An opaque white overlay has been cut with a top facet and six side facets, and encased in crystal. It is rare to see an encased overlay of this sort, probably because of the extreme difficulty involved in producing them. After the white overlay was applied, the weight had to be annealed and when cool, faceted. Next, the weight had to be reheated so the outer coating of crystal would adhere without cracking the original weight. The process is extremely delicate, and certainly more weights were destroyed during production than made it to completion.
Few antiques possess the technical artistry seen in upright bouquets.
The white overlay in this piece, preserved eternally by a coating of crystal, frames the bouquet from the top, at the same time inviting one to explore the nooks and crannies of the piece from different angles on the sides, savoring the intensity of the flowers and foliage. This piece was formerly part of the collection of the New-York Historical Society. Painted in red enamel with museum accession number. Small piece of cullet in the dome. Small bubble in the base.