Jan Mergl
Crafts as Capital
The craft capital of glass engravers from the Czech Lands - that is, the combined potential of their handicraft skills, knowledge of the field, and artistic talent - has helped maintain the reputation of Czech glassmaking since the 17th century, and played a fundamental role during the crisis of Czech glassmaking in the middle of the 19th century. It is in this period that glass engravers in the Kamenický Šenov area came to the fore, and that their 'capital' enabled them to make inroads with leading manufacturers and traders of luxury glass abroad. The Viennese company J. & L. Lobmeyr contributed primarily to the revival of engraved glass, and it is by virtue of the company's progressive tendencies, both artistically and stylistically, that cooperation developed with engravers in the Czech Lands. Mutually beneficial ties can be found throughout Czech glass production, and helped maintain its pre-eminent position in the field.
Keywords: engraved glass - craftsmanship - Czech Lands - J. & L. Lobmeyr
design by Bedřich Vémola
