Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Bohemia, Czechoslovakia, Czech Republic, Austria => Topic started by: glassobsessed on December 05, 2011, 02:59:00 PM
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I have had a good hunt around but I have not been able to discover who designed this vase. It has a sort of 'eye bath' like shape with etched vertical lines around the base, 11cm tall.
Any ideas?
John
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What a fantastic vase, John -- and not very typical of Skrdlovice, is it? I've never seen it before, neither in the designs catalogue (unless I missed it) or on any site. Jindrich's "Ceskoslovenske Sklo" DVD offers well over 600 Skrdlovice items, but your piece is not there either.
It's a fascinating and beautiful item. I hope you'll get the answer you're looking for.
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Thank you very much for looking Anik, a bit of a mystery for now then....
A couple of random thoughts, are there many designs from Skrdlovice which are cut or etched? Off hand, I don't remember seeing many. Would the label offer any clues to production date?
John
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I'm here to wonder at the mystery rather than to solve it. Lovely piece, but unlike any Skrdlovice I've seen. I've never seen an engraved Skrdlovice piece, and I don't think I've seen that label. Also, the colour is unusual (early 60's?), as is the lip. If someone asked me which Czech company produced this piece, my first choice would be Harrachov and second EXBOR. Is mislabelling a possibility? Were limited production pieces by visiting designers made after hours?
Fascinating piece, John. Keeping or selling?
David
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What an elegant item, John - I could easily see it on my shelves. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
I know the label says Skrdlovice but in so many ways it looks Scandinavian - including the vertical grooving.
Ross
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I cannot think of a designer for certain, the label is pretty unusual and my best educated guess suggests it is not directly Skrdlovice. This is not disappointing, because UR, although on the Skrdlovice labels, does not mean Skrdlovice, UR is "Ustředí uměleckých řemesel Praha," the "Centre for Fol Art Production (Prague)" which had several, the main ones being Skrdlovice glassworks and the cutting centre in Prague. This piece seems to be from the cutting centre, like Michael's Stahlikova cut bowl, blown at Skrdlovice, cut at the UR cutting centre, but not a pattern book item. I would estimate a date of circa 1955 for your piece, and Smrckova, Kotik or Stahlikova as possible artists, although I am speculating really at the moment and I will try to find out more exact information. Jindrich may know a little more.... a lovely item though! (I agree with Ross about the Scandinavian influence but at the same time, the execution style makes the piece pure Czech).
Robert (bOBA)
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Funny coincidence -- I held the very same vase in my hand last saturday at the Viennese fleamarket :usd:
It was unlabeled, and I did suspect that it was Czech (but never Skrdlovice).
Unfortunately too expensive...
Michael
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Very interesting, thank you Robert. So that explains the label too, I had assumed it was another variation of a Skrdlovice label.
My vague impression as far as date went for the vase was 50s but it is so easy to be wildly inaccurate just going on impressions.
I bought the vase with another from the same seller and did not think to ask where or when she might have bought them. The second vase is the following design by Oldrich Lipsky, it has a Glassexport label and is unmarked. Of course they may have been bought at different times and in different places.
John
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Oh wow... two beautiful items in one day. :mrgreen:
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John, maybe one thing to add:
in the CGR article on Maria Stahlikova (http://picasaweb.google.com/Jindra8526/Glasrevue196111?authkey=Gv1sRgCMLS4bnjxOKIoQE#5440637185868524546) (where my engraved bowl is depicted), there is mentioned that for the cut and engraved designs for the Centre of Arts in Prague 2- or 3-coloured glass either from Skrdlovice or from Karlovarske sklo (Moser) was used.
The glass quality in this vase seems much better than the one in my dish which is obvioulsy from a Skrdlovice blank; so I would rather guess that the vase was made using a Karlovarske sklo blank? (The colour does look more like Moser, too, doesn't it?).
Michael
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Sorry for the delay Michael, I have not been receiving notification of replies for some reason. I don't have enough knowledge to know whether the colour is more reminiscent of Moser or Skrdlovice, I thought the vase was very well made and a subtle and lovely tactile item.
John
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:thud:
That second one is fabulous, John - I've just dribbled everywhere!
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Well, today the vase turned up again on the Viennese fleamarket, was much cheaper than before Christmas, and so it is mine now :rah:
I am very glad that John's is labeled and Robert added so much great information, so at least we know where it comes from (if not the designer); I would think it could be Stahlikova, as the most similar piece I have found in CGR is this one: http://picasaweb.google.com/Jindra8526/Glasrevue19588?authkey=Gv1sRgCIakrf3F_sXzLQ#5439620069745336450 (http://picasaweb.google.com/Jindra8526/Glasrevue19588?authkey=Gv1sRgCIakrf3F_sXzLQ#5439620069745336450)
Michael
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Michael, another truly lucky and lovely find. But I wonder if this item was only made in pink?
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Good find, Michael. Finding a much desired item at a lower price makes the weekend and your collection even more special.
I'm in Maui so no chance of that happening here. I'll just have to go to the beach instead.
David
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@Anik: the pink and clear does look more like a Moser blank to me, but not sure about that...
Maybe it will turn up in another colour combination one day :)
BTW, the softly indented base is very similar to that of your unknown small smoky sculptural vase. (Rather unusual base for Czech glass of that period).
@David: I would trade the Saturday fleamarket in Vienna (icy wind) against a stay at the beach of Maui at once! :sun:
Have a great time!
Michael