Sixty-eight objects from one of the world's finest collections of post-classical glass—including such marvels as glass imitating rock-crystal and other semi-precious stones, glass formed into large and intricate shapes, and glass decorated with engraving, enameling, gilding and carving—are presented in this beautifully illustrated volume.

Inspired by Syrian, Byzantine, Persian, Egyptian, Roman and Greek models, as well as other Islamic and Middle Eastern antecedents, the Museum's glass is chiefly from the period that witnessed the most significant technical and artistic developments in continental Europe: the late Middle Ages to the late seventeenth century.

An extensive introduction by Catherine Hess provides a history of the medium and serves as a primer on the subject of European glass. The book continues with these four chapters: "Central European Enameled and Engraved Glass," "Formglaser of the Fifteenth Through Seventeenth Century," "Murano Glass and Its Transalpine Dissemination and Imitation," and "Italian Influence in Northern Glasshouses: Austria, The Netherlands, and Germany."

Each object is accompanied by descriptive information including the name of the piece, place of manufacture, date, summary techniques of manufacture, and dimensions. Following the entry are listed provenance information, bibliographic references to the object, and a condensed note regarding its condition.

Catherine Hess is the former associate curator in the department of sculpture and works of art at the Getty Museum. Timothy Husband is curator in the department of medieval art at the Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York.

Price: $100.00