Art glass refers to decorative glass created primarily for artistic expression rather than purely functional use. Produced by skilled glassmakers, it includes hand-blown, moulded, engraved, etched and cut glass in a wide variety of colours, textures and forms. Art glass flourished during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, particularly throughout the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods, with makers producing vases, bowls, lamps, paperweights and sculptural objects that combined exceptional craftsmanship with innovative design.