Featured Opaline Biscuit Barrel?

Hi all:

I purchased this today at an estate sale in Missouri. It measures about 5 " wide and 10" tall at the bale. I believe it is opaline glass, painted with a scene of a girl picking lemons from a tree and a younger boy eating them. The kids seem to be dressed in folk costume (Italian?). The painting is done by hand.

The bottom has a polished pontil, and is unsigned. The top is very decorative and sports a strawberry finial with leaves. The metal may be nickel or silver plate, or a combination thereof; the bale can be shined with silver polish but the lid shines only underneath, where you can see silver. The number "16" appears on the underside of the lid.

So if you can, help me out with the year and country of manufacture. I'll guess France, but I have no idea on the year.

 

Nicely decorated milk glass jar. the art has me thinking European.

 

On further research I'm thinking French, ca. 1860.

 

What a beautiful piece I think French too, not sure of the date.

 

I think 1860 might be a little too early. Mid 1880s or after.

What does the top of the handle look like? Would be interested to see if it matches the lid.
Have you looked carefully to see if the base has a 16 on it to match the lid?

 

Thanks everyone. Clutteredcloset, I'm curious as to how you settled on the date? Oh, and there are no markings on the base at all.

 

I was looking at the type of silverplate design.
And I'm still curious to the design of the handle.
Not sure the strawberry design goes with what looks like possible thorns on the handle. Thorns would be consistent with a lemon tree.

Milk (Opaline) glass was very popular in the later 1800s to early 1900s.
I agree that this might be European rather than American. Particularly with the simple metal base. That makes me think English, but that is just a guess.

 

Hey Cluttered:

I'm not able to take more photos at the moment, but the handle is decorated with stylized acanthus leaves with a small urn at the top. Both are Renaissance/Classical in inspiration. No thorns.

My research indicates that opaline glass reached it's apex of popularity from 1850-1870, although it can be found both earlier and later. Thus my guess of 1860. However, acanthus leaves were one of the principle motifs of the Renaissance Revival, so 1870 or, yes, even 1880 might make more sense. Thanks so much for your input!!