Pair of silvered and ormolu mounted glass vases by Baccarat

By Baccarat, as stamped to underside of the bronze base, these beautiful vases were made during the nineteenth century, and feature rich silvered bronze and gilt-bronze, or ormolu, mounts and feet.

Featuring gilt-decoration they are adorned primarily with images of bird life in two pairs. The birds, as in the manner of the rest of the decoration, show gilt on the outside and silhouetted when viewed from the other side through the glass. They stand in a small, shallow, minimalist setting, with marshes and reeds suggested by light strokes at the base, and with vines of fruit and flowers hanging down from the top of each piece, with a simple geometric frieze around the rim and just above the mounts.

The base is of the form of a naturalistic, rough and knotted root-like structure which is cast in gilt bronze. The greyed-out colourisation of the glass, along with the delicate, artistic, and beautiful gilt decoration that imitates Japanese wares and art-styles in the nineteenth century makes this an exceptionally collectable pair: excellent demonstrations of the quality and charm of Baccarat glass-making.