Until the 18th century glasses were never placed on the table. Servants poured out drinks as and when requested, taking them to the diners at the table. Each cup was used by at least two or three guests. In the meantime, glasses of the same model but in different sizes began to be produced, each suited to a specific drink, and a small number of them were then placed around the table.
Individual glasses, accompanied by matching carafes and jugs, finally made their way onto the table as late as the first half of the 19th century. Each guest had more than one glass, from three up to six, in the same shape and with the same decoration, to be used according to the drink to be sipped. Even today a full set comprises a water glass, red wine glass, white wine glass, champagne glass, dessert wine glass and liquor glass.
Naturally, the variety of glasses and shapes stirred the imagination of designers and craftsmen. Glasses, often made from crystal, became coloured and engraved, with painted decoration, gilding and enamel, adapting to meet changing tastes.