Thick glass, which permits almost high-reüef cutting, was also used for glass of this
period (cat. nos. 73-75). The vertical cutting of a toiiet set (cat. nos, 78-81) that survives
in the form of a design by J. & L. Lobmeyr has a striking simplicity combined with maximum
optical effect. Bowls for religious (cat. nos. 82-83) and secular use (cat, nos.
84-87) are associated with the name of another prominent designer: Oscar Strnad (cat.
nos. 86-87). The Haida school of glassmaking in northern Bohemia is represented by artistically
cut glass (cat. nos. 88-91) from about 1910, and the covered goblet (cat. no.
91), with its simple, but effective horizontal and vertical divisions and tapering stepped
cover is one of the most impressive such creations. The type of cutting is similar to that
used for more austere coloured glass (cat. no. 164).
The glasses designed by the Artel atelier in Prague prior to 1914 are some of the best of
their time, with regard to both shape and engraving. The punch set by Jan Kotera, first
presented at the World Exhibition in St, Louis in 1904, has an excessive wealth of cut
surfaces, which were considerably reduced in a later Version (cat. no. 92), thus underiining
the clear-cut shape of the vessels. The walls of the covered jars (cat. nos. 93-94)
are also cut into facets, while deep grooves characterise the seven curves of a vase
(cat. no. 95), while the rim of a centrepiece (cat. no. 96) takes the form of a wide zigzag.
Champagne and wine glasses (cat. nos. 97-99) with cut stems and finely cut continuous
lines are worked in crystal glass, and the bowls of the moselle wine glasses (cat. no. 9)
are of green glass. The liqueur Services by Artel sometimes combine cut glass (cat. no.
100) with optical glass (cat. nos. 101-102).
Yet another liqueur Service (cat. nos. 103-104) stems from Otto Prutscher, who has
hitherto received far too little consideration as a glass designer. He also created a whole
ränge of other glassware (cat. nos. 106-110, 112, vases, centrepieces, covered goblets)
that was manufactured in Haida by Carl Schappel.
A Contemporary Illustration identifies Carl Thomas, whom we shall be coming across
again in the second volume of the catalogue, as the designer of a covered goblet (cat.
no. 111). Although this artist is largely unknown as a designer of glass, Josef Emanue!
Margold needs no introduction in this capacity. Thanks to a loan from Graz, his covered
vessel in the Vienna collection (cat. no. 114) can be compared with an octagonal cut
glass jar (cat. no. 115). Both items bear adhesive labels with the Schappel Company
name, the designer’s name and serial number.
On the other hand, two still anonymous creations in glass meet the highest Standards of
design and glass-cutting: a casket (cat. no. 16) and a bottle (cat. no. 117), the former
made by Meyr’s Neffe, Adolf, the latter sold to the museum by Lobmeyr. Three cut-glass
candlesticks (cat. nos. 118-120), one of them also with cut edges (cat. no. 118), also
stem from Meyr’s Neffe, Adolf, as does the unusuai combination of candlestick/jar (cat.
no. 121).
The writing table set by Oswald Dittrich (cat. no. 122) was acquired for the museum
through the Lobmeyr Company, but is unfortunately no longer in the collection.
A box (cat. no, 123) and a covered vase (cat. no. 151), both to designs by Haida school
of glassmaking, were manufactured by the Oertel Company of Haida. These two items
underline the importance of trade schools to regional industry. Many of the cased
glasses mentioned below were manufactured by glass factories to designs by schools
of glassmaking.
A bottle and beaker by Meyr’s Neffe (cat. no. 124) represent a complete set from which
the beaker is usually missing. Further examples of north Bohemian crystal glass are
found among the glassware produced by the factories of Gerner/Haida (cat. nos. 125,
126, 143, 147), Meyr’s Neffe/Adolf (cat. nos. 127-132, 135- 140, 142, 144-146, 149, 150,
152), Rasch/Ulrichsthal (cat. no. 133), Mühlhaus/Haida (cat. no. 134) and Meltzer/Lange-28
