Glass etagere

F & C Osler Ltd

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

1882

Survivals of this kind of fragile and vulnerable glass furniture are very rare. The cut-glass extremities are liable to get chipped and a careless gesture can easily smash the shelves with their brilliantly engraved decoration. Such technically showy pieces were in demand for the luxurious palaces of Eastern rulers and Indian Rajahs. During the 19th century, Osler of Birmingham was the leading manufacturer of such large cut-glass objects and furniture which included beds, clocks, cabinets and seating, as well as chandeliers and standing candelabra.

• Medium: glass & electroplated brass
• Dimensions: 94 x 76 cm
• Art Fund Grant: £7000 ( Total: £34,250)
• ArtFunded in: 1989
• Vendor: Asprey's

Provenance

Palace of Mysore; private collection, USA.

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