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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: Sue C on September 21, 2007, 10:42:10 AM

Title: Czech Tango ?
Post by: Sue C on September 21, 2007, 10:42:10 AM
Could this piece be Czech Tango? thinly cased and polished pontil.
Many thank's.
Title: Re: Czech Tango ?
Post by: josordoni on September 21, 2007, 11:28:49 AM
It was what I thought of first when I saw it on the Potties board... but nice to see it in a washed clean state now!

 ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Czech Tango ?
Post by: Sue C on September 21, 2007, 11:52:14 AM
Yes, it was a bit grotty.
The problem i have is there seem's to be a lot of orange glass termed as Tango???
Title: Re: Czech Tango ?
Post by: josordoni on September 21, 2007, 11:55:21 AM
We'll have to wait for an expert...  :chky:
Title: Re: Czech Tango ?
Post by: chopin-liszt on September 21, 2007, 12:33:45 PM
 ;D

I believe tango is a word used very much in the deco period to describe orange/tangerine, and as such, is possibly applicable to anything orange of the deco period, from glass to pottery.
Title: Re: Czech Tango ?
Post by: heartofglass on September 21, 2007, 02:13:07 PM
Most likely Czech, period 1918-1939. It is what gets called a "console bowl" & would have originally had a set of 2 matching candlesticks.
I think "Tango" glass is a term used by U.S collectors to describe this type of glass, not an original term used in the art deco era.
A good general reference for this glass is "Made in Czechoslovakia" by Ruth A Forsythe. Not a lot of info but lots of nice pics.
Title: Re: Czech Tango ?
Post by: chopin-liszt on September 22, 2007, 10:02:20 AM
 :-[

I can't find my source with regards to the tango thing. I thought I read it in connection with ceramics, donkey's years ago. I have certainly thought this for a long time - but I may well be wrong. You are much more knowledgeable than me on this sort of thing, Marinka. Forsythe's book is nice, isn't it? Mine came with 2 price guides - 91-92 and 97, which is interesting.
Title: Re: Czech Tango ?
Post by: Jay on September 22, 2007, 04:30:00 PM
I think it's associated most with Loetz and Kralik, but don't have any documentary corroboration, and certainly known throughout the 'trade' as 'tango'.
Most often designed to fit a metal 'rose-grill', and presumably sold as 'rose vases'.

You can also find them in darker oranges and reds, with several different colour techniques (most typically red  and yellow streaks in a clear base).
Several of the designs have a black or darker area at the base with some type of irregular or 'flame' effect leading to the orange top. At some time there was an attempt to use cappuchino colours in place of the bright orange.
Although they are most commonly found with a simple 'painted  line on the  rib' there are also versions with architectural motiefs transfer-applied in various styles.
We have about 40 so far ;-)

It CERTAINLY was a 'wannahave' for the 1920s -30's and often graced the mantlepiece as a foil against the (for modern taste) dark interior, with a candle next to it!
My under-educated guess is that versions of this idea will have been produced by several factories since several other similar designs were widely 'cloned' at that time!
Title: Re: Czech Tango ?
Post by: Sklounion on September 22, 2007, 04:49:34 PM
Hi,
Following from Jay's comments.....
yes both companies were associated with this type of ware, and I do have documentary evidence that another maker was Harrach (Harrach'ov, now Novosad a Syny s.r.o)
Regards,
Marcus
Title: Re: Czech Tango ?
Post by: Mike M on September 24, 2007, 08:53:11 PM
-I'd love to know how tango got to be the name of this stuff too.

Interstingly one of the first uses of Tango as a glass colour 'term' -in this period- that I can track is Schneider 'Tango' c1918 and then it was a vivid pink! With orange just being called orange.

Cheers

Mike
Title: Re: Czech Tango ?
Post by: Jay on September 24, 2007, 10:46:30 PM
Perhaps it's named after the fizzy drink! ;-)
Title: Re: Czech Tango ?
Post by: chopin-liszt on September 25, 2007, 10:48:00 AM
http://west-penwith.org.uk/misc/tango.htm

Not orange, but "Tango" in relation to pottery.

I did find other pottery named "Tango" too, but not as nice as Doulton.
Title: Re: Czech Tango ?
Post by: Lustrousstone on September 25, 2007, 12:31:56 PM
According to the Oxford dictionary, tango, as a word for a dance originated in the late 19th from Latin American Spanish possibly via an African word for to dance, and as a colour (a deep orange red) in the early 20th century by abbreviating tangerine (as in a Tangerine orange - an orange from Tanger, as Tangier was known). This use for a colour is a dated and informal British usage. Which explains the orange but not Mike's bright pink, which could be a translation error of course
Title: Re: Czech Tango ?
Post by: chopin-liszt on September 25, 2007, 01:04:47 PM
 :-\

I believe that was the context in which I was trying to explain the use of Tango, well done, Christine - I couln't get into Oxford dictionary - not paid up! It was a deco-period slang/trendy expression to describe the very fashionable orange colour in clothes, pottery, and glass.
Title: Re: Czech Tango ?
Post by: Mike M on September 25, 2007, 04:28:21 PM
Very Interesting!!!!

If anyone wants to see the difference between orange and tango -according to Schneider then you need

'Schneider' maitre verrier -Gerard Bertrand - pages 223-6 and the colours and names are on the original Schneider design pages  -page dates appear to be early 1920s but the designs are from 1918ish The tango is a very reddy orange -and the pieces in real life are bright pink (OK with just a hint of orange)

I guess this was a colour oddity soley down to Schneider -maybe they could have got it from Daum - but the only colour references I've very seen for this period of Daum just have code numbers

cheers

Mike