a white opaline charles x cup with birds

A white opaline cup on small pedestal and gilt bronze mount finely chiseled with flowers. Both handles shaped in pigeons resting on curved branches and bent to drink. The pure shape and silhouette, like the delicate colour give this cup a great elegance.

  By 1820, the technical progress of the glass industry marks the history of the opaline which sees appearing new decorations and forms such as the « cone » vasses, round flasks, sweet boxes, cellars and other fancy objects. Certain forms are directly inspired by the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Muds and cups are then decorated with Gothic patterns. The ormolu mounts are finely chiselled with Restoration and Empire patterns such as dolphins, swans, doves and pigeons drinking in a cup. However, Jean-Baptiste Desvignes found a way to painte the opal crystal and glass. He used vegetable colours that he glued on the opal crystal. The dull tones were limited to dark blue and red. The gilding dominated, in subtil linear palmettes, flowers and garlands patterns. Desvignes also run small illustrative scenes inspired by the fables of La Fontaine, delicately coloured in blue, green, ocher, purple, with gold or silver stains.
Bibliography: Edith Mannoni, Opalines, Paris, Editions Ch. Massin, pp. 31-43 ; J. Bedel, « Cristal aux couleurs romantiques... l'Opaline », L'Estampille/L’Objet d’art, 1975, n°63, p 23.  
Circa :1820
Dim: W: 9,1 in - D: 5,5in - H: 4,3in.
Dim: L:23cm, P:14cm, H:11cm.

Antiques.co.uk Ref: PFQWNY2T

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