The late James Houston is renowned for his striking images of Arctic life. From a detailed Houston drawing, Steuben artisans now bring to life his copper-wheel-engraved scene of a stately four-masted sailing ship braving its passage through looming icebergs.

• Each figurine measures 10 inches in width
• Wipe with a damp cloth

Brand: Steuben

Material: Glass

Origin: United States

Steuben

Since its founding 100 years ago, the artisans at the Steuben glassworks in Corning, New York, have earned worldwide acclaim through their incredible attention to detail and constantly updated roster of designs. These craftsmen are central to the Steuben process: It is they who liquefy the chunks of pure optical glass then individually form each piece using centuries-old tools and methods. After each item is created, it is slowly cooled in annealing ovens, then cut, polished, engraved by hand, and minutely inspected. If it passes the test, only then is it signed with a diamond-tipped pen. If not, it’s melted down, and the artisans must start again.