The decanter and three glasses entered the museum’s collection from the Kaluga Natural History Museum named after Ryzhichkin along with many other exhibits. Unfortunately, the story and origin of some of the pre-revolutionary exhibits cannot be explored due to the loss of historical documents. It can be assumed that this set, lavishly decorated with gilding and painting, was created in Western Europe, most likely, at the turn of the 20th century.

At first glance, it may seem that the pieces are made of gilded metal. However, upon closer examination, it becomes apparent that the main material used by the craftsman is translucent, blue-colored cobalt glass. The glass is richly decorated with a layer of gilding. Using one material to imitate another is a technique that was used quite often in decorative and applied arts.

The shape of the decanter and glasses made it possible to determine that they were produced at the turn of the 20th century. The decanter’s body is hemispherical, rounding towards the bottom. Such shapes were typical of products in the style of Art Nouveau, which was the dominant art movement during that time.

The rather heavy lower part of the decanter contrasts with the thin and elongated cylindrical neck, which is topped with a wavy crown. The small glasses are cylindrical and have tall and thin stems with round bases.

The décor of all pieces is based on the contrast of color and material. The lavishly gilded surface creates an eye-catching contrast with the blue glass surrounded by Rocaille decoration — a pattern of relief scrolls.

The colorful flowers of rose-white and light-blue shades with white branches and green leaves were painted using pasty opaque enamel. Such paints were used to create relief both on the surface of the glass and on the gilded background.

Against the matte gilded background of the decanter’s neck, there is a wide band of glossy polished gold, topped with a relief wavy pattern. A similar pattern was used to decorate the round base of three glasses.