Topic: Bavarian: Union Glashütte and "Filiglan" glassware

[David E]

I'm trying to track down information on a Bavarian company called 'Union Glashütte'. I believe they created a range of flat, bent glassware, similar to that produced by Chance, under the tradename 'Filiglan' or 'Filigran' :?:

Anne actually found what I believe is an example of this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7389775746&fromMakeTrack=true

I managed to get this much from Ivo's book and after speaking to Michael Joseph (owner of Fiesta Glass Ltd and Midland Industrial Glass), but believe they were still trading up until around 1980.

Any help on this company would be much appreciated.

[chopin-liszt]

:shock:

It's the lace one I said I'd found, with a label - Filigranglas, Made in W. Germany. Label is oval, yellow, with gold border and print, the logo is parallelogram witha circle superimposed.


Mine has a frilly edge, but it's in flat sections with points rather than wavy. The lace pattern is the same.

  Michael will buy a new camera, no need for a fund for me. I just need to be patient and not nag. Things get done eventually. For example - new kitchen being put in, me designing, producing and directing, everything exactly as I want (last night he even said, "Paint anything you like and I'll buy it for you!" - I think he meant "Pick any paint you like, and I'll buy it for you!", but I was excited for a few moments!).
It's only taken 14 years to get around to it!

[David E]

Thanks Sue, I do remember this. There are a lot of similarities with Chance, and a photo will help :roll:  

Michael will buy a new camera, no need for a fund for me. I just need to be patient and not nag.

I can do nagging :lol:

Anyway, with the new camera you'll be able to show us photos of your new kitchen

[Ivo]

would be interesting to see a full list of the Bent glass license holders. The Dutch one was called "Flamingo Halfweg" and allegedly went under in 1967.

I have not come across Union Glashütte (other than a famous watch model from Glashütte the watch makers) in Bavaria and would sooner think the company was a "Glasveredlung" (glass decoration) or "Glaswerk" (glass maker) rather than "Glasshütte" (manufacturer of glass). If they were a primary glass manufacturer they would have shown up in the registers.

The Union Glashütte you found in Weisswasser did not survive the war, and would be in the GDR, not in West Germany.  

One company who did make screened float items was Glaswerk Olbernhau (GDR, not west) between 1970 and 1986.

[David E]

Thanks Ivo.

It's interesting what you say; I wonder then, who supplied the blanks for them to decorate? I don't think it was Chance.

would be interesting to see a full list of the Bent glass license holders. The Dutch one was called "Flamingo Halfweg" and allegedly went under in 1967.

Can you elaborate on what you mean by "license holders". I assumed slumped/bent glass making was a standard sheet glass production method and wouldn't have been a licensed process.

But I will try to find as much as possible and it might be information Michael Joseph can provide. He has already mentioned the following (please note the spellings may be incorrect as it was a phone conversation):

Union/Filigran - (W.) Germany
Seratic - Australia

Additionally, he was aware of another in Osaka, Japan, and I already know of Houze in USA. I think there's another in the US that recently went under as well - c.2002.

[Della]

All I can find is;

Filigran is the name of a series of glass items, which are designed and decorated by the Danish designer Lin Utzon for Rosendahl

[David E]

Della, I found that as well, but don't think it's related.

[Della]

I wasn't sure, I was just going off what Sue M. said that the label said.
I only came up with the other one that you also found, which Ivo discounted already.
I will carry on looking though.

[Anne]

David, my early Chance is Filigranglas! Look a labelled example with the same design as mine! :shock:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7388301968
http://www.encill.abelalways.co.uk/glassy-eye/photos/british/chance/pattern_other/early_fiesta.jpg

[Della]

My German is terrible, but I do have a dictionary. Pamela is probably better at answering for sure, but I don't think Filigran is a manufacturer, because it means:
embellish with filigree, decorate with lacy decorative work done in gold or other metals.