A 17th Century Venetian Wine Glass

Description

Heading : A Venetian cristallo wine glass
Date : First half seventeenth century
Origin : Murano. Venice
Colour : Clear with gray tint
Bowl : Flared conical with applied and crimped blue threads
Stem : Thin hollow inverted baluster adjoined to the bowl via a disc merese
Foot : Low conical
Pontil : snapped
Glass Type : Cristallo
Size :   17.3cm tall. 10cm bowl.8.2cm foot
Condition : Excellent
Restoration : None
Weight : 63g

The Venetians were applying blue trailing to wine glasses and bowls from the 15th century. Glasses with flared conical bowls were made from the mid 16th century. Dating is at best approximate. The best primary sources for dating are oil paintings and of those with useful content the majority are by Dutch artists. Venetian glass was highly prized and imported in substantial quantities until a native glass industry became established.

There is also a very similar example withing the collection of the V and A. Museum number 5538-1859