Layered Glass

Exhibit of the Month 12 / 2023

Our collection of historical glass documents various methods of its processing, shaping, and refinement. The selected examples represent one of the techniques of glass decoration in the Biedermeier period and the second Rococo, known as layered glass. Products made of layered glass are composed of two or more layers of glass paste joined during thermal processing. Depending on the method of shaping and the placement of the layer in the product, one can distinguish between overlay glass and underlay glass. Overlay glass has colored or opaque layers on the outer surface of a colorless base, while underlay glass is the opposite. Products prepared in this way are further refined cold through decorative grinding, engraving, sandblasting, etching, or painting. By gradually removing individual layers, the final shape and decoration are created.

text and photo: Dagmar Pícová