A Venetian or façon de venise latticinio glass large goblet, late 16th/early 17th century

The Seagram Collection, New York, Artcurial, Paris, 15 March 2005, lot 66;

Bonhams London, 17 December 2008, lot 407;

Where acquired

In the 16th and 17th centuries, exquisite objects in Venetian blown glass were treated as important jewel-like treasures from the first moments of their creation. A symbol of status in society, these fragile works entered the most important Renaissance and Baroque wunderkammers in Europe, among them, most notably, the unique glass cabinet of Frederik IV (1671-1730) King of Denmark, created in 1713-14 at Rosenberg Castle, which survives today and includes some 1,000 pieces of Venetian and European glass.

A further goblet of this type is in the Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, Aylesbury, inv. 3135, illustrated and discussed in R. Charleston and M. Archer, Glass and Enamels: The James A. Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon, Fribourg, 1977, pp. 104-107. That example, perhaps damaged at some point in its lifespan, and rather than be discarded was stabilized and further enriched with a silver-gilt mount. Another goblet is in the Historisches Museum, Basel, inv. 1882.89, illustrated in E. Baumgartner, Reflets de Venise : Gläser des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts in Schweizer Sammlungen

, 2015, pp. 134-136, cat. no. 48, where the author notes other known examples. A particularly close goblet was formerly in the Krug Collection and later sold, Bonhams London, 11 December 2013, lot 62.