Great art on small glass

“Before the woodsman washes himself in the morning, he fortifies himself with a pinch; before he says his prayers, he snuffs thoughtfully; he would rather go hungry and thirsty than go without this tobacco”, Maximilian Schmidt once wrote about the Bavarian woodsman's love of snuff.

Snuff factories also stocked the tobacco jars as promotional items. They were produced in large quantities by the Bayerwald glassworks. From the beginning of the 20th century, the cheaper stoneware bottles replaced their glass counterparts.  

Tobacco jars were born at the glass furnace. Their production requires the glassmakers to be particularly skilled in the various furnace techniques. Glasses decorated with glass threads have always been popular.

The following video shows the creation of this glass.

The creativity of glassmakers, it seems, knows almost no limits. Old techniques are reinterpreted or combined. The result is fascinating glassware that reflects all the skills of the Bavarian Forest glassmakers.

Glass engraving is characterized by decorations and sophisticated motifs that are cut into the glass surface with small wheels. It is effective on glasses with several layers of colored glass. The motifs are created by removing or leaving the layers of color.

The Frauenau State Glass Museum takes its visitors on a journey through the history of glass. Using unique exhibits, it presents glass in all its facets, from the glass of antiquity to the work in the glassworks and modern art objects.