Cut Glass Dessert Bowls, set of 4

Price: £65 (for the set)

Dimensions: Height 6.5 cm, Length 13 cm, Depth 13 cm (2.6 in x 5.1 in x 5.1 in)

These gleaming vintage cut and etched glass bowls are full of old-fashioned table glamour. Each is decorated with a bright starburst base and a crisp geometric border, catching the light beautifully whether piled with fruit, sweets or a few short-stemmed flowers.

Dating from around the 1950s–70s, they have the lovely weight and decorative confidence of mid-century glassware. Their shape also nods to the traditional finger bowl, a genteel little luxury placed at the table for guests to rinse their fingers after a seafood feast or particularly sticky pudding. Historic English finger bowls were often made at almost exactly this scale, with cut starburst bases and decorative engraving.

Lovely for cherries, sugared almonds and post-lunch finger washing, should the occasion demand it.