Topic: Bohemian Martele Bowl - Kralik or Loetz?

[TxSilver]

This is a bowl that has me puzzled. I have been going back and forth from Kralik to Loetz for it. It is 5 3/8" in diameter. The rounded triangle form of the handles look like some Kralik pieces I have seen. The circular pontil area, however, is indented and nicely polished like a Loetz piece. The thickness of the glass and the richness of the iridescence make me think Loetz. Most of the Kralik martele pieces I have seen have not had the careful pontil area, so I wondered if this might be an exception. OTOH, did Loetz ever make glass with pierced triangular handles? I favor Kralik for the piece because of the handles, but the pontil has me puzzled.

[obscurities]

Hello, The bowl is a definitely a Martele bowl by Kralik. The pontil is also correct for the piece.  You can find an example of the bowl here:  http://sites.google.com/site/loetzandglass/kralik-4--opalescent--reticulated-vases

I do not believe that Loetz produced pierced pieces, although I am not 100% sure.

It is the 4th down in the right column.

Craig

[obscurities]

The circular pontil area, however, is indented and nicely polished like a Loetz piece. 
Most of the Kralik martele pieces I have seen have not had the careful pontil area, so I wondered if this might be an exception. 

I have had many pieces with nicely polished pontils, and I believe the pontil work may be more a product of the artist executing the piece than a trait indicative of the company or a particular decor. I have had many different Kralik pieces in all kinds of decors and I find nicely executed pontils to be the standard for their work rather than the exception.

Craig

[TxSilver]

Thank you so much, Craig. The link that you gave is the one that made me think Kralik. Most of the Kralik pieces I have had didn't have such a nice pontil. It is good to learn that some pieces also have Loetz-like pontil areas. Everything fits for the bowl now.

[obscurities]

Anita,

You are most welcome. Austro-Hungarian / Czech glass is the area I spend the most time studying. I enjoy many areas of glass, but that is the one that seems to draw my time the most...  I have several examples of early Czech glass that you would swear were contemporary if you did not know who they were made by and when they were made.  If you have not read it, I have an interesting story posted about finding a pair of rare Loetz Argentan vases, that were oddly, sold as Mid-Century Italian.....  It is a story of a dream come true that actually happened to me.

Craig

[Jindra8526]

Hi Craig,
why Austro-Hungarian, say simply Bohemian! 
Klostermühle (Klášterský Mlýn) - Loetz,  Eleonorenhain (Lenora) - Kralik, Kosten (Košťany) - Pallme König are located in Bohemia nowadays part of Czech Republic.

Bohemian Kingdom was since 16 century part of Austrian Monarchy (Hungarian had got their autonomy and hyphen name in 1867 with intimidation of Austrians  during Austrian-Preussian war).
This glass has nothing to do with Austrians nor Hungarians, the productin had continued after foundation of Czechoslovakia as well, but I am sure you know it.

Just a question, can you please give me some resources about Kralik, I have several books about Loetz glass but not single one about Kralik or Pallme. How you attribute the pieces? Have you some pattern books, or catalogues that hepls you attribute it? Some Loetz patterns are at CD, but I never seen Kralik ones. How one can be sure that it had been fabricated by Kralik and not by another glass producer in Bohemia or Bavaria?

to remember multi-national Habsburg's state see the map of monarchy from 1910, Bohemia is naturaly 1 
 

[TxSilver]

If you have not read it, I have an interesting story posted about finding a pair of rare Loetz Argentan vases, that were oddly, sold as Mid-Century Italian.....  It is a story of a dream come true that actually happened to me.
Craig

I read the thread a couple of days ago. I was so green with envy. Cantz has a couple of pictures of the argentan vases in Loetz, Bohemian Glass 1880-1940. Your vases were even better than the ones pictured in the book, IMO.

Back to pontils -- I run across vases that have no noticeable pontil area quite often. I may do them a disservice by considering them generic Bohemian. (This really just means that I have no clue.) I will have to start a new thread and see if you have any idea who does these vases.

[obscurities]

Hello, I guess, being an American, I refer to Austro Hungarian and Czech because to me it indicates not only a region, but also seems to indicate a time frame. My understanding is that the "Austro-Hungarian Empire ceased to be at the end of WWI and Czechoslovakia was born. They are terms I started using many years ago, and being an old dog, it is most likely that is is quite hard to teach me new tricks!!  But, Bohemian glass it is!!

I wish I could give you a few easy references, but as far as references or books on Kralik or Pallme-Koenig etc, I do not really have any. I have used the internet for research through the years, as I was around when Al Gore invented it (an American joke I am afraid). I have accumulated lots and lots of internet sites of collectors, archives, articles and dealers I have grown to trust. I use this library of websites as reference. Through the years I have also made internet connections with a handful of respected authorities on Bohemian    glass that I am lucky enough to email images to if I have doubts or questions. Most of the info available on the lesser documented houses such has Kralik, Rhindskopf, Pallme-Koenig etc is scattered about in bits and pieces. I have a very large folder of bookmarks on my internet browser that are specifically related to glass, and I add a new one at least a couple of times a week. My experience, and I am certainly not an expert, is that much of the attributions can more effectively be done with a study of decors, small characteristics such as the number of folds on the mouth of a vase, and the primary shapes used by the different houses. In most cases a reasonably accurate attribution can be made based on a knowledge of those. This opinion is echoed on a few websites I use. It never ceases to amaze me the number of changes in attributions that occur though out the study of this early glass. What was once thought to be a piece by one house a number of years ago, is later attributed to another house based on new information that comes to light. In many cases these changes occur based on new knowledge derived from comparative studies of shapes and decors. I love the search for great pieces of glass, but I love the search for the knowledge about it at least as much if not more. To sum it up.... I am a complete internet junkie when it comes to glass!!!

Craig

[obscurities]

Anita

Back to pontils -- I run across vases that have no noticeable pontil area quite often. I may do them a disservice by considering them generic Bohemian. (This really just means that I have no clue.) I will have to start a new thread and see if you have any idea who does these vases.

Some of my favorite pieces in my collection, a very strikingly modern large and tall Rhindskopf comes to mind, are spectacular pieces with no pontil at all..... and anything but generic Bohemian...... 

Craig

[Mike M]

Hi

a minor addition to your reference collections should be the latest issue of Antiquexplore magazine April 2009-alas a UK only based magazine, but you should be able to get a copy via their website -which if you wait for the pictures to cycle is displaying some very nice pictures from the relevant article
www.antiquexplorer.com
Cheers

Mike

PS by far the best reference for all this is Alfredo's website -linked above with about 12+ pages on Kralik and many other areas. He is breaking new ground and I can't fault him yet -absolutely outstanding