Bohemian glass (or Bohemian crystal) refers to a decorative glass produced in Bohemia and Silesia, the old regions currently in the Czech Republic. Glass-making has a very long history in the Czech Republic with the finding of ancient glass-making sites dating back to the 13th century in the Northern Bohemia. Until today, Bohemian glass is still famous for its exceptional beauty and artistry.
SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_glass
The lush Bohemian countryside surrounding the Berounka River in Nizbor.
A pristine village across the Berounka River.
The famous Ruckl Crystal Glass Factory in Nizbor.
The Ruckl Crystal was established in 1846 by the Ruckl family. The company produces a wide range of 24% leaded crystal products, mouth-blown and decorated in many different ways. The latest and most modern factory of Ruckl Crystal was built in 1903 in Nizbor, Czech Republic.
SOURCE: http://www.ruckl.cz/
Another view of the factory with the old chimney tower and the new chimney.
The heating medium of the furnaces in the factory was changed from coal-gas to natural gas in 1996.
SOURCE: http://www.ruckl.cz/
A memory with the owner of the Ruckl Crystal.
Potassium Carbonate, Lead Tetroxide (Red Lead) and Silicon Dioxide (Silica) as raw ingredients in making a crystal glass.
SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_carbonate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_tetroxide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_dioxide
Sodium Carbonate (Soda Ash), Potassium Nitrate (Saltpeter) and Zinc Oxide as raw ingredients in making a crystal glass.
SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_carbonate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_Nitrate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc_Oxide
The furnace is heated to the temperature of more than 1000C in order to melt the raw ingredients of glass.
http://www.wisedude.com/science_engineering/bottles.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glassblowing
The molten glass is gathered from the hot furnace using a blowpipe.
SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glassblowing
The air is blown into the molten glass blob in a carved wooden mold to form a solid glass of a specific size and shape, i.e. a technique called mold-blowing.
SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glassblowing
A glassblower was sculpting a molten glass blob and another glassblower was extracting a full-blown glass from the mold.
SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glassblowing
Ready to blow the molten glass to expand the liquid mass into its approximate final size and shape.
SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glassblowing
The hardened, full-blown glass is taken out from the mold.
SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glassblowing
Inspecting the quality of the plain glasses and screening for only good ones before the glasses are being decorated.
A crystal glass is decorated according to the blueprint.
Some crystal glasses with design markings.
A crystal glass in the decoration process.
Decorating a crystal glass.
Decorating a crystal glass.
The glass shop in the factory's grounds.
Some Ruckl Crystal products exhibited at the glass shop.
Some Ruckl Crystal products exhibited at the glass shop.