Bohemian Overlay Glass Baluster Beaker With Floral And Gilt Decor, C.1850-1870

Baluster Goblet on Pedestal in Overlay Glass (White Opaline over Cobalt Blue Ground), with Cut Cabochon Decoration and Pontil Revealing the Underlying Color, Heightened with Polychrome Painting Depicting a Rich Naturalistic Flower Bouquet and Gilt Foliate Scrolls
Bohemia, mid-19th century (circa 1850–1870).
H 19 cm
Very good overall state of preservation, slight wear to the gilding on the borders.

Characteristic of the great Bohemian glass production during the Biedermeier and Second Empire periods, the overlay technique (or double-layered crystal) consisted of superimposing a layer of white opaline enamel over colored glass (here a deep cobalt blue). The punch-cut decorations create medallions and transparent windows that allow light to pass through, beautifully combined with the finesse of the hand-executed floral paintings.

This Bohemian overlay glass goblet testifies to the exceptional mastery of 19th-century glass artisans, uniting the virtuosity of overlay cutting with the refinement of painted flower and gold decoration.