Topic: mini-mini-miniature pink pressed glass jardiniere, ID = Ladena Viznerova for SU

[Anik R]

Lovely to have an attribution, Michael!  I saw this vase on the Sklo-Union sale site a few days ago, but couldn't find this thread or send you a personal message for lack of envelope icon by your name. 

I was thinking...  Isn't it a shame that Ladena Viznerova got little or no acclaim or acknowledgement for her pressed glass designs?  I've been through all the CGR available on Jindrich's site several times and I don't think I've ever seen any of her designs among the pages.  Her 13192 vase, for example, is beautiful.  It seems to me that in those times, she was simply known as Vizner's (ex)wife whose few designs were influenced by his.  Kind of sad.  Maybe I'm just being melancholic. 

[rocco]

Thanks, Anik! I had spotted the vase already some weeks ago on that site, but then it was labeled "designer unknown".

And you are absolutely right that female designers seem to have a harder time earning equal acknowledgement for their work than their male collegues...

Look at Charles and Ray Eames for instance, who always designed as a couple (and she as a trained sculptor was at least equally important); still her name was omitted in most literature until the 1980s.

I even saw an interesting example in CGR: while the Mstisov "Pizzicato" range is featured as being designed by the young Hana Machovska, only a few issues later when another Mstisov range is presented, the Pizzicato design is attributed to Frantisek Zemek...

Luckily for us Czech glass collectors, women in communism could work quite freely in this metier (even if sometimes less acknowledged), similar in Scandinavian countries, whereas it is easier to find a needle in a haystack than a female designer in postwar Germany/Austria.

I have to admit that I am always particularly happy when I aquire a beautiful piece designed by a woman

Michael

[Anik R]

It seems to me that a selection of women did play quite a well documented role in the world of Czech blown and moulded glass.  The story seems very different with pressed glass, however.  Looking at the resources we've got available, it appears that women played no role in designing.  Even Marcus Newhall's book makes no reference to any female designer.  I suppose it could be that women simply did not design pressed glass items, or if they did, their contributions were few and hence deemed too insignificant for greater recognition.

Hmmm...  Besides Viznerova, do we know of other women who designed pressed glass? 

[rocco]

Dear mods, could this be moved to the Czech/Bohemia sub-forum please?

Plus I noticed that quite a lot of my older threads with a positive ID (several German items for instance) didn't get moved to the particular sub-forum either.
Should I send you a list of those, or is this not necessary/favoured (and I should just be patient)?

Thanks!
Michael

[Cathy B]

Sure, if you would like to point them out that's fine.

There are four mods, and a massive volume of threads to move! We do our best, but it can be hard to keep up.  If you want to find a thread, it's best to use the Search facility.

[rocco]

Cathy, thank you so much!

I am aware that you cannot follow each of the hundreds of threads here to see if there is an ID given somewhere...
That's why I would gladly provide the info which of my items have been identified.
And all of you 4 mods are doing a really great job here! :hiclp:
This is one of the most pleasant forums I have ever participated in...
Thanks!

Michael

[Jindra8526]

The attribution of this piece came from Mr. Vladislav Urban.
Just a funny story, I have shown this piece to Mr. Vizner a year or two ago and he told me that it is unknown to him who had made it. Mr. Urban, however told me, that this piece had been designed by his ex-wife Ladena and Frantisek surely knew it, becouse it was a big issue in their atelier - you can see that Ladena has been strongly "inspired" by Frantisek s design.

They shared one atelier in Rudolfofva hut in 60ties - artists Jurnikl, Vizner, Urban, and technitians Viznerova and another lady, the name of her I have forgotten.

Jindrich
www.cs-sklo.cz

[Anik R]

Jindrich, I greatly appreciate and enjoy the behind-the-scenes stories you share with us. I find them fascinating.  Thank you!

[Cathy B]

I agree, thank you Jindrich! These little anecdotes add so much and the recent death of Frantisek Vizner shows how important it is to get them recorded somewhere.

[rocco]

Jindrich, thanks for the great info! -- Without you this cute little vase would have stayed unidentified forever...

Cathy, thanks for moving my old threads! Greatly appreciated

Michael