Dutch Armorial Engraved Light Baluster Goblet – County of Holland c1755

Description

Heading : Dutch Armorial Engraved Light Baluster Goblet – County of Holland
Period : c1755
Origin : The generally accepted view is that glasses such as this were made in England and then engraved in Amsterdam
Colour : Clear
Bowl : Round funnel engraved with the coat of arms of Holland. Two lions supporting a shield with a crown as the crest. The lions stand over undulating scrolls; strong pucella marks and touch-points present
Stem : A ball knop sits immediately above an angular knop and a short cylinder. which is in turn above a plain stem section. then a flattened ball knop
Foot :  Domed and folded
Pontil : Snapped
Glass Type : Lead (see notes below)
Size :  Height 18.3 cm. bowl 7.4 cm diameter and foot 7.9 cm diameter
Condition : Excellent; no chips. cracks or flakes; a tiny burst bubble to the foot. and small manufacturing whorls where the dome has been raised
Restoration : None
Weight: 179 grams

Notes :

The coat of arms – as with many other such examples – reflects the twists and turns of history; the central lion signifies the County of Holland. as part of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands prior to the Batavian Republic of 1795. The supporting lions are those of the Dutch Republic. of which Holland had been a member from 1579. The direction in which these supporters are facing – outwards or ‘regardant’ in heraldic terms – seems to be somewhat open to interpretation; we have seen other Dutch armorials of the same period in which they arbitrarily face in differing directions from one contemporary version to another.

Lead glass was being produced in The Netherlands and Wallonia by the mid 18th century. and in Norway within another decade. Quite why the enterprising merchants of the Provinces of The Netherlands would not prefer more locally sourced glassware for their artisans to engrave than that imported from England fails the common sense test.

It is also worth noting that Dutch engraved light balusters have a propensity to be made from brighter glass than the equivalents produced in England during the same period.