Bohemian Enameled Glass?

https://imgur.com/a/rLuevKE

I recently inherited these from my deceased grandmother. She mentioned to my mom that they were from the Napoleonic War to celebrate the liberation of Holland? They don't have any seams in them, but there is a mark at the bottom of the glass where I believe the stem would be cut off when blown? They are very thin glass and hand painted. The writing on the one glass was VIVAT DE REPUBIK.

Any other information on these pieces? The link above has a few photos, but I can get others if it would help. Very curious about them, their rarity and approximate value.

 

Welcome!

Here is the tutorial for uploading photographs:

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/posting-a-thread-and-uploading-pictures.15990/

 

Thanks, but the files are too large. Hopefully this way is ok?

 

Welcome, Curious. The one promising lead I got for 'VIVAT DE REPUBLIK' got me to a broken link for a saber sheath in a Dutch military museum, so the explanation you were given may be fundamentally correct, that they are commemorative of that event. Maybe one of our glassies will have a better idea about age. The rough area on the bottom is the pontil or punty mark.

 

Welcome to the forum, Curious.

As a Dutch anti-Orangist I must say these glasses made my heart beat faster. I hope the glassies among us can confirm they are ca 1800. If so, these are extremely rare.
The background of these glasses is complicated even for Dutch people, so bear with me.

The 'Republiek' is the 'Bataafse Republiek' or Batavian Republic, 1795-1806.
It was called after the Batavians, a Germanic-Celtic nation which lived in the Netherlands during Roman times. The Batavians fought the Romans and were a symbol of Dutch independence during Republican times, much later.

In the 16th century the Netherlands, which include Holland, became the first modern republic in the world. This led to the Golden Age of the northern Netherlands. Think Rembrandt, Vermeer, etc.
Ever since the founding of the Republic, one family, the Orange-Nassaus, used every means they could to try and take power. Several statesmen of the Republic, or State, were murdered, and there was a constant power struggle between Statists and Orangists, and a few military clashes.

Things came to a head in the second half of the 18th century, when the Statist military got support from private militias against the Orangists. The Orangists were supported by German nobles.
With support from the private militias, the Statist Republic was considered viable by several other countries, and they received extra military support from the French.

In 1795 the Orange-Nassau of the day fled the country, which heralded the start of the Bataafse Republiek. The BR was a continuation of the Statist Republic, but with new, enlightened ideals.
The only way the BR could survive in Royalist Europe was with official recognition from the French, which they got in return for substantial annual payments and they were forced to accept a French military force on Dutch soil. Political, state, legal and civil matters remained in Dutch hands.

With the conservative Orangists out of the way, the BR introduced a new rule, egalitarian laws and civil rights, inspired by the early French Republic.
But as the French Republic became more radical, the BR remained true to the early ideals. Because of this the French came to see the BR as an insubordinate vassal state, and, as sole supporter of the young republic, managed to strengthen its grip on the BR.

In 1805 Napoleon decided the BR had gone to far (or not far enough), and took power, aided by the French military which were already in the country. He appointed his brother Louis the first king of the Netherlands.
This was the end of the Bataafse Republiek. For a few years some of the ideals of the BR continued, because against his brother's wishes Louis continued many of the reforms which had been started by the BR.

Apologies for the long background story.
I'd love to hear from the glassies if they think these glasses could be ca 1800. The shape is not unusual for the period, here is an 18th century Dutch glass:

http://www.lemaireantiek.nl/epages/78239537.sf/nl_NL/?ObjectPath=/Shops/78239537/Products/93

 

Wow, this is great detail. I have posted to a couple other places and this has been some of the feedback.

"They are not common, the bases make them look period. Research will be difficult. This style is usually German, although is was made in North America by Steigel (think Pennsylvania Dutch) ca 1760. These are not."

"Do you live close to this area? Or could you contact a museum? Calling overseas isn’t too difficult, I have called museums about pieces before."

You seem to be very knowledgable about the time period. Do you have any contacts at museums or anything?

 

I am Dutch and interested in history. Some of my ancestors were officers in an army which supported the Dutch State army in the 18th century, so this period has special interest to me.

The Laméris family are the go to address here for historic glass, it is a site you really have to look at if you love antique glass and ceramics:
https://frideslameris.nl/

They also advise museums, so I am sure they can give you more info. The e-mail address is info@frideslameris.nl

Good luck, and will you let us know what they say?

 

Done! Will keep this thread updated. I have also reached out the the Rijks.

 

Wonderful, can't wait.

 

From the Corning Museum of Glass:

"Thank you very much for your enquiry. Your tumblers do indeed appear to be of early 19th century Southern German or Bohemian production. The inscription would suggest a Dutch market. That they were produced to celebrate the liberation of The Netherlands from the French seems a very reasonable supposition."

 

Sotheby's has also confirmed that it is Bohemian Beaker glasses, circa 1800, though no interest in selling it. Any advice on how to find the value?

 

Because of the specific Dutch interest, I think the Laméris family would be the best way to find out. I hope they get in touch soon.

 

History does repeat itself, but it never ceases to amaze me how this particular one repeats and repeats and repeats.

 

Yes, that's the way it goes, different times, different places and names, same story.

 

From the Rijks museum:

Your glass was probably made in Central Europe at the end of the 18th century. The ‘republiek’ it refers to would be the Bataafse Republiek.

The slight misspelling in the word ‘republiek’ is found more often on Central European and German glass made for the Dutch market.


Even though the figures seem (particularly the girl seems almost a Dutch stereotype, with the buckets of milk) these figures look similar to the the way women were painted on this type of glass. You can compare it to: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.326107.

 

Interesting, Curious. So probably a pretty generic glass with a special connotation. That makes sense. With this text they would only have been made for a short period of time, given the short-lived Bataafse Republiek.

Not surprising really, the German and Bohemian pronunciation of Republik is roughly the same as the Dutch republiek.