Flute Glass with Portrait of King Charles II of England

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Flute Glass with Portrait of King Charles II of England

Place of OriginProbably northern Netherlands

Date1660-1688

DimensionsH: 40.3 cm (15 7/8 in.)

MediumColorless glass; blown, diamond-point engraved

ClassificationGlass

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1966.116

On View

Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion (2444 Monroe Street), Glass Pavilion Gallery, 4

DescriptionEngraved with a portrait of Charles II of England and the inscription, "God Bless King Charles the Second"

Label TextA typically Dutch type of drinking vessel made in the Venetian style, this elegant flute bears a portrait of the English king, Charles II (ruled 1660–85). Engraved with a diamond-tipped stylus on the thin-walled, funnel-shaped bowl of the flute, the portrait is accompanied by an inscription encircling the rim in slightly misspelled English: “God Bless King Charlis [sic] the Second.” Though relations between England and the Dutch Republic had been marked by tension and war throughout the 17th century, in 1677 the countries were connected through the politically motivated marriage of Charles II’s niece Mary to William of Orange, Stadholder (governor) of the Dutch Republic (the couple later became co-rulers of England). This or another diplomatic occasion may have prompted the production of a Dutch glass celebrating the English king.Published ReferencesPage, Jutta-Annette, The Art of Glass: Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, OH, Toledo Museum of Art, 2006, p. 102-103, repr. (col.) p. 103.