MOSER (founded in 1857), Josef Franz HOFMANN (1922–1999), Decorative cup featuring Aeneas and Dido

uranium glass, aquamarine in color, 19 cm tall;
inscription engraved on the bottom: ENEE ET DIDON I.F. HOFMANN VIM.85.
Czech Republic, Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad), 20th century (1985)
A faceted, cut-glass goblet with a relief decoration on the bowl—taken from Virgil’s *Aeneid* a love scene depicting Aeneas and Dido as a couple of lovers in an embrace, their heads drawn close for a kiss; Dido wears a crown on her head, while Aeneas is dressed in the classical attire of an ancient warrior; parts of the figures are left with a matte finish.
The engraver, Josef Franz Hofmann, was an outstanding Czech master engraver and glass sculptor, and a long-time collaborator of the Moser glassworks. He specialized in transferring complex figurative compositions—based on classical Renaissance and Baroque painting as well as motifs from ancient mythology—onto thick-walled uranium and crystal glass.