Rare Salviati & C. ‘Cherub’ Filigrana Glass Bowl 1859-72

Technical Description

Spiral ‘mezza filigrana’ glass bowl from the Venetian glass manufacturer Salviati & C, Murano, produced under the ownership of Dr Antonio Salviati. Decorated with spiralling bands of opaque white enamel glass, the third being cased in translucent mint green, followed by a copper aventurine band and finished with an applied red rim. Clear winged ‘cherub masks’ are applied on either side of a turned, footed form. Rough pontil and slag seed material, consistent with its age.

Date & Origin

Island of Murano, Italy, c1859-72.

Condition

Excellent, no chips, cracks or restoration.

Dimensions

Height: 6cm Diameter: 11.2cm.

Comments

An exquisite example, this piece exhibits early Salviati & C. patterns in both decoration and form, as attributed by the Murano Glass Museum, Venice. View those two examples here: Cherub bowl - https://bit.ly/35XxMyq Plate pattern - https://bit.ly/3jq7RHo

Further investigation reveals that the ‘cherub dish’ is documented as pattern 601 among 1 of 23 watercolour and ink papers held in the MET Museum. These papers are stamped “Compagnia di Venezia & Murano - Venezia - Vetri e Musaici” (Company of Venice and Murano - Venice - Glass & Mosaic) and show a variety of early glassworks including mirrors, chandeliers and goblets. View here: https://bit.ly/3y9kqv8

The papers seem to be a finely curated collection of best works, indicating that this dish was included for exhibition as a stand-alone object. As Salviati & C. was renamed Venice and Murano Glass and Mosaic Company Limited in 1872, it would follow that this is a pattern list from their first International Exhibition held in Vienna in 1873 where they won 13 prizes for decorative arts.

Antonio Salviati left the company to re-establish his artistic vision in 1877 and by the Paris exhibition of 1878 focus had shifted to replicating roman murrine glass, certainly by the Milan exhibition in 1881, the Company of Venice and Murano had moved onto their show-stopping display of the first of its glass phoenixes. None of which is included within these 23 watercolour pages leading us to a most probable production date of between 1859 and 1872 while under the name of Salviati C.

Traditionally, this technique is known as “latticino,” named for the combination of milk (lattimo) glass threads fused in crystal (cristallo). This specific technique is more modernly termed “mezza filigrana” (half filigree).