Vase

This green Art Nouveau vase has been attributed to the Bohemian glass manufacturer Johann Loetz Witwe. Formed by blow moulding, the vessel has a tall, cylindrical body that is supported by a circular foot. Iridescent green glass cords spiral around the vase like the tendrils of a vine. The gaffer has made the coil stand out in relief, creating a contrast with the smooth straight walls of the vessel.

It is possible that this design derives from Loetz’s ‘Silberiris’ range from 1899-1900 that likens the tubular form of the vessel to a tree trunk and the winding glass cords to snakes. [1] The winding glass thread is serpentine in appearance and would have appealed to contemporary demands for sinuous lines inspired by natural forms.

Austrian-born, Loetz (?-1844) founded the Loetz glassworks in 1840 in Klostermühle, Bohemia (now Klášterský mlýn, Czech Republic). [2] From 1879, under the direction of Max Ritter von Spaun, the company produced historical designs inspired by Roman excavated glass and art glass, which emulated hard stones such as onyx and intarsia. [3]

Bohemian glass from this period adapted to the Art Nouveau style, manufacturing iridescent and acid-etched glass that emulated the commercially successful glassware of Émile Gallé and Louis Comfort Tiffany. Loetz worked with the avant-garde designers, Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser and Marie Kirschner to produce new and exciting work. [4]

Around 1851, Loetz’ widow, Susanne, received ownership of the company and renamed the glassworks Johann Loetz Witwe (meaning ‘Widow Johann Loetz’). [5]

Vanessa Tothill, January 2021

[1] https://www.loetz.com/decors-a-z/silberiris/silberiris-w-snakes [accessed 19 January 2021]

[2] https://hickmet.com/blogs/newsfeed/know-your-artists-johann-loetz

[accessed 26 November 2020]

[3] Paul Greenhalgh, ed., Art Nouveau, 1890-1914 (London: V&A Publications, 2000), p. 215.

[4] Greenhalgh, pp. 215-16.

[5] https://hickmet.com/blogs/newsfeed/know-your-artists-johann-loetz [accessed 26 November 2020]