The Inspira Cameo Glass Collection is inspired by the European glass masterpieces of the of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Each piece is handmade by highly-trained glassblowers and artists using traditional techniques that trace their origins back to Egypt in the first millennium.   Pieces done in the Art Nouveau style are highly decorative, emphasizing nature, while those of the later Art Deco period are simpler and more stylized, emphasizing geometric forms.

 “Cameo glass” refers to glass whose surface has been cut away to reveal a design in relief.  The blower blows the glass in two or more layers of color into a mold, a technique that is known as “cased glass.”   Next, the artist paints the design on the glass with a tar-like substance.  The piece is then immersed in hydrofluoric acid, which etches away the glass left uncovered by the tar and reveals the next layer of colored glass.  This process of painting and etching is repeated for each layer of color until the entire design is revealed.   Frequently, the process is finished off using an abrasive powder and a mechanical wheel or hand tool to carve and polish the glass.  The result is a beautiful and colorful one-of-a-kind piece that comes alive in the light.

Each piece in the Inspira Cameo Collection bears either the "Inspira" signature or that of the artist who painted it.