Early 20th Century Vase Entitled "Secessionist Vase" by Loetz Witwe

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Early 20th Century Vase Entitled "Secessionist Vase" by Loetz Witwe

About the Item

An important and rare early 20th century Austrian Secessionist iridescent golden glass bowl painted with etching ink in small circles and heightened with marbleised raised deep pink cabuchons. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Height: 14 cm Width: 22 cm Condition: Excellent Condition Circa: 1902 Materials: Glass SKU: 6481 ABOUT Loetz glass was the premier Bohemian art glass manufacturer during the Art Nouveau period from roughly 1890 to 1920. Founded in 1840 by Johann Loetz in what is now the Czech Republic. The company became known for its innovative techniques, organic forms, and bold use of colour. By 1889, Loetz was one of the region’s leading glassmakers. That year, the company took first prize at the Paris Exhibition for its classic vase forms, some of which were hand-worked and deformed into swirling, organic-looking shapes like seashells, flowers, and tree trunks. Decorative vases, cups, and pitchers were other popular forms in the Loetz lexicon, and many of the pieces practically glowed thanks to their iridescent sheen from the firing and reduction techniques that were popular at the time. For its contributions to the field, Loetz was awarded the grand prize at the Paris World Exhibition in 1900. One of the most beautiful and collectible Loetz series from this period is called Phänomen, whose chief characteristic is the rippled or feather like designs on the object’s surface. Loetz glass artisans achieved this unique effect by wrapping hot glass threads around an equally hot molten base. The threads were then pulled on the object’s surface to make waves and other designs while the materials were still malleable. The company patented the Phänomen technique in 1898 and used it in combination with techniques pioneered by L.C. Tiffany in the United States—in particular, Tiffany’s iridescent Favrile work. Combined, the two techniques provided plenty of inspiration for Loetz designers and artisans, including E. Prochaska, Franz Hofstötter, and Koloman Moser. The use of patterns is also a hallmark of antique Loetz art glass. Then after 1905, when interest in the florals waned, Loetz pushed its surface treatments further than ever while relying on shapes that had been with the company for decades. For example, the roiling surfaces of the Titania pieces pre-date Abstract Expressionism by three decades, at least. At the other end of the aesthetic spectrum, the Perlglas pieces were translucent, giving more weight to the forms as sculpture rather than distracting the viewer with dazzling surfaces. The last significant period for Loetz glass occurred between the wars. In the first part of the 1920s, Loetz participated in the popular revival of late 19th-century cameo glass, which had been pioneered by Émile Gallé and others.

Creator:
Loetz Glass (Artist)
Dimensions:
Height: 5.52 in (14 cm)Diameter: 8.67 in (22 cm)
Style:
Art Nouveau (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Glass
Place of Origin:
Czech Republic
Period:
Early 20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1900
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 64811stDibs: LU3216331046872

Shop All Loetz Glass

Loetz Glass

Best known to collectors for their magnificent Marmoriertes and Phänomen glass creations, the Loetz Glass company was a leading Art Nouveau producer of fine glass vases, bowls and other decorative objects through the mid-19th and early 20th centuries.

Shortly before his death in 1855, attorney Frank Gerstner transferred sole ownership of his glassworks company to his wife Susanne. The company, which was founded in what is now the Czech Republic in 1836 by Johann Eisner, was renamed Johann Loetz Witwe by Susanne Gerstner as a tribute to her late husband who preceded Gerstner, a glassmaker named Johann Loetz (Loetz was also known as Johann Lötz).

For 20 years, Gerstner led the company, expanding its manufacturing and distribution capacity. It proved profitable, but the glassworks' popularity didn't start gaining significant momentum until after Gerstner transferred sole ownership to her grandson Maximilian von Spaun in 1879.

Von Spaun and designer Eduard Prochaska developed innovative techniques and solutions for reproducing historical styles of decorative glass objects, such as the very popular marbled Marmoriertes glass — a technique that lends glass an appearance that is similar to semi-precious stones such as onyx or malachite. Under von Spaun’s leadership, the firm’s works garnered them success in Brussels, Vienna and Munich, and Johann Loetz Witwe won awards at the Paris World Exposition in 1889. In 1897 von Spaun first saw Favrile glass in Bohemia and Vienna.

The work in Favrile glass, a type of iridescent art glass that had recently been developed and patented by Louis Comfort Tiffany, founder of iconic American multimedia decorative-arts manufactory Tiffany Studios, inspired von Spaun to explore the era’s burgeoning Art Nouveau style — or, as the firm was established in a German-speaking region, the Jugendstil style.

The company partnered with designers Hans Bolek, Franz Hofstötter and Marie Kirschner and thrived until von Spaun passed it down to his son, Maximilian Robert.

With the Art Deco style taking shape around the world, the company was unable or unwilling to adapt to change. Loetz Glass collaborated with influential names in architecture and design, including the likes of Josef Hoffmann, a central figure in the evolution of modern design and a founder of the Vienna Secession. Unfortunately, the glassworks’ partnerships did them little good, and the company’s mounting financial problems proved difficult to navigate. Two World Wars and several major fires at the glassworks took their toll on the firm, and in 1947 the Loetz Glass Company closed its doors for good.

Today the exquisite glass produced by Loetz Glass Company remains prized by collectors and enthusiasts alike.

On 1stDibs, find antique Loetz Glass Company glassware, decorative objects and lighting.