A rare Venetian small cruet, circa 1700

Of hourglass form with a flared trumpet neck with a vermicular collar, two trailed turquoise bands to the rim, the slender ribbed spout with a pulled band to the tip in turquoise glass, the double-loop handle also delicately ribbed and applied with pincered ornament, the body trailed with five concentric threads and applied with opposing gilt mask prunts flanked by smaller prunts in turquoise, a further gilt mask prunt below the spout, the base moulded with 'nipt diamond waies', 11.9cm high

Provenance
Paul Gresswell-Wilkins Collection

The origin and dating for cruets of this type stems from comparisons to pieces with similar trailed threads presented to Frederik IV, King of Denmark, in 1709, now in the Danish Royal collection at Rosenborg Castle, which all share similar decorative elements including mask prunts drawn up into points and ribbed handles with pincered ornament. See Gudmund Boesen, Venetianske Glas på Rosenborg (1960), nos.6, 9 and 12. A very similar cruet is illustrated by Barovier Mentasti et al., Mille Anni Di Arte Del Vetro a Venezia (1982), p.143, no.205. Compare also to the footed example in the Musée Ariana in Geneva (inv. no.MF 4088) illustrated by Erwin Baumgartner, Reflets de Venise (2015), pp.202-3, no.95.