Chalice

Glassworks existed in the Polish lands as early as the 14th century, but the golden age of this craft did not come until the 18th century. Glassware from glassworks operating in the Radziwiłł estate (now in Belarus) - in Naliboki (1722-1862) and Urzecze (1737-1846) - became most famous for the quality of their products and the beauty of their decoration. Both owe their establishment to Duchess Anna Radziwiłł nee Sanguszko. She was a lady with a strong, one might even say difficult, character, and at the same time extremely enterprising. She inherited from her husband a vast but neglected estate and a lot of debts. After years of intensive work she left her children a real fortune. In her youth she travelled with her husband across Europe, where she also visited famous glass-making centres in Germany and Silesia. It must have been then that her desire to own a glassworks producing luxurious glassware with fashionable designs was born. The products of the Radziwiłł glassworks are very similar and it is difficult to differentiate between them. The main difference lies in the fact that in Urzecze, apart from glassware, mirrors were also made. Among the glassware, goblets of various shapes and sizes predominate - the tallest ones reached up to half a meter in height. The most luxurious ones had ornately ground bases, and the bowls were covered with engraved patterns. Among the decorations, besides various ornaments, custom-made designs, such as coats of arms, monograms and inscriptions in the form of sentences or greetings, are common.

The chalice is decorated in a way indicating that it was created on the occasion of a wedding. This is evidenced by two joined hearts, a pair of doves and letters which may be monograms of the newlyweds. Luckily it survived the wedding ceremony, which “consumed” many beautiful glass specimens. There was a custom of breaking the chalices after the “good luck” toast.

Barbara Czajkowska