• Erpet is a company that brings together a wide selection of crystal from not only the Czech Republic but Slovakia and Austria. The address is Staromestske namesti 27, directly across from the astronomical clock.

• Celetna Crystal at Celetna 15, Prague 1 and a smaller shop at Celetna 7. The Celetna 15 shop has 3 floors of beautifully displayed crystal, and the sales staff lets you browse undisturbed, as though you were in a museum. Celetna is a pedestrian street that begins in one corner of the Old Town Square.

• Cristallino, at Celetna 12 has 2 shops, on either side of the Hrzan Palace. If you go towards the back of the larger shop, on the right side of the palace, there is a good selection including some beautiful and interesting etched glass as well as the usual traditional cut crystal patterns you find in other shops.

• Moser, the world famous company founded in 1857, has 2 shops. Na Prikope 12, just off Wenceslas Square, is the older one, more sedate and with an Old World elegance. The Old Town location at Male Namesti 11, across from the astronomical clock and next door to Erpet, is newer and more modern inside. The crystal which Moser makes does not contain lead.

• If you are looking for art glass, a good place to start is Galerie "Z". One of their 3 locations is just around the corner from Erpet at Male namesti 11 in Pasaz Michelska. Two tall columns flank the entrance to this passageway. Many of their signed pieces are by well-known Czech artists and run into the thousands of dollars. Simpler pieces by newer artists or artisans working in artists' studios are much less. The helpful staff can give you directions to the other two locations.

These shops may also interest you, if you happen to be in the area:

• Highly original modern designs in glass, as well as furnishings, may be found at Arzenal at Valentinska 11 in the Old Town, about a block from the Staromestka metro station. The exuberant creativity is exhilarating, even though you may find some designs impractical. In back of the shop is an excellent Thai restaurant run by the same artist/owner, Borek Sipek. He obviously enjoys creating exactly what he wants.

• If you like etched glass, try Galerie Tesar at Skrepka 4 in the Old Town a few blocks from the Tesco supermarket.

• Swarovski Crystal is has opened many boutiques around town. The founder of the company was originally from Bohemia, though the company is now Austrian. Art objects, animals, flowers, and jewelry are specialties. One boutique is on Male Namesti off the Old Town Square. Another is at Celetna 11.

• Preciosa, a Czech company headquartered in northern Bohemia, matches Swarovski in the quality and design of its art objects and jewelry, but has a poor marketing presence in Prague. Look for their products at Erpet. Their rather dowdy company store, with 2 separate entrances, is off the beaten track at Jindrisska 19, not far from Prague's main post office. Its primary displays there are chandeliers, but you can sometimes find relative bargains in jewelry and art objects here.

Mouth-blown Hand-Painted Christmas Ornaments

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