Vase

A glass vase with a wide, serrate spout. It owes its exceptional appearance mainly to the material it is made of, i.e. black, non-transparent glass. Its inventor was Georg Franz August Longueval, count of Buquoy (1781–1851). He was a mathematician, a physicist, a chemists, a philosopher as well as an owner of several glass factories. In the course of his experiments he discovered a new recipe for deep black glass mass. He gave it the name of “hyalith”, inspired by the Greek word for “glass” (“hyalos”). Its production started in 1817 and it quickly became very popular. It was used for a wide range of items, including cups, vials, vases, tea containers, candle-holders and many more. Though the count of Buquoy had the patent, soon other factories started producing similar items in response to the growing demand. The popularity of hyalith, however, lasted for a relatively short period, i.e. until the 1840s, giving place to other types of glassware.

The appearance of the material resembling items made of lacquer was the reason why such products started to be decorated with motifs inspired by Far Eastern art which can be first found in European art as early as the 17th century. The vase from Wilanów displays gilded decorations which can be found on many other items. Some gilded surfaces were polished, while others were left matte, which results in additional lines in gilded spots that bring out their unique beauty. The decorative motifs are the most typical examples: a pavilion on the water with a footbridge that that connects it to the land, a stylised Chinese figure with a characteristic plait and moustache, a flying crane and palm trees. Ornamental additions include floral motifs and insects.

The Wilanów collection also includes a companion vase (Wil.5691) decorated with the same key motifs but in a slightly different layout.