Wineglass

Art Historical Context

This elegant wineglass, standing just 13.8 cm tall, exemplifies the Façon de Venise style northern European adaptation of renowned Venetian glassmaking traditions. Likely dating to the 17th century though possibly a late 19th-century revival, it hails from an unknown workshop and now graces the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. delicate form, with a slightly tan colorless body accented by vibrant, bubbly blue-green glass, captures the luxurious transparency prized by Europe's elite during periods of opulent trade and refinement. Crafted from nonlead glass using sophisticated blown, trailed, and pincered techniques, the piece showcases masterful control over molten glass. Blowing created the slender shape, trailing added colorful threads for decoration, and pincering formed precise patterns or handles—methods that spread from Venice to northern centers like the Netherlands and Germany. This diffusion democratized high-end glassware, making Venetian-inspired luxury accessible beyond Italy's murano furnaces. As a functional yet artistic object, the wineglass reflects cultural exchanges in early modern Europe, where such vessels enhanced dining rituals among the wealthy. Its bubbly hues and clarity highlight the era's innovative nonlead formulas, offering visitors a tangible glimpse into the shimmering world of historic craftsmanship.