Snake glasses, or verres à serpents, originated in Murano in the 16th century, but were also produced elsewhere in Europe during the 17th century, including in Liège and Brussels. The glasses, made for the upper classes and intended for drinking wine, had fragile wings and stems and became more decorative objects and collectibles.
A. Baar notes that Dutch and German winged goblets with pincered ribbed combs along the outer edge of the stem are characteristic of Antwerp. Combs with a waffle relief are characteristic of Liège and Cologne.
Contracts with workers hired by glassworks in Liège, Brussels and elsewhere show that making verres à serpents was considered a difficult task. It took a day to produce 24, whereas 120 wine glasses or 160 beer glasses could be produced in the same time.
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