Rock Crystal Decorative Bowls

Spring Cochlea della Metamorfosi 1 seasons edition vase by Coki Barbieri. Dimensions: W 18,5 x D 15 x H 24 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedime...

Summer Cochlea Della Consapevolezza Seasons Edition vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 24 x D 14 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sediment...

Winter 1 Cochlea dello Sviluppo Seasons Edition Vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 24 x D 8 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimentary rocks of the Italian Apennines and pure water, Italian rock salt crystals, black and blue mineral pigments from Italian soils, smoked painted borosilicate glass. Cochlea dello Sviluppo - SEASONS EDITION - Winter 1 Embellished with Italian rock salt crystals colored with natural pigments from the Italian subsoil, this vase from the Cochlea collection (inspired by the metamorphosis of snails) represents architecture and nature united together...

Spring Cochlea del Risveglio Seasons Edition vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 24 x D 14 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimentary roc...

Summer Cochlea del Risveglio Seasons Edition Vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 24 x D 14 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimentary roc...

Winter 2 Cochlea del Risveglio seasons edition vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 24 x D 14 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimentary r...

Autumn Cochlea della Metamorfosi 2 seasons edition vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 14 x D 15 x H 24 cm. Materials: handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimenta...

Autumn Cochlea del Risveglio Seasons Edition vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 24 x D 14 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimentary roc...

Autumn Cochlea Della Liberazione Seasons edition vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 14 x D 14 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimentary...

Spring Cochlea della Metamorfosi 2 seasons edition vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 14 x D 15 x H 24 cm. Materials: handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimenta...

Summer Cochlea della Metamorfosi 2 seasons Edition vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 14 x D 15 x H 24 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimenta...

Winter 1 Cochlea della Metamorfosi 2 Seasons Edition Vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 14 x D 15 x H 24 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimen...

Winter 2 Cochlea della Metamorfosi 2 seasons edition vase by Coki Barbieri. Dimensions: W 14 x D 15 x H 24 cm. Materials: handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedime...

Winter 2 Cochlea Della Liberazione Seasons Edition Vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 14 x D 14 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimenta...

Winter 1 Cochlea Della Liberazione Seasons Edition Vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 14 x D 14 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimenta...

Winter 1 Cochlea Della Liberazione Seasons Edition Vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 14 x D 14 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimenta...

Summer Cochlea Della Liberazione Seasons Edition vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 14 x D 14 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimentary rocks of the Italian Apennines and pure water, Italian rock salt crystals, yellow mineral pigments from Italian soils, yellow painted borosilicate glass Cochlea della Liberazione - SEASONS EDITION - Summer Embellished with Italian rock salt crystals colored with natural pigments from the Italian subsoil, this vase from the Cochlea collection (inspired by the metamorphosis of snails) represents architecture and nature united together...

Spring Cochlea Della Liberazione Seasons edition vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 14 x D 14 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimentary...

Winter 1 Cochlea del Risveglio Seasons Edition Vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 24 x D 14 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimentary rocks of the Italian Apennines and pure water, Italian rock salt crystals, black mineral pigments from Italian soils, smoked painted borosilicate glass. Cochlea del Risveglio - SEASONS EDITION - Winter 1 Embellished with Italian rock salt crystals colored with natural pigments from the Italian subsoil, this vase from the Cochlea collection (inspired by the metamorphosis of snails) represents architecture and nature united together...

Winter 1 Cochlea della Metamorfosi 1 Seasons Edition Vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 18,5 x D 15 x H 24 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedim...

Winter 2 Cochlea della Metamorfosi 1 Seasons Edition Vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 18,5 x D 15 x H 24 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedim...

Summer Cochlea della Metamorfosi 1 Seasons Edition Vase by Coki Barbieri. Dimensions: W 18,5 x D 15 x H 24 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedime...

Spring Cochlea della Metamorfosi 1 Seasons Edition Vase by Coki Barbieri. Dimensions: W 18,5 x D 15 x H 24 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedime...

Spring Cochlea dello Sviluppo seasons edition vase by Coki Barbieri. Dimensions: W 24 x D 8 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimentary rocks of the Italian Apennines and pure water, Italian rock salt crystals, pink mineral pigments from Italian soils, pink painted borosilicate glass. Cochlea dello Sviluppo - SEASONS EDITION - Spring Embellished with Italian rock salt crystals colored with natural pigments from the Italian subsoil, this vase from the Cochlea collection (inspired by the metamorphosis of snails) represents architecture and nature united together...

