The AEAA is exceptionally proud to showcase this exquisite hand blown glass & brassed base Bohemian centerpiece epergne, identified as being by Graf Harrach, in the highly collectible MOP air trap formula. All of the features point yo Harrach, including the deep crimped & frosted applied bowl rim, the Mother Of Pearl, in both the bowl & center trumpet. The base with multiple Fleur de Lis are classic Bohemian from 1900+, and the heritage and age are verified by the early German Din standard, 180 degree apposed square tightening slots on the base locking ring. By the 1920s, both both Din & metric locking washers & nuts became the standard for joiner-work. The 10 inch diameter bowl features an elongated herringbone style pattern, culminating in a six pointed star, and the trumpet is a pattern match. The condition is VG, with excellent (minor stains) glass, with a re-soldered trumpet transition. The epergne stands 10.25 X 10.25 x 21.5 inches tall, and weighs 4#. This antique Harrach Bohemian treasure is a valuable hand blown MOP heirloom. xxxxxxxxxxx.In the remote mountains of Northern Bohemia stands the second oldest, continuously operating glass house in the world, from the lineage of Bohemian & Austro-Hungarian Nobility, and among the most prominent families in the Habsburg Empire, The Grafs (Count) von Harrach. The Harrach glass factory was founded in 1712 (2012 was its 300th anniversary!) on the Harrach Estate, and initially run by Count Harrach himself. It is located in the small town of Harrachov in Northern Bohemia, less then a mile from Poland (at one time a part of Austria, and is now the Czech Republic). A Silesian ban on the importation of Bohemian glass in 1742 backfired terribly, as Mohammed came to the mountain, so to speak. To be able to continue working with the best quality glass, the finest of Silesian painters & engravers relocated to Harrachov to be at the source. The estate factory was transferred to the sole ownership & management of Count Arnost Harrach in 1763, and continued thusly until 1778, when Harrach leased the works to Antonin Erben. The Erben stewardship was successful until his passing in 1795, at which point, export became virtually impossible due to the ravaging of Europe by the French Revolution, and Napoleonic Wars. To make matters worse, subsequent to the defeat of Napoleon, before Europe could rise from the ashes, England seized upon the moment, and quickly assumed the mantle of the worlds glass producing center. The new Count, Jan Harrach was prepared to close the operation at that juncture, but the estate manager Martin Kaiser wisely intervened, and was granted both the funds & the power to rebuild the business. Kaisers reforms were so extensive & successful, that by 1800, Jan Harrach once again chose to take a proactive role in the companys management. In 1808, Harrach was blessed with the arrival of two individuals that would assure the companys success for the next half century. Johann Pohl and brother Franz Jr. (sons of the legendary glass refiner Franz Pohl Sr.) took the reigns, with Johann appointed Director of the glass works, and Master Engraver Franz Jr. made head of the workshop. Both brothers had long careers with Harrach, with Johann the Director surviving until almost 1850, while Franz Jr. taught specialized engraving techniques to a number of famous apprentices, with the Legendary Dominic Bieman being at the head of the field. During the Pohl era, giant strides were made in the use of Sulfide inclusions in glass, and Harrach completely refined, thereby virtually inventing the modern techniques of overlaid cutting to crystal glass. Augmenting its own spectacular production, Harrach glass blanks were so renowned for their quality that they consequently became the most prolifically used line by other major Bohemian glass and decorating houses during the 19th century. Firms contracted to Harrach included Giants such as Egermann, Goldberg, Fritz Heckert, Josephinenhütte, J & L Lobmeyr, Moser, Mühlhaus, and a number of smaller houses. After the end of the Biedermeir period in the 1840s, and upon Johann Pohls passing in 1848, Harrach undertook the production of popular forms, barely surviving until 1884, when Bohdan Kadlec, connected to the progressive Prague School of Applied Art, took control of operations. Embracing the Secession and Art Nouveau movements, designs were prepared for Harrach by the talented students of the school, and then executed in the factory. At the end of Kadlecs tenure in 1900, the company was producing over 1,500,000 pounds of finished glass! The turn of the century Art Nouveau glass was strongly influenced by Alfons Muncha & Julius Jelinek, and innovation continued until the disastrous advent of WW I. Harrach was destined to survive however, outlasting WW I, the 1920s depression, the German occupation & WW II. Today both the company and region are again in the forefront of glass production in Europe.

Excellent condition - trumpet has a few small stains