This beautiful French opaline glass vase, made circa 1840, is hand blown and exquisitely hand painted with a colorful arrangement of flowers.

The decoration includes pink roses, brilliant blue blossoms, and a large orange poppy with a richly detailed purple center. Delicate flowering stems, buds, and green leaves extend around the vase, creating a lively and naturalistic composition.

The quality of the flower painting is particularly appealing. Each blossom is carefully observed, with fine brushwork capturing the delicacy of the petals and the varied colors of the foliage. The brilliant orange poppy at the top provides a wonderful contrast to the soft pink roses and vivid blue flowers below.

The vase has an elegant baluster shape, with a rounded lower body rising through a slender neck to a widely flared mouth. Its milky white opaline glass provides an excellent ground for the colorful flowers, while fine bands of gilding around the mouth and foot complete the decoration.

French opaline glass became especially fashionable during the first half of the nineteenth century. Its smooth, luminous surface was particularly well suited to finely painted floral decoration. This vase is a beautiful example of the taste for naturalistic flower painting in French decorative arts during the 1840s.

Dimensions: 12 inches high × 4.5 inches diameter

Condition: Excellent

Material: Hand-blown opaline glass with polished pontil

Decoration: Hand-painted flowers with gilt borders

Origin: France

Date: Circa 1840

Price: $500