Mid-Century French Gilded Rim Glasses from Saint Louis, 1950s, Set of 16

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Saint Louis Model Set of 16 French Mid-Century Gilded Classic Glasses
This wonderful divisible set consists of 16 highball glasses … Read more Saint Louis Model Set of 16 French Mid-Century Gilded Classic Glasses
This wonderful divisible set consists of 16 highball glasses attributed to the prestigious French manufacturer Cristallerie Saint-Louis, likely from the iconic Thistle collection or a similar mid-century line.
This set can be divided into twelve, eight, six or four items, depending on your requirements.
Established in 1586, Saint-Louis is Europe's oldest crystal manufacturer and has been the Royal Cristallerie since 1781.
Fine, hand-blown clear lead crystal.
Tall, slender cylindrical body, typical of a highball or "long drink" glass.
The top of each glass features a wide, hand-painted 24-karat gold frieze.
Beneath the gold gilding is an intricate, hand-engraved floral and foliage pattern.
In the Thistle collection, this motif is specifically inspired by the prickly leaves and sun-shaped petals of the thistle flower, the emblem of Nancy, France.
Creating such pieces traditionally requires 25 specialized artisans over 25 days, involving techniques like brush-painting the gold, firing it, and then polishing it with agate stone to fix the gilding permanently to the engraved surface.
The Thistle pattern (originally "Chardon") was first created in 1908 for the Nancy Exhibition at the height of the Art Nouveau movement.
It was later anglicized to "Thistle" in 1913.
Because of its opulent appearance, this glassware line has historically decorated the tables of royalty and heads of state for official banquets. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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