Cruet set - Silver, Glass - 1810 - 1822

Elegant Portuguese cruet set from the first half of the 19th century, of exceptional craftsmanship, composed of a raised and pierced silver frame and a set of glass cruets blown and cut, richly gilded with fine gold. The circular base, supported on an elevated foot, features an elaborate lacy neoclassical decoration, executed in pierced silver with geometric and vegetal motifs. At the center rises an elegant turned stem, topped by a movable cut-out wing, allowing the piece to be carried—a characteristic solution of presentation cruets produced in the early decades of the 19th century. The set retains four original transparent glass vessels intended for oil, vinegar, and condiments. The cruets feature delicate hand-applied gilded decoration, composed of friezes, garlands, stylized leaves, and floral motifs, complemented by equally decorated glass stoppers. The molded handles lend elegance and functionality to the ensemble. The silver frame bears the municipal marks of Lisbon from the assay master José Joaquim da Costa (L-38.0b), dated between 1810 and 1822, as well as the mark of the prestigious goldsmith Joaquim Prudêncio Vital Dinis, registered in 1812 and documented until 1852 (L-443.0), constituting an important testimony of late Georgian and Neoclassical Portuguese goldsmithing. Piece of high historical and collector interest, representative of the luxurious tables of the Portuguese aristocracy and upper middle class in the first half of the 19th century. Condition: Good overall, consistent with age. Shows signs of use; one of the glass stoppers is broken and two stoppers are missing, as described. The silver framework remains solid and well preserved.

Origin: Portugal
Era: 1st half of the 19th century (1810–1822)
Material: Silver and blown glass with gold decoration
Marks: Lisbon, assay master José Joaquim da Costa (L-38.0b)
Goldsmith: Joaquim Prudêncio Vital Dinis (L-443.0)
Silver weight: 2,506.3 grams
Height: 31 cm
Estimated market value