VICTORIAN OPALINE BOTTLE - 19th century French white opaline shipping decanter with gold topper and lucky horseshoe decor

shipping 19th century French Napoleon III white opaline carafe with gold topper and lucky horseshoe decor.

Given the petite but lovely proportions of this decanter, this piece might have been meant to be displayed on a vanity rather than a dining room. Sets of such bottles in different dimensions were known to be used for that purpose. This model exhibits the number 35 engraved under the base and the number 2 written in gold, maybe in reference to the size?

The body of the decanter was fashioned out of white milk glass but the topper was made out of clear glass and finished with gold on the exterior. A large band of a deep blue was painted with a decor of four horseshoes linked by chains in gold paint. The decorative band comprises two raised black borders highlighted with gold leaves decor. Other this gold trim line the base and neck of the bottle, along coral tone lines.

The bottle is in great condition. There is a little gold missing where the bottom of the topper slides in the bottle and on the circular lines on the top of the neck. The person who painted the bottle left a thin line of golf on the protruding ring of the neck but it can be invisible if you turn the bottle, it is visible in the second photograph. There are three tiny creases under the ring from the fabrication and a fold from the mould.

The bottle stands 8 1/4" tall and is 3 1/2" in diameter.

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