19th Century Hand-Painted "Bristol Blue" Ruffled Glass Opaline Vase

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Beautiful Victorian, aqua-blue, opaline bud vase, most likely made by the Bristol Glass company. Beautifully hand-blown glass and decorated with … Read more Beautiful Victorian, aqua-blue, opaline bud vase, most likely made by the Bristol Glass company. Beautifully hand-blown glass and decorated with bright enameling and gold trim, the artwork depicts naturalistic art nouveau themes—in this case lovely leaves and flowers—typical of the age and style.

The name Bristol refers to one of the areas in England where the glass was originally made. Bristol glasshouses were established in the 1740s. From the beginning, most colored glass made in Britain became known by the generic term of “Bristol” glass, although not all of it was actually made in Bristol. Of these glasses, the Bristol blue is the most famous. See less