With its roots dating back to 1794, the factory of Cerva Bohemia was initially established by Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, who owned lands in Moravia and had a great interest in artisanal wares. The location was carefully picked due to its proximity to the high-quality glass sand deposits of the nearby historic town of Uherský Ostroh, and the resulting factory would pave the way for more than a 200-year tradition of hand-made glass production.
Ranking among the oldest in the entire republic and proudly being the longest in business, the Květná glassworks continues to specialise in blown, hand-shaped glass decorated with cutting, etching, painting, matte cut, engraving, and sand-blasting.
With a variety of classic and contemporary designs, the decorative glassware is available in 16 basic colours and includes one-off creations by famous Czech and European artists and designers. The striking and timeless designs of the collections result from this mutual respect for the craft combined with the exceptional skills of its master glassmakers and designers.
“We connect an old craft with the latest technologies and processes to bring you the highest quality possible. Our master glassmakers belong to the best in their field and have been handing down their skills from father to son for many generations.
Our glassworks aim to create unique crystal pieces of the highest quality and original design, which is why we cooperate with renowned Czech and foreign glass artists and designers.”
What appears at first to be a fragile object, given its unparalleled lightness and delicacy, is, in fact, a durable, hard-wearing and flexible keepsake due to the company’s unique blend of sodium-potassium glass that is free from lead and heavy metals.
“The difference in the quality of such a product is visible at first glance – machine-made glasses usually do not reach such thinness as hand-made ones. But the main thing – the machine can not make an individual glass from one sheet of glass, so the shank must stick to the cup, which results in a significant loss of strength. Therefore, machine glass is more fragile and generally more prone to breakage.
On the other hand, the drawn stem from the hands of the master glassmaker guarantees high resistance of the glass to damage even while maintaining the extreme thinness of the glass.”
Since 2020, the glassworks has been operating under the Cerva Bohemia name and subsequently its latest brand KVĚTNÁ 1794, both of which continue to boom with imports to all European countries as well as destinations across the globe.
To keep the integrity of the sacred Květná glassworks intact, the factory now operates as an independent entity on the Czech market and abroad – a unique characteristic for an industry that was completely nationalised during the second half of the 20th century.
By relying on flawless workmanship and originality, Cerva Bohemia and KVĚTNÁ 1794 have placed themselves at the centre of the premium glassware industry across Europe and beyond. Each piece tells a story for future generations about the art of hand-blown and moulded glassware whilst also slotting in seamlessly with modern-day lifestyle demands.
Find out more information about Cerva Bohemia and KVĚTNÁ 1794 at kvetna1794.com or browse the wonderful glassware in their e-shop here… or on their Instagram page.