There likely has been as much variation in Champagne glasses as in any
type of glasses. I have 5 examples to show you. First view
http://www.cwdjr.net/picsnap/champagne.jpg . These 3 glasses are all by
Baccarat. The classic saucer on the left likely has been around over
100 years, especially in English speaking country. This example is from
the Brummel pattern, likely some of the most thin crystal ever made. It
can be felt to flex if you very lightly squeeze it. It must be very
carefully washed by hand. The middle glass is a tulip shape that was
very popular in the 60s and is my favorite. The "V" flute on the right
is a quite old style, but it still was being produced in the 60s.

Now look at http://www.cwdjr.net/picsnap/champagne2.jpg . Both of these
glasses come from the Venice area. The one with the octagon cross
section and much gold is an antique. The wild one on the right is
fairly recent.

These 5 samples barely scratch the surface of style variations in
Champange glasses.

On 26 Sep 2006 01:46:05 -0700, "cwdjrxyz" >
wrote:

>There likely has been as much variation in Champagne glasses as in any
>type of glasses. I have 5 examples to show you. First view
>http://www.cwdjr.net/picsnap/champagne.jpg . These 3 glasses are all by
>Baccarat. The classic saucer on the left likely has been around over
>100 years, especially in English speaking country. This example is from
>the Brummel pattern, likely some of the most thin crystal ever made. It
>can be felt to flex if you very lightly squeeze it. It must be very
>carefully washed by hand. The middle glass is a tulip shape that was
>very popular in the 60s and is my favorite. The "V" flute on the right
>is a quite old style, but it still was being produced in the 60s.
>
>Now look at http://www.cwdjr.net/picsnap/champagne2.jpg . Both of these
>glasses come from the Venice area. The one with the octagon cross
>section and much gold is an antique. The wild one on the right is
>fairly recent.
>
>These 5 samples barely scratch the surface of style variations in
>Champange glasses.

I don't think it is your example in the center, but the Baccarat "Dom
Perignon" was always my favorite example of what a champagne glass
should be.

The "Marie Antoinette's breast" saucer is totally disfunctional and
the typical flute found in most American services is clearly designed
only to allow a single bottle to serve 45 of your closest friends.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com

Ed Rasimus wrote:
> On 26 Sep 2006 01:46:05 -0700, "cwdjrxyz" >
> wrote:

> The "Marie Antoinette's breast" saucer is totally disfunctional and
> the typical flute found in most American services is clearly designed
> only to allow a single bottle to serve 45 of your closest friends.


I don't much care for the saucer aka coupe Champagne. Patrick Forbes in
his book "Champagne" published in the 1960s gives more information
about the history of the coupe glass than most people are likely to
want to read. You have to go way back to ancient Greek myths to start
the history. Maurice des Ombiaux in "Le Sein d'Helene" describes this
myth. "With wax provided by the golden daughters of Hymettus, the
shepheard Paris, whose capable hands were raised in an attitude of
adoration, took the cast of the breast, which looked like a luscious
fruit on the point of falling into a gardener's hand. When Paris had
removed the wax cast, the attendants hastened to replace the veil over
Helen's gorgeous breast, but not before her admirers had glimpsed a
teat whose freshness was as tempting as a strawberry. As soon as the
coupe had been fashioned under the aegis of Apollo, it was handed to
the suitors, each of whom raised it to his lips in turn, thereby
experiencing the divine illusion that he was drinking from the breast
of the daughter of Jupiter and Leda." This kind of flowery language is
seldom seen anymore.

Now on the the Marie Antoinette connection. She had many "playhouses"
and one was the Queen's Dairy Temple at the Chateau de Rambouillet. The
dairy temple contained four identical coupes which were moulded from
the breasts of Queen Marie Antoinette. They were made from Sevres
porcelain rather than glass. At least in the 1960s, only one of these
four remained, and it was in New York at that time. I have found a
picture of this coupe for you at
http://www.cwdjr.net/picsnap/antoinette.jpg . I would guess that
tradespeople took advantage of this coupe by saying the shape came from
Marie Antoinettes breasts, but most of the coupe Champagne glasses
would suggest that the Queen's breasts resembled fried eggs - perhaps
goose eggs. However the illustration of the real porcelain, in
agreement with many paintings of the Queen, suggest that she had rather
large breasts. Had the Queen been alive when coupe Champagne glasses
were sold associated with her name, she might have considered this a
great insult and insisted that King Louis have those responsible parted
from their heads. Also it might have been better to associate the
Champagne coupe with Helen of Troy.

Coupe glasses became much used in England in the early Victorian era,
some say because tradespeople got the rich to believe they needed
another glass for Champagne. Also fish knives and forks were introduced
at this time, likely for the same reason.

Forbes liked the tulip shape best. He did not care for coupes or flutes.

cwdjrxyz wrote:

> I don't much care for the saucer aka coupe Champagne. Patrick Forbes in
> his book "Champagne" published in the 1960s gives more information
> about the history of the coupe glass than most people are likely to
> want to read.

In addition to Marie-Antoinette and Helen of Troy mentioned by Forbes,
this urban legend has included several other famous and infamous
ladies. See http://www.snopes.com/business/origins/champagne.asp .