Bohemian decorative glass has been made in Bohemiaand Silesiafrom the 13th C.Early in the 17th century, Caspar Lehmann, gem cutter to Holy Roman EmperorRudolf II in Prague, adapted to glass the technique of gem engraving with copperbronzewheels. Although Tiefschnitt (deep cut) and Hochschnitt (high relief) engravingson glass were known to the ancients, Lehmann was the first modern glass engraver toperfect the technique and develop a personal style. He founded a school, but hismost gifted pupils (e.g. Georg Schwanhardt, originator of the famous Nürnbergschool of engravers) moved out of Bohemia; and glass engraving did not flourish thereuntil about 1700, when the heavy, high-luster, potash-lime glass (Bohemian crystal)was invented. Its original designs, rich motifs, and ostentatiousBohemian glass the leading glass in the world. Artistic quality declined in the industrialornamentation madelate 19th century and was revived by Ludwig Lobmeyr, a Viennese entrepreneur, whofounded a glass-designing studio at Steinschönau (Kamenický Šenov).andBohemia, currently part of the Czech Republic, became famous for rich glass during the Renaissance as a result of the abundant natural resources there.Bohemian glassworkers found that potash combined with chalk created a clear, colorless glass more stable than Italian glass. By the 16th C the term Bohemian crystal was first used to distinguish it from glass made elsewhere. This glass contained no lead, and it could be cut with a wheel. Plentiful resources such as wood for firing the kilns and for burning down to ashes were used to create potash. There were also copious amounts of limestone and silica. Bohemia became the dominant producer of decorative glassware by the high Baroque era, 1685-1750, and the local manufacture of glass earned international renown.Bohemian glassware became as precious as jewelry, sought-after by the wealthy and the aristocracy of the time. Bohemian crystal chandeliers were found in the palaces of Louis XV of France, Maria Theresia, Archduchess of Austria, and Elizabeth of Russia.Bohemia turned out expert craftsmen, who artfully worked with crystal. Bohemian crystal became famous for its excellent cut and engraving; the workers became the skilled glass-making teachers in neighboring and distant countries. By the mid-19th century, a technical glass-making school system was created that taught traditional and innovative techniques as well as thorough technical preparation.In the second half of the 19th C, Bohemia looked to the export trade. It mass- produced and exported colored glass all over the world. This were not fine art but provided enjoyable, decorative objects to brighten up ordinary homes.Glass artisanship remained at a high level under the Communists (1948-1989), as it was considered ideologically innocuous and helped promote the country’s good name. Bohemian glass designers and manufacturers enjoyed international recognition, and their glassware and glass art sculptures were displayed and won awards in many international exhibitions.Today, Czech crystal chandeliers hang in Milan's La Scala, Rome's Teatro dell'Opera, the Palace of Versailles, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, and even the royal palace in Riyadh.Most appreciated today is the high art of the exquisite, contemporary Czech glass sculptures that claim this illustrious heritage and display the highest form of modern glass artistry. In seemingly endless permutations and elegant contortions, intriguing contemporary forms are enhanced by the gorgeous array of luscious colors that lend inimitable expression to homes and palaces of discerning collectors worldwide.The Marshall Gallery is proud to introduce this magnificent art form for the first time to Scottsdale with fine art glass sculptures imported directly from the Czech Republic.