Vintage & Contemporary Glass
Small art glass bowl, Martin Andrews Glass, C21st
Price: £85
A small bowl with deep curving sides the mottled blue glass above a mass of bubbles which merge into a speckled brown ground also with bubbles in deep blue, each side with stripes in white. This piece comes from the ‘beach’ range produced by Martin Andrews glass in recent years. A selection of these pieces can be seen in image XXXX which is taken from a 2016 Facebook page from the studio.
Martin Andrews (see image XXXX) graduated from West Surrey College of Art and Design with a BA (hons) Glass in 1991. Following this he was based in London until 2000 when he then launched his current workshop at the Ruskin Glass Centre in Stourbridge. His work often draws on the earth's natural forms and patterns and his ‘beach’ range is a prime example of this.
Loetz green glass jug, Neptun pattern, early C20th
Price: £150
An iridescent green glass jug of plain form, the globular body below a wide cylindrical neck with a short curved spout and opposite an angular loop handle, the whole with a modelled design of repeating stylised leaf forms, often held to be seaweed. This well known design is from the ‘Neptun’ range produced by the celebrated Bohemian glassmakers, Loetz. A variety of shapes were produced of which this small pitcher is perhaps the most pleasing. The pattern was first produced in 1903 and this jug doubtless dates to the early years of the twentieth century.
The Loetz glass factory has its origins in the nineteenth century, when the widow of Johann Lötz, Susanna, remarried after his death in 1844 and with her new husband bought in 1851 the glassworks firm Klastersky Mlyn which was henceforth named Johann Lötz Witwe (the widow of Johann Lötz). The factory was situated at Klostermühle (Klášterský Mlýn, now part of Rejštejn) in southwestern Bohemia, Austria-Hungary and then Czechoslovakia. Johann’s grandson, Max Ritter von Spaun took over the business from his grandmother in 1879 and continued to run it under the old company name, ‘Joh. Lötz Witwe’, which was later changed to ‘Lötz’ and around 1900 changed again to the anglicised version of this ‘Loetz’. Around this time, the firm began producing the range of iridescent lustre finish glass in the Art Nouveau style for which they are now so famous. Production continued until the closure of the factory in 1947.
Purple and white swirl pattern art glass Vase, Made in Poland label, Mid C20th
Price: £45
A striking art glass vase of slender ovoid form, the thick walled body with a flat top rim, the white and purple swirling wave design encased in clear glass which also forms the base, the underside with a paper label ‘MADE IN POLAND’. While there are recollections of Italian work here, this vase was not produced there, and its affixed label reveals its source. Polish glass is renowned for its quality and design and this is an excellent example of their production. The form, with its semi abstract decoration, suggests the mid twentieth century, probably the 1960s or 1970s, and the design of the label would, in fact, conform with this.
Pair of Maltese Mtarfa Vases, one signed, late C20th
Price: £35
Closely resembling the work of the Mdina studio, this pair of vases derive from another of Malta’s glassworks, Mtarfa. Founded in 1979 by Paul Said, the brother of Joseph Said who was at the time the owner of Mdina Glass, the studio produced pieces which were similar in both form and decoration to those made by its more famous rival. Indeed, both brothers were originally trained by Michael Harris, the founder of Mdina Glass, where they both worked. As with the Mdina pieces the glassmakers at Mtarfa took their inspiration from the colourings of the sea and landscape of the Mediterranean which surrounded them. The form here was distinctive to them though, a bottle shape with a squat globular body below a narrow cylindrical neck with a broad flat top rim. The purple and white glass is in a distinctive ‘pulled feather’ design with broad swirling bands to the body and narrow ones to the neck. The signature on one can be made out (with a little imagination) as reading ‘Mtarfa’ and is very similar to other signatures, equally slightly indistinct, found on other pieces which also bear the Mtarfa paper label confirming the identification. This pair of vases was almost certainly made in the 1980s or early 1990s before the rebranding of the firm as ‘Valletta Glass’ which still produces pieces today.
