The Bacchus Red Wine

THE BACCHUS COLLECTION

Each piece in this line of mouth-blown and hand-decorated crystal is produced individually in the European country of Romania. The Bacchus Collection appeals to the senses with its bold grape pattern and subtle gold accents. Not only is the creative process time consuming, it is also demanding. Each glass is a piece of art created by a master artisan.

Glass blowing is the art of crating an object from molten glass by blowing air into it utilizing a tube. The glass in the oven takes days to melt (the oven is never turned off). The artisan collects molten glass onto the tip of his blown rod, being careful to accumulate just the right amount for the piece to be blown. Each ware is then blown to the proper thickness and into the proper shape by mouth. When the glass is just right, the piece is taken out and allowed to cool.

It is then sent to an etching station where the grape pattern is cut by hand into the glass. Different craftsmen cut the different pieces of the etching: one person etches the grapes, another the vine, and yet another the leaves. When the glass etching is complete, the glass is polished and sent to the painting station. Here the etchings are painted by hand, using natural luster and real 24k gold. Once the piece is in its final shape, it is fired one more time to ensure long-lasting strength, durability and color.