Grand Tour Pink Opaline Compote with Gilt Leaf Mounts

Exquisite Palais Royal / Grand Tour compote in hand-blown white opaline, mounted in doré bronze vine-and-leaf mounts at the rim and foot. The mounts are hung with pink opaline beads that glow softly against the white glass.

In the early 19th century, the fashionable shops beneath the arcades of the Palais-Royal in Paris were famous for luxurious "objets de vitrine": opaline glass, gilt bronze, and fine small treasures made for the cabinets of the wealthy. Travelers on the Grand Tour carried these pieces home as prized souvenirs of Paris. Opaline of this period, made in the decades when the great French glasshouses perfected the craft, is now highly sought after, and a compote with its full set of original beads intact is a rare survivor.

A romantic centerpiece for a dining table, console, or vitrine.

Dimensions: 8" by 4"

Origin: France

Material: Opaline glass with doré bronze mounts and pink opaline beads

Era: Circa 1830–1850 (Louis-Philippe)

Condition: Antique; all beads present, no chips or cracks. Expected signs of age consistent with use. Please review photos for condition details.