Regency Cut-Glass Wine Glass Rinse Basin, Circa 1820
Regency Cut-Glass Wine Glass Rinse Basin, Circa 1820
5410
An elegant Regency cut-glass wine glass rinse basin, dating to circa 1820. Made for the formal dining table, this refined and now increasingly unusual vessel was filled with water so that guests could rinse their wine glasses between courses, allowing a fresh glass to be used without carrying the previous wine's flavour into the next.
The generously sized bowl is finely cut with sparkling decorative detail, its faceted surface catching and refracting candlelight to particularly beautiful effect. Its restrained symmetry and crisp workmanship reflect the taste of the Regency period, when polished glass, formal service, and carefully considered table arrangements were central to the art of entertaining.
Wine-glass rinse basins were placed discreetly within the table setting and formed part of a sophisticated dining ritual that has largely disappeared from modern use. As a result, surviving examples offer a fascinating glimpse into early 19th-century manners and the theatre of the Regency dining table.
Today, the basin makes an exceptional decorative object in its own right. It would be striking as part of a period dining display, used as a centrepiece or serving bowl, or added to a collection of Regency cut glass and English tableware. Its clear glass and intricate cutting ensure that it retains an understated brilliance in both traditional and contemporary interiors.
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