A fine Queen Anne diamond-point engraved heavy-baluster goblet circa 1714

For the type with a domed foot see Delomosne & Son. Ltd., The Baluster Family of English Drinking Glasses, p.24, fig.10b., circa 1710.

The engraver's hand may be similar to that found on a number of distinguished calligraphic glasses dedicated to Queen Anne (1665-1714).  Robert Charleston has concluded that the 'to the memory' can only be interpreted as retrospective and thus post Queen Anne's death on 1st August 1714. There are plenty of surviving glasses which celebrate her in life. The same formula of inscription may be found on dated English delftware (compare with a plate dated 1717 inscribed 'To the pious memory of Queen Anne', illustrated by L.Lipski and M.Archer, Dated English Delftware, p.76, no.289). A heavy baluster goblet from this series now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, is inscribed God bless Queen Ann (see  R.Charleston, English Glass, pl.32a). A further heavy baluster goblet inscribed To ye pious Memory of Queen Anne was sold at Christie's, 9th March 1964, lot 174. That inscribed Take a dram, Old Boy, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, illustrated by J.Bles, Rare English Drinking Glasses of the 17th and 18th Centuries, pl.19, fig.27 and Charleston, op, cit., pl.32b, may also be by the same hand.

For a full discussion of the engraving on this group, see R.J.Charleston, 'Some English glasses with diamond-point decoration: the 'Calligraphic Master', The Burlington Magazine, May 1994, pp.276-282. Apart from those mentioned above, Charleston records several further similarly engraved glasses dedicated to the Queen including one dated 1721 and two further examples to add to that mentioned above inscribed To ye pious Memory of Queen Anne. These last  inscriptions are in copperplate whilst there are other examples not connected to Queen Anne which are inscribed in a calligraphic manner closely resembling the present example.

A rare heavy baluster goblet decorated in copper-wheel engraving with the arms of Queen Anne, was sold at Sotheby's Hanover, Schloss Marienburg, 7th October 2005, lot 967 (£26,000).