Description An exceptional and extremely unusual late 18th-century ceremonial flute or toasting glass, standing an extraordinary 40 cm tall. It has a very tall conical bowl with gently tapering sides above a plain stem with an annulated shoulder collar and conical foot with a polished pontil.The proportions are strikingly elongated, creating an elegant and highly architectural form unlike conventional drinking glasses of the period.Although at first glance the glass could be mistaken for a vase due to its height, the overall construction and proportions strongly suggest it was conceived as part of the drinking or ceremonial table tradition rather than as decorative flowerware. The restrained foot, narrow bowl opening and tall stem all follow the vocabulary of late Georgian stemware, simply exaggerated to monumental scale. If you placed flowers in this, it would fall over and there are more than enough Vase forms to compare it with and it simply does not conform in any way. ...