Vase - Crystal - Classical Reliefs






Holds a master’s in Art History, specialising in Second French Empire and Dutch Golden Age.
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Description from the seller
Elegant opaline glass vase from the late 19th century, a piece of refined Historicist design that combines the delicacy of milky glass with carefully executed decoration inspired by classical motifs. Its silhouette, with a bulbous body and a long, flared neck, reflects decorative styles much admired in the second half of the 19th century, when European glassmakers revived ornamental motifs from the past and adapted them to the tastes of the bourgeoisie.
The opaline glass has an attractive ivory-white hue that blends gently into a sky-blue shade at the top, creating a subtly beautiful gradient effect. Hand-painted decoration runs around the vase’s shoulder, featuring hanging garlands, enamel dots, and symmetrical scrollwork inspired by Neoclassical ornamentation. Details in reddish, black, gold, and blue tones stand out, executed with precision and enhanced by small geometric and botanical motifs that lend the overall design lightness and elegance.
The composition is arranged around a central ornamental medallion, from which decorative festoons extend, evoking the architectural and textile adornments of the classical tradition. This Neoclassical influence, reinterpreted through the decorative sensibilities of the late 19th or early 20th century, lends the piece a harmonious balance between formal restraint and ornamental richness.
With its fine opaline glass, delicate enamel decoration, and elegant proportions, this vase is an excellent example of the European decorative arts of its time, ideal both as a collectible and as a decorative object capable of bringing distinction and luminosity to any classic, romantic, or eclectic interior.
Insured shipping and careful packaging.
Seller's Story
Elegant opaline glass vase from the late 19th century, a piece of refined Historicist design that combines the delicacy of milky glass with carefully executed decoration inspired by classical motifs. Its silhouette, with a bulbous body and a long, flared neck, reflects decorative styles much admired in the second half of the 19th century, when European glassmakers revived ornamental motifs from the past and adapted them to the tastes of the bourgeoisie.
The opaline glass has an attractive ivory-white hue that blends gently into a sky-blue shade at the top, creating a subtly beautiful gradient effect. Hand-painted decoration runs around the vase’s shoulder, featuring hanging garlands, enamel dots, and symmetrical scrollwork inspired by Neoclassical ornamentation. Details in reddish, black, gold, and blue tones stand out, executed with precision and enhanced by small geometric and botanical motifs that lend the overall design lightness and elegance.
The composition is arranged around a central ornamental medallion, from which decorative festoons extend, evoking the architectural and textile adornments of the classical tradition. This Neoclassical influence, reinterpreted through the decorative sensibilities of the late 19th or early 20th century, lends the piece a harmonious balance between formal restraint and ornamental richness.
With its fine opaline glass, delicate enamel decoration, and elegant proportions, this vase is an excellent example of the European decorative arts of its time, ideal both as a collectible and as a decorative object capable of bringing distinction and luminosity to any classic, romantic, or eclectic interior.
Insured shipping and careful packaging.
