Chinese Vase

Deep amber glass sprinkled with gold, as if someone had stirred in a spoonful of sparks.

This vase comes from Hei Bei Province, China, and dates to the early 20th century, in Peking glass. Chinese glassmakers have long added metallic inclusions to imitate aventurine and other stones, a taste that goes back to the imperial glass workshops of the Qing court. This one rises from a short foot into a full, rounded belly, then narrows into a long neck capped by a bulbous ring at the mouth. The glass is a rich brownish red, glossy and translucent, flecked all over with tiny golden specks. It is 10.75 inches high and 5.25 in diameter.

Polished, warm and a little bit glittery, which is no crime.