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| Champagne Glass and Presentation Case Crown Copyright The Royal Collection via The Royal Collection Trust Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Click on image for larger size. |
From the Royal Collection, we have this silver and blue enamel Art Deco pentagonal presentation box. The two hinged front doors open to reveal a magnificent champagne glass on a silver stand. Across the bottom of both doors and the silver stand, gilt metal plaques boast a continuous inscription which reads:
THIS ANCIENT ENGLISH CHAMPAGNE GLASS, MADE IN THE REIGN OF
KING CHARLES II,
SHORTLY AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF THE SPARKLING WINE OF CHAMPAGNE BY DOM PIERRE PERRIGNON, AND BELIEVED TO BE
THE OLDEST DRINKING VESSEL OF ITS KIND IN EXISTANCE, WAS PRESENTED WIH HOMAGE AND RESPECT TO THEIR MAJESTIES KING
GEORGE V AND QUEEN MARY TO MARK THE MEMORABLE AND HAPPY OCCASION OF THE SILVER JUBILEE OF THEIR ACCESION TO THE THRONE 16TH MAY, 1935 BY THE WINE PRODUCERS AND PEOPLE OF CHAMPAGNE.
The entire box fits into a red leather carry case designed and made by Hermès.
This late seventeenth-century lobed drinking glass with splayed rim sits upon a baluster stem and a circular and spirally-molded foot.
This late seventeenth-century lobed drinking glass with splayed rim sits upon a baluster stem and a circular and spirally-molded foot.
As impressive as this important glass is, the Art Deco presentation case is equally important.
Enameler Jean Goulden (1878-1946) was commissioned to create the case by the large Champagne houses (Reims and Épernay), grape growers, cork makers and glass makers, after the ;eague had collectively purchased the champagne glass in London on November 6, 1934 from the collection of Grant R. Francis, who was known as one of the most important glass collectors of the twentieth century.
Enameler Jean Goulden (1878-1946) was commissioned to create the case by the large Champagne houses (Reims and Épernay), grape growers, cork makers and glass makers, after the ;eague had collectively purchased the champagne glass in London on November 6, 1934 from the collection of Grant R. Francis, who was known as one of the most important glass collectors of the twentieth century.
Goulden's original designs for the casket exist in the collection of his son. The artist had originally studied medecine and art in Paris before becoming a major-doctor during the first world war, being stationed in Macedonia where he remained for some time as the guest of the monks' communities of the Mont of Athos. There, he studied Byzantine enamels in the company of Paul Jouve (1880-1973).
When Goulden returned to France, he joined Jean Dunard (1877-1942) who introduced him to the champlevé enameling technique. Known for their fineness and rarity, Goulden's works are considered the best of the era and he is considered important in the development of the Art Deco style in the decorative arts. His work is characterized by stong black lines and bright colors, and the use of a geometric or cubist style.
