Pair of Medici vases.
Cut crystal and ormolu.
Saint Petersburg, circa 1820.
Height 21,5 cm
Diameter 13,5 cm
This pair of cut crystal vases, with a sober ormolu base completed by a frieze of pearls and the work of the crystal, is typical of the Russian production of the first quarter of the 19th century.
Indeed, the proliferation of glass and crystal objects in the most varied spheres of life marked the Empire period. Since the 18th century, the Imperial Glass Works in St. Petersburg had been imposing standards of elegance that were put into practice by genius craftsmen through sketches and projects, each more sumptuous than the last.
The extreme quality of the cutting and engraving of these crystal objects made the reputation of Russian crystal factories. The infinite variety of the ornamental faceting of the crystal, cut by hand, associated to the crystalline purity of the material go particularly well with the ormolu.
In addition to the diversity in the glass work, our pair of vases has a very slight irregularity in the cut and chasing which attests to its quality. Intended for the decoration of a rich interior, this pair of vases combines sobriety with a refined work of glass.
