Beaker
1750-1799 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Enamelled beakers celebrating the King were a popular type of 'royal souvenir' in 18th-century Spain. Such beakers were manufactured in Spain, but they were also imported in large quantities from Bohemia (now in the Czech Republic). The Bohemian glass industry had trading posts in various Spanish cities, and custom-made decorations and inscriptions could be supplied quite quickly. This example shows the coat of arms of Spain and the inscription ‘Viva el Rey de Espaa’. The word ‘Espana’ is mispelled in this inscription, which means ‘Long live the King of Spain'. It is tempting to read this error as an indication of the beaker’s foreign manufacture.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Opaque white glass, enamelled |
| Brief description | Beaker, Central Europe, probably Bohemia, 1750-99 |
| Physical description | Enamelled beaker with the Arms of Spain, inscribed "Viva el Rey de Espaa". |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | Inscribed 'Viva el Rey de España' (enamelled) (Decoration) |
| Gallery label |
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| Summary | Enamelled beakers celebrating the King were a popular type of 'royal souvenir' in 18th-century Spain. Such beakers were manufactured in Spain, but they were also imported in large quantities from Bohemia (now in the Czech Republic). The Bohemian glass industry had trading posts in various Spanish cities, and custom-made decorations and inscriptions could be supplied quite quickly. This example shows the coat of arms of Spain and the inscription ‘Viva el Rey de Espaa’. The word ‘Espana’ is mispelled in this inscription, which means ‘Long live the King of Spain'. It is tempting to read this error as an indication of the beaker’s foreign manufacture. |
| Bibliographic reference | Drahotova, 1985, p.502, fig.4 (Cf.) where a similar one is described as Northern Bohemian, 3rd quarter of 18th century |
| Other number | 8660 - Glass gallery number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 303-1873 |
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| Record created | December 13, 1997 |
| Record URL |
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