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This pair of polychrome crystal carafes attr. to Moser Crystal Factory stands out for its elegant silhouette and refined ornamentation, reflecting a high level of glassmaking craftsmanship. Baluster-shaped, they rest on a polylobed pedestal base enhanced with gilding, supporting a richly decorated body.
The emerald-green cased crystal is cut into faceted panels that reveal regular rectangular reserves. The whole is lavishly enriched with a gilded decoration of stylized motifs, applied to both clear and green grounds, creating a subtle interplay of transparency and light. The slender, slightly flared neck is also adorned with fine gilding, while the faceted stoppers harmoniously complete the composition.
The balance of proportions, precision of the cutting, and richness of the decoration give these carafes a presence that is both decorative and precious, characteristic of prestigious 19th-century productions.
Commentary :
With their colored cased crystal, regular geometric cutting, extensive use of cold gilding, and a chromatic palette dominated by deep green, these decanters can, with a high degree of probability, be attributed to Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic), one of the major European glassmaking centers of the 19th century.
This type of production is characteristic of Bohemian manufactories active between 1840 and 1890, such as Moser, renowned for its cased crystal, elaborate gilded decoration, and elegant forms created for an international clientele.
Biography :
The original company of Ludwig Moser & Söhne, founded in 1857 by Ludwig Moser (1833–1916) in Carlsbad, was a glassmaking workshop that initially specialized in polishing and engraving glass and later in designing and producing clear and decorated glass objects. At the Vienna World Exhibition in 1873, it was awarded a medal. In 1893, Ludwig took over a glass manufactory in Meierhofen near Karlsbad in order to offer a complete glass production service employing 400 people, under the name Karlsbaderglasindustrie Gesellschaft Ludwig Moser & Söhne, where his sons Gustav and Rudolf also worked. In 1904, Moser was granted a warrant to become supplier to the Imperial Court of the Emperor of Austria, and four years later he became a supplier to Edward VII.
In 1915, the company presented its collection at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition and once again received a medal. After the death of his father in 1916, Leo Moser took over the management, and the company expanded significantly, earning a Grand Prix at the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris in 1925. Moser also exhibited in London, Belgium, Italy, and Vienna. The economic crisis of the early 1930s had disastrous consequences, and in 1938 Leo Moser sold his shares in the company.
The city of Karlovy Vary was occupied by Germany in 1938 following the Munich Agreement, and the family fled. Thanks to its international reputation, the company was able to retain a degree of independence during the communist period, while the rest of the Czech glass industry was nationalized in 1948.
The slogan “The Glass of Kings. The King of Glass.” is associated with the company because of its prestigious clientele, which, in addition to Edward VII and the Imperial Court of Austria, included figures such as Pope Pius XI, the Shah of Persia Mozaffareddine, and the Sultan of Turkey Abdul Hamid II. Moser still produces a number of its classic Fipop designs and, in addition to its four retail outlets in the Czech Republic, maintains a worldwide network of distributors.
