Elite Traveler September-October 2017

DISCOVER

elite traveler SEPT/OCT 2017 50

Moser’s chandelier of cut crystal glass is decorated with 24K gold and weighs nearly 440lbs

Design 160 YEARS OF MOSER CRYSTAL Founded by Ludwig Moser in 1857, Moser Crystal has created exceptional works for discerning clientele ever since, crafting bespoke pieces for heads of state and royal families. This year the brand celebrates 160 years of fine craftsmanship and we visited the anniversary exhibition at Thomas Goode inMayfair, London. The intricate engravings and delicate glassware show the meticulous technique used— the same technique that has been passed on from generation to generation for the best part of two centuries. The astonishing attention to detail is made all the more impressive when CEO František Schneider tells us that each step of production is done by hand, and it’s a skill that can take decades to perfect. That perfectionismmeans that a great percentage of the works are scrapped if not up to Moser’s impeccably high standards. The collection features works inspired by Moser’s most important and celebrated pieces. The whimsical Path to Glory collection features intricate gilded motifs

with beautiful minute detail, and the On theWings of a Dragonfly collection has a floral Art Nouveau style throughout —we adore the Chloe cup, which solves the dilemma of champagne or wine, as this enameled goblet can be used both ways. The collection also features more modern works usingMoser’s signature color range but still employing the expert craftsmanship. While the entire collection is met with gasps of awe (and trembling hands as we held the lighter-than-air glasses), the pièce de résistance is the chandelier. The arms are gilded in several layers of 24K gold and adorned with 133 drops from hand-blown and cut crystal inMoser’s bespoke golden topaz color. It took 40 people and a year of labor, but seeing howmesmerizingly it catches the light, it’s definitely worth it. moser-glass.com

Chloe goblet, On the Wings of a Dragonfly collection, limited to 300 pieces

Beasts of London

Christine vase, Anniversary collection, limited to 20 pieces

Little Bird vase, Path to Glory collection, limited to 50 pieces

Following the launch of men’s jewelry collection Beasts of London, Stephen Webster MBE has created a set of chefs’ knives that represent different animals — a ram, a boar, a cock, a bull, a salmon and… a zucchini. Commissioned by an affluent Scottish client, Webster created a sgian-dubh that he named The Scottish Beast, referencing the Queen’s Beasts that represent the countries of Great Britain. “The piece was so unique and special, it dawned on me to use a similar theme to create the most extraordinary chefs’ knives, each handle to be a bronze sculpture depicting the beasts we eat,” explainsWebster. Each blade is hand forged in Damascus steel, and the menacing beasts are hand carved in bronze. Not just aesthetically pleasing, the blades have been tried and tested by British chef Mark Hix and his team in a professional kitchen. Full set $30,000, cock and bull carving set $7,000. Available by special commission fromStephenWebster stores and Harrods, stephenwebster. com, harrods.com

Words Samantha Coles. Photos Martin Prokes, Richard David Green

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