History:
Beginning with the reign of Charles X, the forms became more substantial, only to stretch and curve even more gracefully during the Second Empire. Soft colors gave way to bolder hues, inspired by Bohemian glass. The delicate shades of pink were achieved using gold salts.Starting in 1840, for economic reasons, pink glass was no longer dyed throughout but instead lined with colored glass. In the early 19th century, Le Creusot, Baccarat, and Saint-Louis were the main production centers. Subsequently, numerous crystal factories were established around Paris: Bercy, Choisy-le-Roi, Belleville, Clichy…Restoration period Glassware :One field that reached its peak in the mid-1820s was glassware. The most refined and sumptuous examples of cut crystal are attributed to the reign of Charles X. Indeed, the years 1815–1830 represent a true golden age of glass in France, whose reputation was international thanks to the exceptional productions of the Baccarat, Creusot, Choisy-le-Roi, and Bercy crystal factories.The objects, made of molded crystal or cut with a diamond point and remarkable for their quality, are mounted in silver or gilded bronze, very finely engraved with dolphins, swans, or cornucopias. Often, ram’s heads or coiled snakes form the handles.After 1814, as forms were no longer dictated by the Court and thus no longer adhered to a specific aesthetic program, they were inspired by the newly wealthy classes, who imposed their tastes on fashionable objects such as opal-colored glassware.Opaline was used to make boxes, bottles, and vases. Around 1820, technical advances in the glass industry marked a turning point in the history of opaline, giving rise to new forms and decorations. It was during this period that so-called “cornet” vases, round bottles with ball-shaped stoppers, bowls, candy dishes, scent bottles, and other decorative objects first appeared. The bronze mounts are finely engraved with motifs common to both the Restoration and Empire periods, such as dolphins, swans, doves, or drinking birds.
