Vase Iris Motif, 1900

St. Petersburg, Imperial Glass Factory
Master A. Zotov from a design accredited to K. Krasovsky
Mark engraved on base N II beneath a crown, 1900.
Two layered (matt lilac and purple-violet) crystal, engraved, ground
30.5 x 19.5 x 19.5 cm

The Iris Vase adorned the boudoir of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna in the Winter Palace. The Empress loved pink and lilac shades, which were selected not only for her dresses, but also used in upholestery and interior decorations. For this reason the artists began to give preference to lilac and deep violet colors in their designs, thus creating for the glass factory's technicians. In order to achieve violet tones of any depth they began at this time to use a combination of gold and cobalt instead of using mangenese peroxide, the former method generall accepted in the glass industry.