Original Spanish Silver and Cut Crystal Vinaigrettes. S. XX.

Original Spanish Carved Crystal Glass Vinaigrettes with Decorative Silver Stand. S. XX. Precious little bottles of elegant cut crystal with lobulated neck on one side to make it easier to pour the liquid. The two faceted stoppers and the decorative geometric cuts on the handles and the body stand out. The striking embossed and carved silver stand has a profuse decoration in the form of a central handle based on a fantastic fish of great size and extreme detailing. The cruets sit on a base composed of two holding ovals with a geometric vegetal border, joined in the central part. Attached are the Spanish silver marks, which assure their date and location. All the parts are original and in perfect state of conservation, with their corresponding contrasts. The cruets, as we know them today, in their most primitive form were small bottles, one for the oil and the other for the vinegar on a support. In the early years they were made entirely of silver, but from the 18th century onwards they were manufactured more frequently in glass, and in the 19th century in pressed glass, which allowed for greater durability. Before the second half of the eighteenth century, cut glass represented only a minimal proportion of world glass production. In the seventeenth century a new range of cut decoration was developed, following the introduction of various types of glass that allowed it. With the experiments developed in Bohemia was improving the quality of glass, and could be carried out more carved and engraved decoration. The fashion for cut glass lasted until the end of the nineteenth century, as the arrival of steam-powered carving machines at first made carvings with much more complicated designs were produced. The carvings of those early years are deeper and more colorful, thanks to the introduction of mechanized lathes that facilitated cutting, but cut glass would still remain a luxury item for many until pressed glass appeared. Precious cruets of national manufacture perfect to provide our silver collection with a singular piece. Measures: 17 x 17 cm. Silver weight: 114 gr.