Mid Victorian Mercury Glass Bud Vase with Etched Bird and Floral Design

This is a nice example of a ‘mercury’ or ‘silvered’ glass, probably dating to around 1860. The vase has a tulip shaped upper portion that tapers in to a discoid knop. Below this the short stem flares out to form the flat foot. On the underside of the foot is a central discoid ‘button’ that was inserted at the end of the manufacturing process. The upper portion of the vase is etched with a complex design of flowers, foliage with a stylised bird and butterfly. The knop, stem and foot are all etched with bands of circumferential lines. The interior of the vase is a gold colour and the exterior is silvered. It has a height of approximately 19.3cm, with a diameter at the rim of about 6.3cm and across the foot of about 7.9cm. It is in excellent condition, with no chips or cracks. There is some wear to the silvering on the underside of the foot that spreads on to the top surface of the foot.