Fine Viennese Enamelled and Gilt Glass Beaker, Stephansdom, c.1830

18271: Fine Viennese Enamelled and Gilt Glass Beaker, Stephansdom, c.1830
Austrian, c. 1830
Height 12cm, diameter 8.5cm

This refined Viennese beaker is a fine example of Biedermeier enamelled glass, dating from around 1830 and painted with a topographical view of Stephansdom (St Stephen's Cathedral), Vienna.
Of characteristic flared Ranftbecher form, the beaker rises from a spreading foot cut with a thick faceted rim — the Ranft from which the type takes its name — set with a ring of amber-stained lenses and finished beneath by a radiating star-cut motif. Across the clear glass body, painted in transparent and polychrome enamels, unfolds a detailed view of the cathedral: its soaring Gothic spire, patterned tiled roof and intricately articulated façade are captured with remarkable topographical precision, while the square before it comes alive with tiny figures, a horse and carriage and surrounding townhouses beneath a softly graduated sunset sky. The view is titled in gilt script to the lower border, Domkirche zu St. Stephan, and flanked by further vignettes of Viennese streets, divided by slender gilt Gothic pilasters. Crowning the rim, a band of gilt Gothic arcading, quatrefoils and crosses hangs above a delicate lambrequin of gilt drops, lending the whole a jewel-like refinement.
Beakers of this kind, uniting meticulously observed views with elaborate gilt Gothic-inspired borders, were made in Vienna during the Biedermeier period and are closely associated with the celebrated Hausmaler (independent glass painter) Anton Kothgasser (1769–1851) and his circle, whose finely painted souvenir glasses rank among the greatest achievements of Viennese enamelled glass. Here, the luminous amber staining and precision of the enamelling mark the beaker out as an especially attractive example of the genre.
Radiant in colour and exquisitely painted, this elegant Ranftbecher preserves the romance, craftsmanship and civic pride of early 19th-century Vienna in miniature.
$5,250