Glass Dish by Hans Jürgen Richartz for Richartz Art Collection, 1970s

Before taking over, with Bohemia, the relay of Venice on the European glass market, Germany had adopted, around the 14th century, a type of green goblet, with appendages, perhaps derived from the Rüsselbecher of the Merovingian period.

This glass gave rise to the Römer, the classic Rhine wine glass, and other types of glass decorated in a similar way: pastillages, thorn-shaped or grainy cabochons, pinched cords, tied feet. These are the Vidercommes or Willkomm, the Passglas, the Pokal or glasses with lids, etc. Römer will remain the preferred glass for a long time to come, with variations, in Germany and the Netherlands. But the international success of German and Bohemian glassmaking has other starting points. It is mainly due to two cities, Nuremberg and Prague, which had a highly developed artistic life and were very open to foreign influences, especially Italian ones, from the end of the 15th century onwards.