Centerpiece in transparent and blue Bohemian crystal and worked bronze, made in the early 20th century

Ø 39 cm Ø 30 cm h 18 cm

The Bohemian crystal is a decorative glass produced since the 18th century in Bohemia. This land is famous for the production of colored glass objects thanks to the abundant natural resources present in the area. Bohemian glassmakers discovered that by mixing potassium chloride and chalk, a clear colorless glass was obtained. Tin Bohemia began to produce expert craftsmen capable of artfully working the crystal which became famous for its excellent cut.  

Vases were produced in either a single opaque or two-tone color. The artefacts were decorated with finely glazed floral subjects, others were decorated with colored lithographic prints. 

Bohemian crystal differs from normal glass in terms of quantity lead, as it makes the glass more elastic, softer and easier to work with. The very high percentage of lead makes Bohemian Crystal particularly heavy and allows light to refract in an absolutely unique way. 

The wonder of Bohemian crystal is enhanced in an intoxicating play of colors and reflections with lamps and chandeliers. Their characteristic is that of being made entirely of glass and having pendants of various shapes. Each element is handmade by master glassmakers. 

If you want to obtain small objects, it is usual to resort to the blowing method, divided into two techniques, that of free blowing or that in the mold. In both cases it is a matter of bringing the glass to the melting point. 

One ​​processing technique is the cylinder one; consists of swirling a quantityof dough, untilé you obtain a cylinder approximately 50 cm long, of which the two ends will be cutà< /span>. It is then engraved using the tip of a diamond, and then transferred to an oven. It isaprand book-shaped, so as to obtain a plate. Once heated again, it must be worked to give it the desired shape. 

You can also add feet or a pedestal to the object. A further processing technique is the mechanical one, to be carried out with the aid of machines or with the manual intervention of the craftsman in some particular phases.