Red glass jug, Cleopatra range, Tamara Aladin for Riihimäen Lasi, Finnish 1970s
Price: £55
A red glass jug of broad proportions the rounded body tapering inwards towards the base below a concave neck and a galleried rim, the loop handle with a volute terminal and the base slightly countersunk, the clear red glass press moulded with ribbing. This striking design was created for the Finnish glassworks Riihimäen Lasi by Tamara Aladin, one of their prominent designers who worked with them from 1959 to 1976, and formed part of the ‘Cleopatra’ range which was produced from 1970 to 1976. Riihimäen Lasi had been founded in 1910 at Riihimäki, Finland, by Mikko Aadolf Kolehmainen and Adolf Paavali Kolehmainen and soon grew to become Finland’s largest glass factory and a pioneer in glass design. Their talented designers produced a wide range of inventive pieces which enjoyed enormous popularity but economic pressures in the 1970s caused art glass production to cease in 1976 and eventually the factory closed in 1990. Aladin’s designs live on, though, and this jug is a fine example of her work demonstrating that the techniques of mass production did not inhibit the creation of individual and stylish pieces.
Orange Soliflore glass Vase, probably Murano, Italy late C20th
Price: £35
A slender and tall art glass vase, the squat lightly lobed and rounded base below a tall slender neck with raised twist trails flaring outwards towards the petal shaped top rim, the bottom flat with four small protruding feet, the orange glass exterior encasing a white glass interior. The form of this vase is called ‘Soliflore’ from the Latin solus (alone) and flos (flower). Originating in the Art Deco period and very much in keeping with the minimalist designs of that time, these vases were designed to hold a single flower such as a rose or a tulip. They continued to be manufactured after the war, especially in Italy at either Empoli or Murano. The high white casing, twist effects and finish of the base suggest the latter with a circa date probably in the 1980s.
Frosted art glass lollipop form vase, Peter Layton, signed, late C20th
Price: £150
A frosted art glass vase of near ‘lollipop’ form the broad and narrow rounded body with the shoulder curving sharply inwards towards the slender neck which flares outwards to the wavy top rim, the base flat with an etched signature for Peter Layton, the decoration a mixture of abstract and organic segments in tones of blue, brown and mustard with flecking and wave like effects, the whole with a naturalistic ‘feel’.
Peter Layton is one of Britain’s most celebrated glass artists. Born in 1936, his initial interest was in ceramics but in 1965, while on a teaching post at the University of Iowa, his focus changed and he began to study the art of glass blowing, at a time when the art glass movement in America had an enthusiastic following. Returning to England in 1968, he started a a small glass studio in the Highlands of Scotland while relying on pottery to earn a living. Eight years later, in 1976, he opened the ‘London Glassblowing’ studio which continues to this day and where Peter Layton, now in his eighties, continues to train and supervise upcoming glass artists as well as producing his own work.
This vase is probably one of his earlier pieces and derives its inspiration from the celebrated glass workshops at Mdina and the Isle of Wight whose productions tended to draw heavily on landscape and nature and some of whose shapes clearly influenced it. There are a few other pieces in a similar form, but the colourings and design here are particularly pleasing making this a highly desirable addition to a collection of British studio glass.
Sommerso blue glass bottle vase, Flavio Poli for Seguso Vetri D’Arte, 1950s
Price: £150
A blue glass bottle vase, the body of slender ovoid form below a narrow slightly tapering neck, the base flat, the blue glass resting above layers of purple and clear glass employing the ‘sommerso’ technique. ‘Sommerso’ pieces (Italian ‘submerged’) are formed by dipping coloured glass into molten glass of a different colour, before blowing the glass into the required form, creating two or more contrasting layers without the colours mixing together. The technique was developed by Flavio Poli (1900-1984) a designer for Seguso Vetri D’Arte, Murano, who joined the firm as artistic director in 1934. Poli began to experiment with ‘sommerso’ pieces in the 1950s and some of his designs can be found in contemporary catalogues and journals which allows a reasonably secure dating. This vase belongs to his ‘blue rubino’ range and is a particularly successful model, the simple form well highlighting the different layers of glass.
