Glass is a magical material. Throughout its history, its colorful splendor and malleability have exerted a particular fascination and a creative attraction. This book offers a profound and lavishly documented panorama of artistic glass design in Europe and the United States since the 1870s. Over many years Renate and Dietrich Götze have assembled one of the world's most important collections of glass vessels, comprising some five hundred exclusive objects. It reflects not only the collectors' passion for this luminous material and its unlimited opportunities for inspiring the imagination but also their tremendous expertise. The volume is a remarkable compendium of glass art that features numerous artist biographies, a directory of the glass foundries, their techniques, and symbols--and, above all: a feast for the eyes!