Victorian Cobalt Blue Glass Brandy Decanter with Gilt Decoration and Original Stopper

A handsome Victorian cobalt blue glass decanter retaining its original matching stopper and traces of its original gilt decoration and the letter ‘B’. Produced in the second half of the nineteenth century, the decanter displays the rich deep blue colouring that made cobalt glass one of the most striking decorative materials of the Victorian period.

The decanter is of traditional mallet form, with a rounded shoulder, tapering neck and original blown stopper. The body is embellished with hand-applied gilt decoration, including a shaped cartouche to the front and decorative gilded bands around the neck and stopper. Although some of the gilding has naturally worn with age, sufficient survives to demonstrate the object’s original decorative appearance.

Cobalt blue glass enjoyed enormous popularity during the Victorian era for both decorative and functional wares. The colour was achieved by the addition of cobalt oxide during manufacture and was widely associated with quality table glass, decanters and dining-room furnishings. Examples such as this would originally have formed part of a domestic drinks service and would have been displayed prominently on a sideboard or dining table.

The elegant proportions, rich colour and surviving decoration make this an attractive decorative object in its own right, while also serving as a representative example of Victorian table glass.

Comparable nineteenth-century cobalt blue decanters are represented in museum collections devoted to British and European decorative arts, including holdings of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Corning Museum of Glass.

An attractive and highly displayable example of Victorian coloured glass.

Condition: Very good condition. Original stopper present. Light wear to the neck and expected rubbing to the gilt decoration. No obvious cracks noted from the photographs. Displays well.

Date: c.1870–1900
Height: Approximately 21.5 cm including stopper
Material: Cobalt blue glass with gilt decoration
Construction: Blown glass decanter with matching stopper

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