Pair of small milk glass Vases with crimped rims, probably French early C20th
Price: £55
A pair of small milk glass vases, the body of an unusual globular form with an in turning crimped top rim the white surface decorated in coloured enamels with mirror image designs of a bird sitting on a rocky bank with a lake in the distance. Milk glass, now so called, was developed in Venice in the 16th century as a competitor for porcelain. Opaque and translucent it was made in a wide variety of colours and was later to enjoy great popularity in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when it was produced by various manufacturers in England, Europe and America. The style of decoration here suggests France and the slightly Japanese feel combined with an element of organic Art Nouveau design indicates a dating to the early twentieth century.
Whitefriars knobbly red glass Vase, pattern no 9612, 1960s
Price: £75
This is an example of the ‘knobbly’ vase range, first produced by Whitefriars Glass in 1964. The organic circular body tapers gently upwards to the uneven top rim, the thick walls with raised ‘knobs’ irregularly placed and the base countersunk. Founded by James Powell in 1834, who bought an existing glassworks in Whitefriars, London, Whitefriars Glass continued through the generations, relocating to Wealdstone in Middlesex in 1923. Many designers worked for it including Geoffrey Baxter, who created the celebrated ‘banjo’ and ‘drunken bricklayer’ vases, but vases of this form and similar pieces with ‘knobbly’ decoration were designed by William Wilson, Whitefriars’ chief designer, and Harry Dyer, with the pattern number 9612 and to be found in the 1964 catalogue (Introduction Page 1) as one of the new designs for that year (see image XXXX). Unfortunately the high labour costs of handmade glass and the economic difficulties in the UK in the late 1970s made Whitefriars uncompetitive and it ceased trading in 1980 after which its factory was demolished.
Murano ruby glass bullicante bowl, second half C20th
Price: £55
A rounded glass bowl of irregular shape, the undulating rim with seven ‘dips’, the ruby coloured glass with a multitude of ‘trapped’ small bubbles in the ‘bullicante’ technique. ‘Bullicante’ is the Italian word for ‘boiling’ and the process for creating small bubbles encased in the glass surface so named was developed and perfected at Murano during the 1930’s by Archimede Seguso. But its use continued and this bowl, which retains its original label, albeit slightly damaged, dates to the 1960s or 1970s. The ruffled rim suggests an ashtray but this piece can equally easily stand on its own as an attractive decorative accessory.
Peach colour pressed glass Bowl, Walther & Söhne, Wilhelm pattern, 1930s
Price: £35
A pressed glass bowl of rounded octagonal form with a stepped concave foot and a wavy edge rim, the peach colour glass with a design of repeating leaves on a micro dot ground, the rim with rope twist edging. The design, pattern and technique here all point to the German manufacturer Walther & Söhne, or more correctly August Walther & Söhne AG, founded by August Walther in 1888. In 1932, the firm merged with Saxonian glass and began producing a wide range of Art Deco inspired pieces including centrepieces, figurines, bowls and vases. After the war, the firm was nationalised and was renamed VEB Sachsenglas, continuing production of its Art Deco designs until its closure in 1990. This bowl comes from the ‘Wilhelm’ range which was made in a variety of shapes and colours including green ‘uranium’ glass. The Art Deco influence is clear, particularly in the clean lines of the stepped foot. Dating is most likely to the 1930s, but, as indicated above, this model may also have continued in production been produced in the years following.
Murano bullicante glass swan dish, second half C20th
Price: £25
A glass dish in the form of a stylised swan, the heart shape body hollowed out in the centre, the two ‘wings’ with a small lip opening at the rear, the front with a clear glass curved neck and head, a black streak to the interior and the crest and beak modelled, the almost circular base flat, the deep purple glass with trapped bubbles in the ‘bullicante’ effect. ‘Bullicante’ is the Italian word for ‘boiling’ and the process for creating small bubbles encased in the glass surface so named was developed and perfected at Murano during the 1930’s by Archimede Seguso. But its use continued and this swan dish, which bears all the hallmarks of Murano work, probably dates to the 1960s or 1970s. Most likely intended as a trinket dish or possibly an ash tray, it can also be enjoyed as miniature sculpture in itself.
