18c Jacobite Wine Glass With Engraved Rose Spray, “fiat” Motto & Teardrop Stem

Jacobite Wine Glass – Engraved Symbols – “Fiat” Inscription – c.1745

A fine and historically significant Jacobite wine glass, dating to around 1745, during the turbulent years of the Jacobite uprisings in Britain. The glass is richly engraved with multiple Jacobite symbols, reflecting the covert expressions of loyalty to the exiled Stuart monarchy.

Features:

• Bowl: Six-petal rose spray flanked by two buds — traditionally interpreted as representing James Francis Edward Stuart, Charles Edward Stuart, and Henry Benedict Stuart.

• Inscription: “Fiat” engraved near the rim — Latin for “Let it be so”, a rallying sentiment among supporters.

• Additional Engravings: Crescent moon and stars, radiant eye, stylized acacia branches, geometric flourishes, and a floral/leafy design.

• Stem: Straight and slender with a teardrop-shaped air bubble.

• Foot: Flat and circular, typical of mid-18th-century glassware.

Historical Context:

Jacobite glasses served as both functional objects and political statements. Used in private gatherings, their symbolic engravings conveyed allegiance to the Stuart cause at a time when open support could invite persecution. Following the Jacobite defeat at Culloden (1746) and the Act of Proscription (1747), such items became increasingly rare and risky to own.

Approximate Dimensions: 16.5 × 9 × 6.5 cm

Weight: 190 g

A rare survival from Britain’s turbulent 18th-century political history — highly desirable for collectors of Jacobite memorabilia, political glassware, and Georgian decorative arts.