Bohemian crystal is fine glassware made in Bohemia, the historic region now forming much of the Czech Republic, which has been one of Europe's most important glassmaking centres for centuries. The term usually refers to clear or coloured glass that has been cut, engraved, enamelled or gilded, and it is widely associated with high-quality decorative and table glass.
Bohemian glassmakers developed a clear potash-lime glass in the later seventeenth century that was well suited to deep wheel engraving and cutting, allowing them to rival Venetian glass in European markets. In the nineteenth century Bohemia became famous for brightly coloured, cased and flashed glass, often in ruby, cobalt blue, green and amber, cut through to reveal clear glass beneath and engraved with spa scenes, stags, hunting subjects and floral motifs. Goblets, vases, decanters, scent bottles and lustres were exported in great quantities. Collectors look for crisp, well-drawn engraving, even colour, a good ring and the absence of chips or cloudiness. The finest nineteenth-century pieces and engraved spa souvenirs are especially admired, while later production remains readily available.
