Topic: Czech Art Glass Bowl -- Curl on End?? ID = Skrdlovice

[antiquerose123]

Hi there.  Just got this piece and pretty sure ( 99.5 %) sure if it Czech, but what maker.  Very good age related wear on the bottom,  The bottom edges are chafed.  Quite large at:

~ 13 inches Long
~ 8 inches wide, at widest point
~ Height is 8.5 to the tallest point on the front there.


I figure it is from around the  1960's era.  Thanks for looking.

[ahremck]

With those two base colours I would not discount Murano.

Ross

[rocco]

Almost definitely Czech
I am quite sure it is Skrdlovice, that colour combo is quite distinctive.
Don't have my books or files at hand, so maybe someone else can find out the pattern number and year of manufacture...

Michael

[antiquerose123]

Thanks for the replies.  I didn't think it was Murano ----> but the colors and the chafe bottom made me think Skrdlovice Czech.  I have that 4 legged Czech Bowl ( Emanuel Beranek) that kinda has the similar colors and posted on GMB here.

~ ~ Trying to figure it out I was looking at:  KOTIK, MSTISOV, KARLOVARSKE, etc.......But I was not finding anything with a high curl in the air like that.


Will keep trying to hunt here......It is a Big Bowl

[rocco]

Hi Rose,
your bowl is Skrdlovice, pattern number 6207, 32 cm long.
In the 1962 pattern book there is the name "Myers" next to this and a few other designs (in a chapter in Robert's Skrdlovice book is some info about these Myers pieces, can't really remember if he designed or just commisioned them).

Michael

[antiquerose123]

Thanks Michael for that ID.....and without your post -- I would have never found the following info either.  You lead me to the direct way.  THANK YOU SO EVER MUCH !!! 

I looked around and could this be what you mean?  It was noted on CW by Vetraio50

""One of the men who ran this company, Earl Myers, later founded Lorraine Glass Industries in Montreal, Canada and also contracted Skrdlovice (via Glassexport) to produce some designs for him from c.1962 - 63.""

From:: Beranek & Skrdlovice Legends of Czech Glass by Robert Bevan- Jones and Jindrich Parik, edited by Mark Hill. Page 117.

You know what is funny -- IF this does have a Chalet connection ( Re Design ) -- I had originally posted in my comment (when I first posted this) saying that the curl up reminded me of Chalet Glass, but I decided to remove that -- as I thought - " What are they going to think of me saying I think this is Czech, but kinda reminds me of Chalet."   But being Canadian I kinda saw that.  So that is kinda funny I had wrote that in my post then thought -- No -- I am seeing something that is not there and better NOT put that in my post.....LOL

So *Designer* would be EARL MYERS via Skrdlovice, would be correct?   Maker unknown....?

....And this Designer (EARL MYERS) had designed for Skrdlovice..........and later started LORRAINE ART GLASS IN CANADA....WOW!!


Also found Article/info about this :  click  HERE



Thanks again for the help -- Your Amazing Michael !!

[bOBA]

Hi all, a great thread. I enjoyed researching about Mr Myers but it was a difficult research problem really until GMB member David Fisher, who lives in Canada pointed me towards the then new book by Deborah Patterson on Canadian Glass   

http://www.chaletvintageartglass.com/#!__home
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php?topic=42842.0

I also had some other unpublished information relating to Lorraine and Mr Earl Myers which was not easily referenced. The text I originally prepared had full footnotes etc.. citing all sources, though this would have probably made the book less reader friendly. During the study, I was pleased to hear of any information, I had even contacted the well known Blenko designer/glassmaker Joel Myers in an effort to learn about Earl. This was because an exhibition had inaccurately advertised Joel as a Skrdlovice designer.... Joel confirmed that he was not and had never been, though he had been invited to and took part in a glass Symposium in the then Czechoslovakia. He was very helpful.

I recall that there is some information in the Deborah Patterson book about Mr Myers. I hesitated to say Earl Myers was a designer directly as it appeared to me, from what I had read/been told that he was a busy businessman rather than an artist and it was likely that the pattern book referred to his name, as the name of the person commissioning of designs to be produced, not that actually he designed them, as that would be a bit strong without more evidence.  From what I had learnt, he was probably primarily a businessman who employed glass workers and artists to create a profitable industry. This indicates that Myers made these designs happen, by his efforts, but did not necessarily draw the shapes himself. The quoted line allows this "contracted to be produced" does not exactly state "designed by". Amazing that a Canadian could get into the country at all at this time and make a business arrangement, he must have been determined!




Robert (bOBA)

[antiquerose123]

Thank you ROBERT for the Clarification. 

** Earl Myers WAS NOT the designer, but the business man that arranged to get business done!!  Thank you so MUCH.

Would be interesting IF we are ever able to find the designer/maker.  What year would this bowl be made - around 1960's or so?  Funny, as I DID see a Canadian resemblance in it with the Curl going up.

Thank YOU again!!!! 

Interesting Subject matter......Are these more Rare at all?

[vetraio50]

I have come up with some information about Earl C. Myers recently having seen this post here and on Collector's Weekly:

I went looking around the net and have come up with a few new things about Lorraine Glass Industries and Earl C Myers.

In the Beranek & Skrdlovice Legends of Glass book on page 117 there is a label "applied by a Canadian company that imported and exported quality glass around 1960 to Canada, the Netherlands and the UK. This label has also been seen on Harrachov pieces dating to c.1960, and an alternative reads 'MURANO' instead of 'CZECHOSLOVAKIA' if the piece originated there. One of the men who ran this company, Earl Myers, later founded Lorraine Glass Industries in Montreal, Canada and also contracted Skrdlovice (via Glassexport) to produce some designs for him from c1962-63"

The Sticker is "Silver & Black and has CZECHOSLOVAKIA - HAND MADE CRYSTAL- SPM 1893 with the depiction of a glassblower and a FLEUR-DE-LIS on the lower left of the sticker."

