Venetian Deep Blue

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Here is a bowl of deep blue glass, dramatically decorated . The analyses of style and of chemistry show that it was made in Venice around 1500, and that its enamel decoration was not reworked later. King Henry VIII of England owned some glasses of similar description.

It is a piece 16.5 cm high, foot included, and 20.8 cm in diameter. The foot is plain, but the cup itself shaped as an inverted bell is decorated with sphinxes and cherubs. A gilt band includes a Latin inscription, which says very wisely that in times of abundance we have a lot of friends.

Its provenance is impeccable. Named as the Field Cup from its owner in the middle of the nineteenth century, it stayed afterwards in the Rothschild family until 2000.

All these qualities allow the bowl to expect £ 180 K at Bonhams in London on June 3.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

The age, deep color and origin of this glass bowl were not enough to find a buyer at the expected price.

The decor is of high workmanship, but it must be said that its drawings of cherubs are far from the current aesthetics.