MOSER (founded in 1857), Liqueur Set—a decanter with a stopper and 6 glasses

transparent amber-colored glass; decanter height, including stopper, 22 cm; glass height 5 cm; marked on the bottom of the decanter: Moser / Karlovy Vary (engraved in the glass);
Czechoslovakia, Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary), 20th century
A decanter with a bulbous, ovoid body on a square base; the lower part of the body is decorated with wide, oval cuts; the neck is short, finished with a flat collar ring; a solid stopper, faceted into the shape of a geometric prism with rhomboidal faces; glasses of cylindrical form, with a thick base and sides featuring decoration analogous to that of the carafe.
This set belongs to the “Bar” series, which was designed for the Moser glassworks in 1934 by Rudolf Eschler—one of the most important designers collaborating with the Moser manufactory during the interwar period.
The “Bar” collection revolutionized the approach to geometry in barware. Its most recognizable and unique feature is the so-called “Ice Bottom.” Eschler incorporated an exceptionally thick, massive, square cube of clear crystal at the base of each glass. This base transitions with a very abrupt, sharp faceted cut into the glass’s light, slender, and rounded walls. The designer’s intention was for the massive, geometric base to create the illusion of a cube of melting ice dropped into a glass of alcohol, which spectacularly refracts and scatters light within the glass.
This design proved so perfect, modern, and versatile that the Moser glassworks (both during the Czechoslovak era and today) has been producing it continuously for over 90 years, treating the “Bar” series as its absolute flagship bestseller and the brand’s hallmark.