamach page 87.  On page 84 he discusses this decanter.  I couldn't find in the book a primary reference source for that identification.

I think this white over red decanter is pretty amazing glass blowing (cased) and cutting and overall design.  Very different to, for example, this transfer printed white opaline vase also in the V&A and actually marked Geo.Bacchus & Sons Vitrified Enamel colours, seemingly produced around a similar time frame:
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O6250/vase-george-bacchus-and/?carousel-image=2017JR8054

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Interesting to compare that Bacchus white over red mitre cut decanter in the V&A
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O326654/decanter-and-stopper-george-bacchus-and/?carousel-image=2006BF3608

 with a white over red Saint-Louis flask/decanter here:

https://laterreestunjardin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Cristal-Saint-Louis-12.jpg
https://laterreestunjardin.com/cristallerie-saint-louis/

[Ekimp]

In your link, Exhibit Antiques also mentions page 265 in McConnell’s The Decanter. That shows the red V&A one next to a very similar green one, the green one has a rim like the Exhibit Antiques example. McConnell annotates them as by George Bacchus “as exhibited in 1851”. They are in the chapter on The Great Exhibition of 1851 so presumably that is documented somewhere as the primary reference.

[flying free]

Thank you Ekimp for the further information

On the British Museum site it shows a white over red example here:
 https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_2009-8049-1-a-b
and mentions there is a 'similar example in the V&A, acquired in 1854' and also goes on to mention 'another example' in C. Hajdamach, 'British Glass 1800-1914', so possibly three different examples? :

'Curator's comments
See B. Morris, 'Victorian Table Glass and Ornaments', London 1978, p. 35 and p. 37, pl. 17 for a similar example in the V&A, acquired in 1854: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O326654/decanter-and-stopper-george-bacchus-and/
For another example see C. Hadjamach, 'British Glass 1800-1914', Woodbridge 1991, col. pl. 6, p. 87, text p. 84. Bacchus & Sons were widely praised for their cased and cut glass shown at the Great Exhibition of 1851, see 'Art Journal Illustrated Catalogue of the Great Exhibition of 1851', p. 32.'

The link given of P.32 in the catalogue of the Great Exhibition shows a number of examples of glass exhibited by Messrs. Bacchus & Sons.  Unfortunately none are like these decanters.
See p.32 as indicated in the British Museum Curator's comments:
https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Art_Journal_Illustrated_Catalogue/f0EHIyNi3uAC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=art+journal+illustrated+great+exhibition+george+bacchus&pg=PR7&printsec=frontcover

The information in the British Museum notes says the example in the V&A was acquired in 1854.  Unfortunately on the notes on the V&A link to that example nothing is mentioned about the date it was acquired.
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O326654/decanter-and-stopper-george-bacchus-and/