MOSER, Casa

Founded in 1857 in the Bohemian town of Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) by the visionary engraver, merchant, and entrepreneur Ludwig Moser —who began his journey with a small engraving workshop and trading post before opening his own glass production plant in 1893—, the prestigious Moser House immediately established itself as the most exclusive and technologically advanced artistic glassware manufactory in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, achieving legendary status thanks to the unmatched purity of its lead-free ecological crystal and the supreme mastery of its cutters, gilders, and engravers. From the late 19th century onward, the exceptional aesthetic quality and sumptuousness of its creations captivated the major imperial and royal courts of Europe, making the manufactory the official purveyor to the Imperial Court of Austria, King Edward VII of England, the Shah of Persia, and Pope Pius XI, while also supplying luxury tableware and display pieces to the palaces of the international aristocracy and industrial high bourgeoisie. Today, the firm's historical, technical, and artistic legacy is treasured and permanently exhibited in the collections of the world's most prominent museums dedicated to decorative arts and crystal design, such as the Museum of Applied Arts in Prague (Umprum), the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York, and the Corning Museum of Glass, indisputably cementing the Moser House as an eternal pinnacle of Bohemian artisanal excellence.