goblet

This dragon-stem goblet exemplifies the virtuosity of Venetian glass makers. The complex, colorful stem shows a serpent with a convoluted body, outspread wings, open jaws, and a crest. Known in Italian as vetri a serpenti, serpent-stem goblets were very fashionable in the 17th century. The serpent motif is frequently found in the decorative arts of the Baroque period. The high viscosity of the Venetian soda-lime glass was ideal for the creation of such elaborate forms. Substantial numbers of large covered glasses with flat, symmetrical serpent stems were made by Venetian craftsmen in the Netherlands and Germany during the second half of the 17th century. In the 18th century, many of these glasses were engraved with genre scenes, floral motifs, and inscriptions.