Jim Peake
Head of Department
Lot 52*
A fine and rare Giles gilded blue glass decanter, circa 1765-70
19 November 2025, 10:30 GMT
London, Knightsbridge£3,000 - £5,000
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A fine and rare Giles gilded blue glass decanter, circa 1765-70
Decorated in the London workshop of James Giles, of shouldered form in deep blue glass, cut all over with diamond facets with a band of square facets to the shoulder, richly gilt with a 'mosaic' pattern, 24cm high
Footnotes
Provenance
Mike Sannicandro Collection
Literature
Andy McConnell, The Decanter: Ancient to Modern (2018), p.117, no.13
In 1774 Christie's held an auction of part of the stock of Giles, which included two pairs of decanters and stoppers with descriptions which match the present lot. Lot 29 on 21 March 1774 was 'two cut decanters (enamel'd) mosaick work very rich...', and lot 37 on 22 March 1774 was 'two glass decanters cut enamel'd mosaic very rich...'. Several cut glass wares from the atelier of James Giles gilded in a 'mosaic' pattern are known. A pair of green cruet bottles and a cream basin are illustrated by Gerald Coke, In Search of James Giles 1718-1780 (1983), p.243, pl.71. The cream basin is also illustrated by Stephen Hanscombe, James Giles China and Glass Painter (2005), no.128, together with a pair of blue cruet bottles and three scent bottles. A pair of decanters of very similar form in green glass from the Bayreuth Collection was sold by Bonhams on 18 June 2024, lot 134, one of which is illustrated by Andy McConnell (2018), p.117, no.15. This is illustrated alongside an example of 'sugarloaf' form in opaque white glass, no.14, which was sold by Bonhams on 1 May 2013, lot 57. See also the opaque white glass cruet bottle, no.16.