Superb straw work covered bottle. A remarkable example in a rarely seen form. Excellent untouched surface patina.

 

To create this piece, a wine bottle was covered in some type of thin cheese cloth or muslin that was dyed black. Hundreds of tiny flecks of straw were meticulously measured, cut, dyed and applied in a fantastically intricate semi repeating pattern with slightly different motifs in the center panels on each side. The art covers the bottle from the base right up to the very mouth. An impressive and beautifully executed work.

 

Typically this type of decoration was most often applied to boxes of various sizes for everything from jewelry to cigars. The majority of this work was created in the first half of the 19th century in Europe, and most often encountered examples are from France, Italy or England. A number of pieces of straw work have been identified as being made by POWs during the Napoleonic Wars. It is possible that this bottle is such a piece that might have been an old discard that a soldier of some skill painstakingly laid out and worked on for many hours. Impossible to confirm, but certainly worth mentioning as a strong possibility. If anyone out there knows better, I am open to your input. In any case, whoever created this object, it is a masterpiece of this medium and a really cool object.

Date: 1810-1830.

Size: 14 1/4″ tall. 3″ base diam. 

Condition: Overall excellent. Expected aging and wear with a few minor losses and worn areas. Please use photos and description to determine condition.

Price: SOLD

Insured US Shipping: SOLD

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