A Pair of Fantastic Antique  Hand Crafted Czechoslovakian Bohemia Glass Figurines.

One figurine has part of the flute missing which happened after I moved house several years ago. They were both purchased in Prague by my late parents many years ago and are superb collector's pieces and very rare indeed. Each piece weighs just under 500g.

Wonderful delicate craftsmanship in glass and handicraft of the highest order by Czechoslovak master craftsman. The use of different tinted glass to show the expressions on the faces is absolutely out of this world. They depict a man smoking a pipe and playing the flute. Marvellous! If you're looking for items if this type, age, quality and nature you would be hard pressed to find better examples. Attention to detail is fantastic. They need to be seen and held to be fully appreciated and the pictures do not do them justice. Very beautiful and elegant indeed. Superb collectors items.

One of the Czech Republic’s most sought-after products is crystal. Given their long history of crystal production Bohemia crystal now ranks among the world’s best. In pre-Christian times, the area was settled by Celts who were fond of glass and enamel beads. 

Blown glass has been produced since the 3rd century B.C. Glassmakers worked in the Lusatian Mountains of North Bohemia as far back as the 13th century. During this time Bohemia glass was used in monastery windows. In the following century, the industry began to thrive, and in 1414, the first true glass factory in the world was founded in Chřibská. Potash and chalk, the glassmakers discovered, made their products more stable than the Italian imports. Various factories sprang up around the area, including those in Skalice, Nový Bor, and Kamenický Šenov. During the Baroque period, covering the end of the 17th century and extending into the middle of the 18th century, manufacture reached a peak of excellence. It was in the 17th century that Emperor Rudolph II’s gem cutter, Caspar Lehmann, invented the process of engraving on glass. The dawn of the 18th century saw Bohemia as the world’s leading producer of glass. Bohemian houses, as they were called, were located worldwide, from New York to Cairo to Mexico to Beirut and throughout Europe.