Ruby glass was first created on a large scale in Brandenburg in the late 17th century. Compared to the thinner glass seen in other examples of ruby glass from the period, Brandenburg glass was largely blown extremely thick and light colored, and then carved with facets imitating rock crystal like the present example. In his catalogue of the Zilkha Collection, Timothy Schroder suggests that this goblet may have originally had a glass cover and foot, which were broken or lost and replaced with the present silver-gilt foot. This theory is based on similar examples such as a complete ruby glass cup and cover in the collection of the Focke Museum, Bremen, also attributed to Brandenburg, circa 1700 (Schroder, 2012, pp. 310-311).