Goblet

A grandiose goblet with a cover, made of transparent glass, decorated with the coat of arms of hetman Adam Mikołaj Sieniawski (1666–1726). The main decoration is the engraved Leliwa coat of arms in a circular field within a cartouche. Above is the crown with the crest (five peacock feathers with an emblem). Military items are engraved around the field: banners, pole weapons, firearms, side arms, cannon barrels and bows as well as a pair of hetman’s maces – the symbol of the office held by Sieniawski. The set is complemented by cannonballs, a barrel and drums with sticks placed below the cartouche.

It was manufactured at Huta Kryształowa (Crystal Factory), the first magnate-owned facility producing luxury glass and established by Adam Mikołaj Sieniawski in 1717. As from the early days of operation, the emphasis was put on top-quality goods made of crystal glass, so called because of its clarity and hardness which make it resemble rock crystal. This type of glassware became very popular during the Baroque period: massive and heavy, decorated with the use of engraving and polishing techniques. Such products still make a great impression today due to the precision of workmanship and the style of decorative motifs. How were they manufactured? They were not always hot-formed, as the previously popular Venetian glassware. Additional processing took place in a grinder's workshop. The intricate beauty of these vessels was the effect of the artistry of grinders and engravers, not of the craftsmen who worked at the furnaces. Large rotating wheels were used at the grinding stage, while engravers worked with small rotating wheels set in a vertical position. This method of glass decoration, borrowed from the technique applied in the processing of rock crystal, became possible only after the improvement of the glass mass which was harder and clearer, therefore suitable for making thicker glassware which allowed for more elaborate post-processing.