Iridescent glass spill vase, Isle of Wight Glass, second half C20th
Price: £55
A spill vase of cylindrical upright form with a slightly flaring rim, the iridescent glass with a stylised naturalistic rocky mineral design, the black ground heightened with gold flecks. While lacking the original label (and box), the decoration here is indisputably from the ‘Azurene’ range produced by Isle of Wight Glass from 1978 to 2012. The original award winning ‘Black Azurene’ finish was developed by Michael Harris in collaboration with RCA student and glassmaker William Walker in 1978. 22ct gold and sterling silver were applied to the surface of hot glass producing a range of abstract designs inspired by nature and landscape. At various times the range was produced in a variety of colours which included black, white, pink, blue, red, azure, green, gold (on black) and turquoise (the rarest colour). We have here gold on black, without the addition of silver, which was made from 1982 to 1996, an attractive example of the studio’s most popular design range.
Art Glass Vase probably designed by Joanna Jellinek for IKEA, Swedish early C21st
Price: £35
An art glass vase of ovoid form, the encased white glass body with a ‘sommerso’ base, blue streaks dripping from the top and scattered irregularly shaped ovoid black ‘pebbles’. Similar designs can be found on pieces from Orrefors, Sweden, Tarnowiec, Poland and Italla, Finland, as well as from some of the Italian glasswork studios. But the closest parallel is with vases designed for Ikea around twenty five years ago by Joanna Jellinek who joined the firm in 2002. These striking designs are collectors’ items now and this is a particularly attractive example.
Tall Murano style bottle vase, second half C20th
Price: £150
This is an exceptionally tall art glass bottle vase, the pear shape body rising to a tall, slender neck very slightly tapering inwards and then flaring gently outwards to the uneven profile top rim, the base flat and the decoration with trails of gently spiralling mottled and feathered orange glass on a black ground heightened with gilt speckle. The techniques used here have all the hallmarks of the Murano glassworks and the form, while unusual, is not inconsistent with the work produced there but, while these vases are often described as ‘Murano’ there is no proof of this and ‘Murano style’ is perhaps a safer description. But this does not detract from the grand magnificence of this piece, which would have been a striking decorative accessory when it was made, probably in the 1960s or 1970s, and remains so today.
Pink and Orange Glass Bowl, Chřibská Czechoslovakia, Josef Hospodka, late C20th
Price: £45
A heavy glass sculptural bowl with extended edges and concave sides on a narrowing irregularly modelled ovoid foot in colourings of pink and orange encased in clear glass, all artistically blended. The 'chunky' design and the treatment of colour point towards pieces made by the Chřibská glassworks in Czechoslovakia. Founded in 1414, in the town of Chřibská, which was originally part of Bohemia and became part of Czechoslovakia in 1919, the factory became known as the oldest glassworks in Europe, until its closure in 2007. With the advent of communism in the 1950s, the firm became part of the Borske Sklo National Corporation and around the same time Josef Hospodka began to work there becoming head designer from 1958-1970 and returning as a designer in 1985 until his death in 1989. While there are various Chřibská catalogues, the pieces are not assigned to a particular designer, although some of them, including Hospodka himself, are mentioned in the contemporary Czech Glass Revue which allows tentative attribution and, known for his organic blown glass designs, Hospodka may well have been responsible for the piece we have here. It has the pattern number 296/5/30 and can be seen, in a different colour wave and with a slightly different foot, in two (1970s, 1999) of the Chřibská catalogues and also issue 10 of the 1979 Czech Glass Review, allowing a dating to the 1980s or 1990s.
Tall glass vase with orange, grey and black swirls, probably by Carlo Moretti, Italian 1970s
Price: £180
This is a striking glass vase of slender proportions, the ovoid body above a flaring stepped foot, the short ridged neck flaring outwards to the top rim, decorated with a continuous design of black, grey and orange trailing swirls on a white ground. While similar to pieces produced by ‘Vetreria Barbieri’ at Empoli, vases of this type are usually attributed to the Murano based designer Carlo Moretti. Born in Murano in 1934, he founded in 1958 with his brother Giovanni a glassworks named after him which enjoyed great success and was eventually sold by Giovanni in 2013, five years after Carlo’s death, to an Italian fashion company who continue production under the name. Vases in this style were made in the 1970s and this is an exceptionally fine and large example, well deserving a place in a collection of contemporary Italian glass.