vase

William Fritsche (1853–1924) was one of the finest engravers of the late 19th century. He was trained in Bohemia, and he enjoyed a prosperous career working with Thomas Webb & Sons in Amblecote from the early 1870s. Fritsche executed this large vase in the “rock crystal” style he had helped to develop for Webb, using a 17th-century Bohemian technique of cutting decoration in high relief on a thick blank of decolorized lead glass with a high refractive index. This object is similar to the “Neptune” ewer in the Corning collection (54.2.16), which was completed by Fritsche in 1886, after two and a half years of work. His continuous work in this style attests to his enormous skill, to the enduring popularity of his pieces, and to Webb’s salesmanship. Thomas Webb & Sons, which was in operation from 1837 to 1990, was known for its outstanding engraved overlay and crystal glass. For more on the Webb firm, see Herbert William Woodward, “Art, Feat and Mystery”: The Story of Thomas Webb & Sons, Glassmakers, Stourbridge, U.K.: Mark + Moody Ltd., 1978.