Goblet thumbnail 1
Goblet thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Glass, Room 131

Goblet

1855 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This particularly extravagant exhibition goblet in Renaissance style is a masterpiece by the Bohemia glass engraver Franz Paul Zach (1819–1881). It is made in two pieces, both of colourless, clear glass, with a thin, blue glass overlay. The bowl is attached to the stem with a cut glass screw thread.
Zach has engraved through the blue overlay on the bowl, to reveal a lively, flowing mythological scene. We see Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, riding a goat, and wife Ariadne, a Cretan princess, riding a panther. Bacchus’s followers, including a goat-hooved satyr, are carrying a type of staff topped with a pine cone which is called a thyrsus, a symbol of fertility.

Despite a number of recorded works signed "F. Zach" or "F.P. Zach", relatively little is known about the engraver Franz Paul Zach who apparently specialised in such rampant bacchanalian scenes in the manner of the glass engraver Georg Schwanhardt the Elder (1601-67).
Zach was born in Prague and trained there. He moved to Munich in 1843 where he shared a house with Franz Steigerwald, the retailer of this goblet which was purchased by the Museum following its display in the International Exhibition, Paris, 1855. Franz Steigerwald sold glass made by his brother Wilhelm through his glass shops in Munich and other cities. Wilhelm owned two other glassworks, one at Theresienthal (founded 1834, sold 1861) and the other, the Regenhütte, also at Zwiesel (founded 1844-45).


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Bowl of a Goblet
  • Stem
Materials and techniques
Cased, cut and engraved glass
Brief description
Goblet of clear, colourless glass with a blue overlay, blown in two sections, connected with a cut-glass screw thread. The foot has cut panels, the bowl is wheel-engraved through the blue upper layer with a bacchanalian scene, by Franz Paul Zach. Probablyblown at Wilhelm Steigerwald's Schachtenbach glassworks, 1850-55
Physical description
This massive goblet is in two parts, the bowl separate from the stem and foot. Zach was born in Prague and trained there. He moved to Munich in 1843 where he shared a house with Franz Stiegerwald, the retailer of this goblet which was purchased by the Museum following its display in the international exhibition, Paris, 1855. Engraved "F P Zach"
Dimensions
  • Height: 32.5cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
'F P Zach' engraved (Signature)
Gallery label
'American and European Art and Design 1800-1900' Despite a number of recorded works signed "F. Zach" or "F.P. Zach", in this particularly extravagant Renaissance style, little is known about the engraver F.P. Zach who apparently specialised in rampant bacchanalian scenes in the manner of the glass engraver Georg Schwanhardt the Elder (1601-1667). This goblet was bought at the Paris 1855 Exhibition from the maker, Steigerwald, who at one time also employed the services of Dominik Biemann, a master engraver also represented in this gallery. The goblet is an exhibition piece, not intended for use.(1987-2006)
Object history
This goblet is an exhibition piece, not intended for practical use. It was bought at the Paris 1855 Universal Exhibition from the maker, Steigerwald.
Production
Although Steigerwald's concession stipulated that all glass sold at his Munich store was blown at his own Glasshouse in Theresienthal in Germany, it is also possible the blank for this goblet was made at the Harrachsche Hütte in Neuwelt [Novy Svet] in Bohemia. See Bibl.Ref. 2&4
Summary
This particularly extravagant exhibition goblet in Renaissance style is a masterpiece by the Bohemia glass engraver Franz Paul Zach (1819–1881). It is made in two pieces, both of colourless, clear glass, with a thin, blue glass overlay. The bowl is attached to the stem with a cut glass screw thread.
Zach has engraved through the blue overlay on the bowl, to reveal a lively, flowing mythological scene. We see Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, riding a goat, and wife Ariadne, a Cretan princess, riding a panther. Bacchus’s followers, including a goat-hooved satyr, are carrying a type of staff topped with a pine cone which is called a thyrsus, a symbol of fertility.

Despite a number of recorded works signed "F. Zach" or "F.P. Zach", relatively little is known about the engraver Franz Paul Zach who apparently specialised in such rampant bacchanalian scenes in the manner of the glass engraver Georg Schwanhardt the Elder (1601-67).
Zach was born in Prague and trained there. He moved to Munich in 1843 where he shared a house with Franz Steigerwald, the retailer of this goblet which was purchased by the Museum following its display in the International Exhibition, Paris, 1855. Franz Steigerwald sold glass made by his brother Wilhelm through his glass shops in Munich and other cities. Wilhelm owned two other glassworks, one at Theresienthal (founded 1834, sold 1861) and the other, the Regenhütte, also at Zwiesel (founded 1844-45).
Bibliographic references
  • Charleston etc, see HB's notes in photo file
  • P. von Lichtenberg, Glasgravuren des Biedermeier: Dominik Biemann und Zeitgenossen, Regensburg 2004, pp. 298-305, fig. 338
  • Walter Spiegl, Glas des Historismus, Braunschweig 1980, pp. 182-205, fig. 224
  • P. von Lichtenberg, 'Drei bayerische Herzöge auf Glas', in: Weltkunst 22 (1996), pp. 2946-2949
  • Bryant, Julius. Art and Design for all: The Victoria and Albert Museum . London: V&A publishing, 2011. ISBN 978 1 85177 666 5
Other number
9859 - Glass gallery number
Collection
Accession number
2672&A-1856

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Record createdDecember 13, 1997
Record URL
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