Summer Cochlea dello Sviluppo seasons edition vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 24 x D 8 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimentary rocks of the Italian Apennines and pure water, Italian rock salt crystals, yellow mineral pigments from Italian soils, yellow painted borosilicate glass. Cochlea dello Sviluppo - SEASONS EDITION - Summer Embellished with Italian rock salt crystals colored with natural pigments from the Italian subsoil, this vase from the Cochlea collection (inspired by the metamorphosis of snails) represents architecture and nature united together...

Autumn Cochlea Della Consapevolezza Seasons Edition vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 24 x D 14 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sediment...

Spring Cochlea Della Consapevolezza seasons edition vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 24 x D 14 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sediment...

Winter 2 Cochlea Della Consapevolezza Seasons Edition vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 24 x D 14 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedime...

Winter 1 Cochlea Della Consapevolezza Seasons Edition Vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 24 x D 14 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedime...

Winter 2 Cochlea dello Sviluppo Seasons Edition Vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 24 x D 8 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimentary rocks of the Italian Apennines and pure water, Italian rock salt crystals, blue mineral pigments from Italian soils, clear borosilicate glass. Cochlea dello Sviluppo - SEASONS EDITION - Winter 2 Embellished with Italian rock salt crystals colored with natural pigments from the Italian subsoil, this vase from the Cochlea collection (inspired by the metamorphosis of snails) represents architecture and nature united...

Autumn Cochlea dello Sviluppo Seasons Edition Vase by Coki Barbieri Dimensions: W 24 x D 8 x H 30 cm. Materials: Handcrafted stone made with Matera stone fragments, sedimentary rocks of the Italian Apennines and pure water, Italian rock salt crystals, pink and yellow mineral pigments from Italian soils, orange painted borosilicate glass. Cochlea dello Sviluppo - SEASONS EDITION - Autumn Embellished with Italian rock salt crystals colored with natural pigments from the Italian subsoil, this vase from the Cochlea collection (inspired by the metamorphosis of snails) represents architecture and nature united together...

Rock crystal vessels were highly demanded and valuable in Medieval times. Inventories from European royal houses and the highest aristocratic families detail the important and sophisticated collections of ewers and bowls. Rock crystal has also been used extensively in religious art. Fine European reliquaries were also made of Rock Crystal including gems, enamel and other precious materials. The work of rock crystal is very ancient. The materials has been worked and valued for its solidity and its purity: it has been believed to be water ice permanently frozen. Our superb example is a gold-mounted rock crystal bowl with enamel. The items origin is not clear and various features and characteristics may lead us to think of different origins and periods of creation. A single piece of stone mounted with gold could be a Milanese work. Although the cut could be French as similar pieces belonged to the French royalty (especially the art lover Duc de Berry, (1340-1416)). French and Italian crystal cutters have been active at the same time and it is often difficult to differentiate their works. Islamic art also influenced European artists. The famous Fatimid treasury provided examples of their sophistication and quality. The seven ewers carved for the Fatimid Imans (known as "The Magnificent Seven") display impressive quality of both rock crystal and enamelled mounts. Even though not identical to works by French silversmith Jean-Valentin Morel who was appointed goldsmith to Queen Victoria in 1852 or Reinhold Vasters (1927-1909) another renown German goldsmith who embellished older rock crystal items, there are similarities between these works. Both reduce their use of colour to black and white on pure gold mounts. Moreover the black enamel design is quite similar. Also, no gems are included and no human figure is represented. Sotherby's described our bowl as a "German Rock crystal bowl with later gold mounts, 15th century." Other items from the period from Germany or Austria are usually silver mounted and the decorations are more colourful and include gems or human figures but they have in common enamel motifs. In our case, the gold foot, handles and rim could date from the 1900s. An expert has established the foot, handles and rim are pure gold. The goldsmith responsible for the improvement of the bowl is possibly the most famous Reinhold Vasters whose work has been displayed in the greatest museums such as the V&A in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The Rock Crystal bowl we have is gold mounted. The gold shows in enamelled details that are black and white. The gold handles are also enamelled with black acanthus-like leaves. The enamelling method could be "champleve" or "painting metal". The metal that is usually preferred is copper but these techniques are also applied to gold. The bowl itself could be from the 14th century. It's cut reminds of an estimated 14th century rock crystal ball bearing the Buoncompagni family arms...