Antique Victorian Ruby Glass Lustre | Enamel Painted, c.1860–1890

A breathtaking antique Victorian ruby glass lustre, dating from circa 1860–1890. Saturated in the deep, dramatic wine-red that defined the finest Bohemian and English glassmaking traditions, this piece is adorned with hand-painted opaque enamel florals and hung with sparkling cut-glass prisms that scatter light across any room. Whether gracing a mantelpiece, a display cabinet, or a period interior, this is a piece that commands attention.

The Craft Behind Ruby Glass

True ruby glass was historically produced by dissolving gold chloride into molten glass — a laborious and costly technique that yielded its unmistakable depth of colour. By the mid-19th century, Bohemian workshops began using copper oxides to achieve similarly rich crimson hues at greater scale, while English factories in the celebrated Stourbridge region produced the softer "cranberry" variants. The intense wine-red base and bold enamel decoration seen here are hallmarks of the very finest Victorian-era glasswork.

Piece Details

• Type: Ruby Glass Lustre (single piece)
• Style: Victorian
• Origin: Bohemian / English, circa 1860–1890
• Decoration: Opaque enamel floral painting with cut-glass prisms