Suite of Twelve Coloured Overlay Crystal Wine Glasses, France, circa 1930

This exceptional suite of twelve wine glasses is executed in the prestigious overlay crystal technique — a process in which a gather of richly coloured glass is cased over a core of clear crystal, then painstakingly cut through by hand to reveal intricate decorative patterns. Each glass in this set presents a different hue: the full chromatic range encompasses emerald green, ruby red, cobalt blue, and golden yellow among others, giving the ensemble a jewel-like brilliance when caught by light. The cutting pattern, composed of pointed Gothic arches surmounted by star motifs, runs with great precision around the full circumference of each bowl, while the stem features a faceted knop above a flat clear foot.

The overlay or "doublé" technique has its roots in Bohemian and French crystal production of the nineteenth century and was brought to its highest expression by the great French crystal houses — Saint-Louis, Baccarat, and others — in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The demand for coloured overlay glasses as elements of formal table services reached its apogee during the Third Republic and the interwar period, when the table à la française remained a theatre of refinement and social display. A suite of twelve in twelve different colours represents a particularly festive and generous composition.

The Gothic arch pattern visible on these glasses is a recurring motif in French crystal cutting of the period, combining architectural allusion with the technical virtuosity that distinguished French glasswork from its competitors. Each glass required several hours of work at the cutting wheel, the craftsman managing the depth of cut to achieve the luminous contrast between the saturated colour of the overlay and the sparkling clarity of the underlying crystal beneath.

In good condition overall. Minor wear consistent with use and age. The colours remain vivid and the cutting is crisp. A sumptuous table service well suited to formal dinners, or equally effective displayed as decorative objects in their own right.