A Victorian Cut-glass Bonbonnière

A mid-19th century cut glass bonbonnière with lid.

This lead glass bonbonniere was made in the early Victorian era. It is a good survival from this period as it retains its original lid. The glass has a dark transparency, typical of pieces from this time. The surfaces are cut throughout and the overall form is based on Classical principals.

Lead glass is a variety of glass in which lead replaces the calcium content of a earlier potash glass. Lead glass is desirable owing to its decorative properties. Originally discovered by an Englishman George Ravenscroft in 1674, the technique of adding lead oxide improved the appearance of the glass and made it easier to melt using sea-coal as a furnace fuel. This technique also made the glass easier to manipulate enabling manufacturers to be ever more creative and ambitious in their designs.

The term lead crystal does not accurately describe lead glass, as glass, an amorphous solid, lacks a crystalline structure.