Friday, December 10, 2010

Object of the Day: A Pair of Victorian Murano Glass Vases

Long known for their masterful art glass creations, the glass blowers of Murano, Italy, are heralded for their handling of colored glass. In England, during the reign of Queen Victoria, Murano glass became the height of fashion and was collected for its brilliant color and exquisite workmanship.


Contrary to popular belief, Victorian households embraced bright colors and sought to incorporate brilliant hues into home décor. This pair of small Murano glass vases is testament to that. Swirls of cadmium yellow and white engulf these classically shaped budvases. Their bold hue is further heightened by raised crimson beads and hand-painted pink flowers surrounded by gilt leaves and tendrils. There’s nothing sedate whatsoever about these vases. In fact, they’re a brave shock of color in even the darkest of rooms.


2 comments:

SherR said...

To what decade do these date? The yellow one appears very much in the Art Nouveau style, especially the way it uses 'organic' swirls in the glass and plant forms as decoration on the base.

Joseph Crisalli said...

Hi, SherR. You know, I'm not quite sure to what decade these specifically date. I've always thought they were late 1890's. But, they do have some Art Nouveau style, don't they? That's an excellent observation.