Who REALLY knows glass?

I don't usually collect glass pieces, especially a vase so I need someone's help. I have acquired ( sounds better than , bought cheap ) a blue over white glass vase, possibly Bristol, 9 3/8ths inches tall, flanged to with appearance of a gold plated rim. On the face is hand painted an oval picture of a young girl, head and shoulders, Victorian in appearancewith fronds in her hair and wearing a white dress. The picture is slightly indented to the rest of the body of the vase and framed in gold , backed by raised white dots, then more gold around that with a sunray effect going out from this oval framed shape. The body of the vase is an elliptical egg shaped, narrowing above the base, then spreading to a 3 3/8 wide foot with a 1' gold neck above the base and below the body of the vase. Under the base of the vase, I cannot see any marks at all, just white glass, as is looking in the top, white inside , robin egg blue over most of the outside. With the exception of the delicate portrait of course. Has anyone seen anything similar to this vase, if so could you give me an idea as to approx. age etc.? Where was it made? There are no chips, or cracks in this vase and has only very minor wear of the gold trim on the lip and

Sorry Just checked the email address , any email can respond to the above address concerning the vase . That way I will actually receive your reply. Thanks Jim.

Based on your description, your vase sounds like cased French opaline. while opalines were made elsewhere, the decoration you describe sounds more of the type done by the French. These vases began to be produced around 1880 and continued into the twentieth century. It would be impossible to guess at the age without seeing the vase. Your vase was definitely not made in Bristol.

Hope this helps a little. Edie Crawford SO RARE! GALLERIES http://www.so-rare.com