Alden's Offerings-20th Century Glass, Loetz
kilsyth
ALDEN'S OFFERINGS - MARCH 22, 1999
20TH CENTURY GLASS
A SIGNED LOETZ PHANOMEN GRE29 VASE
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A Loetz Phanomen GRE29 vase, c. 1900. Squared form with four
dimpled indents, with a waisted neck and circular mouth. Iridescent
bronze glass, decorated with blue-tinged waves of silver nitrate.
Height 3 1/4 in. (8 cm.).Width 4 in. (10 cm.). Engraved _Loetz
Austria_ on ground and polished pontil.
References: For identification of Loetz Phanomen GRE29, see
_Lotz Bohmisches Glass 1880-1940_ Ricke et al, Band 1, pg.135, Plate
109; pg.331,UR. For a Loetz Phanomen GRE29 vase of very similar form,
see _Glass: Art Nouveau To Art Deco_ Arwas, 1st edition, pg.140, upper
centre; second edition, pg. 207, bottom centre.
The popularity of Art Nouveau peaked at the Paris 1900 World's
Fair. The Phanomen series was produced by Loetz specifically for the
World's Fair. Already one of the world's leading glasshouses, Loetz
was under creative and commercial pressure to produce new work.
The Phanomen series was inspired by the collaboration of Max
Ritter von Spaun II (grandson of Johann Loetz) and Franz Hofstatter, a
German painter with no prior experience in glass. Spaun and Hofstatter
had originally collaborated on a set of three windows. Spaun's task
was to realize Hofstatter's designs, which were uninhibited with any
knowledge or prejudice as to the limitations of the medium. This led
Spaun into developing new techniques and glass formulas.
After this initial success, Spaun and Hofstatter continued
their collaboration in the creation of the Phanomen series for the
Paris 1900 World's Fair, for which Hofstatter also designed many
forms. The Phanomen series also includes a large number of designs
from other designers and Loetz staff designers, although the different
decorations are distinguished only by a genre number, eg. GRE29.
This single series represents the best glass produced by Loetz
in its 100 year history. The Loetz glassworks was awarded the Grand
Prix of the Paris World's Fair, and Spaun and Hofstatter were given
the silver award for design.
Now available on ebay, and closing on Sunday, March 28.
A LARGE CHECH LOETZ? TANGO BOWL
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A large Czech Tangofarben bowl, c. 1918-1930, probably made by Loetz,
designed by or after Michael Powolny. A deep bowl of three-stepped
depth, on a separately made and applied stepped pedestal foot, joined
by a knopf. Tomato red glass, cased in black glass, with the knopf
and base in black glass. The lip is fire finished and the bottom base
rim is ground. Mint condition. Height 18 cm. Diameter 26.2 cm. Acid
etched CZECHOSLOVAKIA.
After the Paris 1900 World's Fair, art nouveau and iridescent
art glass went into rapid decline, except in America. In Bohemia (and
Austria, of which Bohemia was then a part), the attention of the
leading designers had turned to simpler modern forms, abandoning the
organic shapes of art nouveau, and developing simpler monochromatic or
contrasting two-tone colouring ideas. Led by the influence of the
Glasgow School and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, shapes created by
Viennese designers became more symmetrical and geometric.
One of the leaders of this movement was Michael Powolny, a
sculptor and ceramics artist, one of the founders of the Wiener
Werkstatte, and from 1914 to 1923 an influential glass designer at the
Loetz glassworks.
Powolny created simple glass forms in bold contrasting colors,
with no decoration, or the addition of only ball-form feet,
geometrically-placed applied lozenges, machine threading, or simple
enamel decoration. Introduced in 1914, Powolny's designs became the
first modernist production glass. The most popular color combination
was red/black, but pieces were also produced in other combinations,
such as yellow/blue, black/white, green/orange, and light blue/black.
Powolny called this glass _Tangofarben_ which translates as
Tango colors, suggesting the vibrancy of the new age.
Now available on ebay and closing on Sunday, March 28.
A BLUE CZECH TANGO VASE
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A Czech Tangofarben vase, of flaring form, with a wide mouth, on a
waisted base. Light blue glass, cased in clear glass, with an applied
black glass rim. The rim is ground and polished, with two minor flakes
(as is often the case with Czech glass of this period). Height 6 3/4
in. (17cm.). Acid etched _Made in Czechoslovakia_.
Now available on ebay and closing on Sunday, March 28.
MONART AND VASART GLASS
Monart and Vasart glass were produced by the Ysart family, Spanish
glassblowers who emigrated to Scotland. The family operated the
Moncrieff glasshouse at Perth, Scotland, and made Monart glass from
1924, and Vasart glass from 1948 at a separate glasshouse. Monart
glass is always unsigned. Vasart glass may be signed or unsigned.
Paper labels were used in both cases, but have generally not survived.
Monart and Vasart glass may be recognized by its distinctive mottled
decoration, its distinctive forms, and by its unusual characteristic
of having a glass wafer applied over the pontil mark.
A MONART CLOISONNE VASE
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A Monart _Cloisonne_ vase, 1930s, a short wide vase, of mottled yellow
pumpkin-colored glass, cased in clear glass internally decorated with
crackled fired enamels. Ground wafer over the pontil mark. Mint
condition. Height 3 1/4 in. Diameter 4 ½ in.
Reference: _Ysart Glass_, Turner et al, pg.102-103; pg.50-56. Pl.6;
pg.170, Shape AA, Size X; pg.44-45, Style 12 Cloisonne.
Now available on ebay and closing on Monday March 29 .
A VASART VASE
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A Vasart vase of stout cylindrical form, flaring inward from the
waist, of white mottled glass extending upwards to blue mottled glass,
with spiral whorls at the waist with polychrome canes. Wafer over
pontil mark. Mint condition. Unsigned. Height 7 7/8 in. (20cm.).
Reference: _Ysart Glass_, Turner et al, pg.170, Shape KA, Size VII.
Now available on ebay and closing on Monday, March 29 .
AN EARLY SAMUEL HERMAN VASE
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A Samuel Herman vase , c.1969, baluster shape of white glass, inlaid
with organic forms of mottled green pads and threads, cased in very
heavy clear glass. Height 7 1/4 in.(18.5 cm.).
Weight 6 ½ lbs. (3 kg.). Perfect condition. Engraved _Val St. Lambert_
and with Herman's monogram _SJH_. (See _Glass Signatures_, Pullin,
pg.328.)
Samuel Herman was the founder of the studio glass movement in
England. Born in America, Herman studied with Harvey Littleton at the
University of Wisconsin, before emigrating to England and founding The
Glasshouse, a studio in Covent Garden, in 1969. Herman taught
extensively throughout England, and is represented in major
international collections.
Herman was briefly a guest artist in the glass studio at the
Val St. Lambert glasshouse in Belgium, with these pieces marked both
_Val St. Lambert_ and with the artist's monogram, as is the offered
vase.
Now available on ebay, and closing on Monday, March 29.
Best regards,
Alden Jones
c.1999
_______________________________________________________________________
RESEARCH SERVICES
Single questions to collections cataloged, by experienced researcher.
Specializing in all applied and decorative arts of the period 1880 to
1940, including Aesthetic Movement, Art Nouveau, Jugendstil, Wiener
Werkstatte, and Art Deco. All materials, including glass, ceramics,
silver, and furniture. Experienced in investigation, analysis,
valuation, and litigation. E-mail with request for quote.
Confidentiality assured.
Alden Jones CGA,CFP,CIM. kil...@log.on.ca
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