The details of the sticker interested me. I found out a little more about Earl Myers ....

Earl Myers died in 2003.
"MYERS, Earl C. Formerly of Montreal, died suddenly on Wednesday April 23, 2003. Mr. Myers was President of S.P. Myers and Co. Ltd.; Est. 1897. Survived by his beloved wife Violet, children: Carol, Raymond, Sandra and Susan, sister Jacqueline Lowy and two grandchildren, Morgan and Lauren. The Montreal Gazette, (04/26/03b)"
http://necrologie.genealogiequebec.com/avis-de-deces/624137-MYERS-Earl-C-

Back to the sticker :

The Fleur de Lis refers of course to Quebec and Montreal.

The S P M 1893 are perhaps explained in the brief obituary:
"Mr. Myers was President of S.P. Myers and Co. Ltd.; Est. 1897."

1893 and 1897 are different .... perhaps there is a typo in the obituary?

But the S P M is explained by S.P. Myers and Co. Ltd.


There were fourteen designs are for Earl Myers at Skrdlovice.
There were 3 ashtrays, 2 vases, 7 bowls and 1 basket.
All have design numbers that begin with 62 .... giving us a year when they were first produced and exported to Canada for sale there.

I've come across a link on the net to a book that might be of import:

Canadian made artistic glassware : [catalogue].
by S.P. Myers & Co. Ltd.
Format: Book , [4] p. :

Toronto Public Library.
http://www.virtualreferencelibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDM316444&R=316444

Just four pages but it might be a link to the Skrdlovice pieces!
I've no way here in Australia of accessing this material .... maybe someone in Toronto can help?


Raymond Myer .... Earl C.'s son may still be alive. He is mentioned a few times in the Chalet/Lorraine material on the net.
http://mag.glassartcanada.ca/historical-account-of-the-development-of-artistic-glassblowing-in-quebec-1960-1986-article/

From what I can make out, Canada had a modernist glass leader in the early sixties with Chalet glass. Earl Myers was able to somehow create another modernist rival to Chalet. Either he or an agent went to Czechoslovakia to import glass to rival the work of the Chalet factory. He was able to get Skrdlovice artisans to create 14 designs that were imported into Canada. It seems that he was able to get a similar deal with Harrachov ... yet another factory willing to export glass to the West.

Fourteen Skrdlovice designs for the Canadian market round 1962.
Some are very big pieces.

Emanuel Beranek retired in 1959. Who designed these 14 pieces? Maybe someone knows?

Emanuel Beranek returned to the firm after 1959 to consult it seems .... perhaps it was Earl C. Myers who was the designer himself or was he just an entrepreneur with 'savvy'?

But Earl Myers was a man on a mission.
He wanted to create a competitor to the Chalet glass brand.
That meant either to import glass from Czechoslovakia and/or to create glass in Canada to his own design. He did both! ..... and added Murano to the equation as well!

It seems he imported a group of workers from Murano:
"The owner of Lorraine Glass is first an importer of Italian and Czechoslovakian glassware. He goes to Italy and persuades around thirty glassblowers to come to work for him. These workers were not “maestros” in Italy but, since the local work force has no knowledge of hot glass techniques, they are named head of the teams upon their arrival. The employees are divided in three teams of up to seven, eight or nine persons. A team works by using from five to six blowpipes at the same time and the production of objects is divided into several stages carried out according to the skills of the glassblowers, organized into a hierarchical system; the maestro being notably responsible for the most important finishing stages."

http://mag.glassartcanada.ca/historical-account-of-the-development-of-artistic-glassblowing-in-quebec-1960-1986-article/

Earl Myers was the owner of Lorraine Glass Industries Limited. He was also head of S.P. Myers and Co. Ltd.

He set these Italian glass workers up in Montreal producing modernist glass. Chalet were not happy. They were able to lure some of his workers away from Lorraine to Chalet ....
"in 1963 and Angelo Tedesco persuaded seven glass blowers, who had arrived from Murano in 1962, to leave Montreal-based Lorraine Glass Industries for Chalet. He was also instrumental in encouraging more Murano glass blowers from Italy to join their peers at Chalet."

http://www.waybacktimes.com/chaletartglass92.html

The year is important!

Twelve months later and Chalet were stealing his workers away! But it was a gradual process.

"Bruno Panizzon and Giulio Gatto (recruited from Lorraine Glass Industries in 1963) and Angelo Rossi (recruited from Lorraine Glass Industries in 1972) attained master status under the Chalet Maestros." (Ibid)

Lorraine Glass shut down its operations in 1974.

S.P. Myers Canada were based in 260 Murray St, Montreal.
Although I have seen this too: "Un peu au nord, c'est la (91) Lorraine Glass Industries Ltd. (275 rue Murray), un fabricant de produits d'art en verre, puis ..."

The S.P. Myers Canada firm looks like it was engaged in the "wholesale trade - durable goods, homefurnishing".
http://www.furniture.cx/company-sp-myers-canada-in-montreal-18857

It seems the firm name is still active but it runs out of Westmount Quebec.


 

[antiquerose123]

Thanks Vetraio50 -- For adding all your hard work here. Great Sleuthing as always!!

I was going to as you if you have a copy of that label of *S P M* to add here  -- Just wondering!!

Thanks again for ALL the additional info !!!!!