The Background of Glass Inscription
Developed in the Middle East and Egypt on hardstone, copper wheel engraving survived as a craft in seventeenth century Bohemia and Dresden on glass. It was used for a variety of purposes, including portraying the imperial double-headed eagle (Reichsadlerhumpen) and allegorical themes.


Engravers of this period gradually deserted direct clearness in favour of crosshatched chiaroscuro impacts. A few engravers, such as Schongauer and Mantegna, handled glass with a sculptural sensation.

Old Art
By the end of the 17th century, nevertheless, diamond-point engraving was being replaced by wheel inscription. 2 noteworthy engravers of this period deserve reference: Schongauer, who raised the art of glass inscription to equal that of painting with works like Saint Anthony Tortured by Demons, and Mantegna, who shaded his illustrations with brief doodled lines of varying size (fig. 4) to accomplish chiaroscuro effects.

Other Nuremberg engravers of this time consisted of Paul Eder, who excelled in fragile and small landscapes, and Heinrich Schwanhardt, who inscribed engravings of fine calligraphic quality. He and his boy Heinrich additionally established the technique of engraving glass with hydrofluoric acid to create an effect that appeared like glass covered in ice. The etched surface can then be reduced and etched with a copper-wheel. This method is used on the rock-crystal ewer shown here, which incorporates deep cutting, copper-wheel engraving and sprucing up. Determining the engraving on such items can be challenging.

Venetian Glass
When Venice was a European power, Venetian glassmakers took the lead in many high value-added sectors. Unlike textiles and style, glassmaking kept a heritage of advanced techniques. It additionally carried seeds of the attractive splendour personified in Islamic art.

Nevertheless, Venetian glassmakers were not eager to share these concepts with the remainder of Europe. They engraved family name signs kept their artisans cloistered on the island of Murano so they would not be affected by new fads.

Although need for their product ups and downs as tastes transformed and rival glassmakers arised, they never lost their interest rich patrons of the arts. It is therefore no surprise that inscribed Venetian glass appears in countless still life paints as an icon of high-end. Usually, a master gem cutter (diatretarius) would certainly cut and embellish a vessel originally cast or blown by another glassworker (vitrearius). This was a pricey endeavor that needed great skill, perseverance, and time to produce such in-depth job.

Bohemian Glass
In the 16th century, Bohemian glassmakers adapted the Venetian dish to their very own, creating a much thicker, clearer glass. This made it less complicated for gem-cutter to carve in the same way they sculpted rock crystal. In addition, they established an approach of reducing that allowed them to make extremely thorough patterns in their glasses.

This was followed by the production of tinted glass-- blue with cobalt, red with copper and light environment-friendly with iron. This glass was popular north of the Alps. Additionally, the slim barrel-shaped cups (Krautstrunk) were also popular.

Ludwig Moser opened a glass layout workshop in 1857 and was successful at the Vienna International Exhibition of 1873. He established an entirely incorporated factory, offering glass blowing, polishing and etching. Till completion of World War II, his firm dominated the market of engraved Bohemian crystal.

Modern Craft
Inscription is just one of the earliest hand-icraft methods of decorative refinement for glass. It demands a high level of accuracy in addition to an imaginative creative imagination to be effective. Engravers must also have a sense of structure in order to tastefully integrate glossy and matte surface areas of the cut glass.

The art of inscription is still active and growing. Modern strategies like laser inscription can attain a greater degree of information with a higher rate and precision. Laser modern technology is additionally able to generate layouts that are much less susceptible to chipping or cracking.

Engraving can be used for both industrial and decorative purposes. It's popular for logos and trademarks, as well as attractive decorations for glass wares. It's also a popular means to include individual messages or a victor's name to prizes. It is necessary to keep in mind that this is an unsafe job, so you must constantly utilize the suitable security equipment like goggles and a respirator mask.