Wineglass

Art Historical Context

This elegant 17th-century wineglass, standing at 19.7 cm tall, hails from the renowned glassmaking tradition of Venice, Italy—likely Murano, the epicenter of European glass innovation. Crafted from colorless (slightly tan) nonlead glass, a hallmark of Venetian soda-lime compositions prized for their clarity and workability before the advent of lead crystal, it exemplifies the luxury tableware that graced the tables of Europe's elite during the Baroque era. The glass showcases a virtuoso display of techniques: blown to form its graceful shape, pattern-molded for subtle textured motifs, trailed with molten glass threads for decorative flair, pincered to create raised, tactile elements, and wheel-engraved with intricate designs—most notably deer, evoking the pastoral motifs popular in Venetian art. These methods highlight the anonymous artisan's skill, blending functionality with artistry in an object designed for both use and admiration. Housed in the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1975, this wineglass offers a window into Venice's dominance in the global glass trade, where such pieces were exported as symbols of refinement and cultural prestige. Imagine toasting with it amid candlelight—the deer's delicate engravings shimmering as a nod to nature's elegance.