Vintage Empire Style Dolphin TazzaCut Glass Scalloped Bowl on Gilt Metal Dolphin Stand with Paw Feet, Attributed 19th Century, 23 cm

In French, the word dauphin means dolphin, and it was also the title given to the heir to the throne. The name came from the Dauphiné region, whose rulers bore a dolphin on their coat of arms and passed both the land and the title to the king’s eldest son in the fourteenth century. Ever since, the dolphin has carried a hint of royal grandeur in French decoration.

This tazza places that royal creature at the centre of the table. A stylized dolphin rests its head on a round base, with its scaly body twisting upward and its tail fanning out to support a wide glass bowl. The base is decorated with a band of upright leaves and stands on small lion-paw feet, in the Empire style. The bowl is cut glass, with a scalloped rim and deep flutes radiating from the centre, so that it catches and scatters the light. Tazzas like this were made for the dessert table, where fruit and sweets were displayed at their most tempting.

The tazza is in good condition, with no cracks. There is a slight chip on the underside of the bowl’s rim, as pictured. It makes a striking centrepiece for a dining table or sideboard, piled with fruit or simply standing on its own.

In short, this is a vintage Empire style dolphin tazza, with a cut glass scalloped bowl on a gilt metal dolphin stand with paw feet, attributed to the nineteenth century. The bowl is 23 cm across, and it is exactly as pictured.

DETAILS

Size: Bowl diameter 23 cm (9.1 in); overall height 21 cm (8.3 in). The bowl is a little smaller than a dinner plate.
Material: Cut glass bowl; gilt metal stand
Style-Period: Empire style; vintage, attributed to the nineteenth century
Shipping: Professionally packed, fully insured, worldwide. We handle the paperwork, with all import duties paid by us; nothing to settle on delivery.
Condition: Good; no cracks; a slight chip on the underside of the bowl’s rim.
Returns: Accepted within 30 days.

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A decorative style is not a guarantee of a particular maker or date. See the individual listing for the stated attribution and period.

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