12 Pc, Polychrome Enamel-Painted Glass Liqueur Service, Continental C. 1920

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Description

An unusually near complete twelve-piece Continental glass liqueur service comprising two stoppered decanters, six stemmed cordials, and four faceted shot … Read more An unusually near complete twelve-piece Continental glass liqueur service comprising two stoppered decanters, six stemmed cordials, and four faceted shot glasses. Each element is individually hand painted in polychrome enamels with romanticized Dutch windmills, cottages, sailing vessels, figures, waterways, and pastoral landscapes. Gilt borders accent the rims, necks, stems, and feet, unifying the diverse forms into a coherent decorative ensemble.

The principal decanter is distinguished by its sculptural pinched-waist body, thick square foot, rounded shoulders, and substantial scalloped glass stopper. Multiple painted scenes unfold around its transparent surface, including a windmill and cottage, sailing boats, wooded landscapes, water birds, and figures beside bridges and waterways. The vessel’s undulating contours refract and overlap the decoration, creating a layered pictorial effect in which the scenes appear suspended within the glass.

The smaller decanter has a rectangular body with chamfered corners, sloping shoulders, and a disc-form stopper decorated with a red enamel rosette and gold dots. Its opposing faces present a tall windmill within a landscape and a sailing vessel with figures on blue water. Six paneled cordial glasses with knopped stems and circular feet accompany four straight-sided, faceted shot glasses, each painted with an individually varied windmill or village scene.

The combination of molded clear glass, hand-applied enamel painting, and gilded ornament is characteristic of Central European decorative glass produced for the Dutch and international market. Probably Bohemian or Continental European in origin, the service transforms familiar Dutch imagery into a richly narrative table ensemble. Slight variations in brushwork and composition affirm the individually decorated character of the pieces, with the monumental large decanter serving as the visual and artistic centerpiece.

Measurements: Large decanter: 13 in. H × 4.5 in. W; small decanter: 7.5 in. H × 2.625 in. W; shot glasses: 2.875 in. H each; cordials: 3.375 in. H each. See less