Topic: A New Welz Trophy Vase - and a Long Time Suspected Family Member Confirmed

[obscurities]

I just received a trophy vase from the UK, that involved the assistance of a dear friend in London, as the seller would not ship to the U.S.  As a matter of fact, at one point they stopped an auction due to an overwhelming number of request about shipping it here......  Thank you very much for the help Nicole!!

The shape of this trophy vase can be seen on the internet at the following location in a yellow spatter decor.

http://rover.rajce.idnes.cz/Tango_sklo/#11_tango_sklo_z_Teplicka_A-_firmy_-_Franz_Wetz_Hrob_u_Teplic_B_-_Franz_Tomschick_Kostany_.jpg

It is identified in this exhibit, and also another, as a Welz shape which is quite distinctive. Even in light of this, this shape can be found on ebay recklessly attributed, in my opinion, to Ruckl. They are there on ebay in several distinctive decors. As a matter of fact there is one on ebay currently which is the same uniquely shaped vase in the same yellow spatter decor as in the Tango display image, and it is being represented as a Ruckl piece.

Ruckl has been discussed here before, along with the questions of where has it all come from all of a sudden.....  Amongst the supposed Ruckl decor attributions and shapes which can also be found on Collectors Weekly are a group of pieces in quite unique shapes, and also in a quite distinctive type of spatter decor.....  I understand that most spatter style decors are extremely difficult to pin down, and that is why I generally avoid them, but in this case the decor is unique enough in style and also color compositions that it becomes a fairly easy, and quite strong (I believe) attribute connection to other pieces based on it... and attributes those shapes and decors to Welz and not Ruckl.

I went to the extent I did to get my hands on this trophy vase, as I felt it provided a very strong link of a tough decor to a particular house. It is the only example of this form I have ever seen in this spatter decor. I have seen other examples of this shape in other decors I believe are also Welz, aside from the examples shown in the Tango exhibition. This piece was important to my research because I believe it provides a strong link of the decor to Welz.

The cone shaped vase was a local auction purchase, and is one I have owned for over 2 years. I have always had the suspicion that it may be a Welz example, but could never find the cone shape in any other decor, and could not link the decor through another shape to Welz.....  Until now!!

The colors in these pieces are the same, and there are some very subtle pinks and greens which do not show well in these images that are quite unique.....  a very light pink and an almost mint green..... the execution technique is also the same including the same number of casing layers and the order of colors in the casings. 

After 2 years of looking for an answer, I have inadvertently connected these two pieces together while working on a completely different research lead.....  seems that is how it happens every once in a while.....

The decor on this trophy vase also confirms my suspicion, at least to me, that the examples shown in the following link are also Welz, and not Ruckl as being represented.

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/77662-a-ruckl-xmas-gift

I am always on the lookout for other unique shapes to obtain in this decor....... they just do not seem to come along all that often.....

The project I am working on is research to be posted on Kralik-glass.com regarding what I would refer to as "Victorian Style" glass produced by Welz. It is an interesting line of study which I believe will produce some surprising results.......

Craig

[flying free]

Thanks - that's great information. And a superb link to the exhibition pieces.
Your cone shaped vase reminds me of the bottom of a tall hyacinth vase (different decor) I had a few years ago, that I thought might be Welz.  I think you have the pictures of that?
m

[keith]

Should I then presume this is a close relative ? 

[obscurities]

Keith, At this point I think that is likely a safe bet.....   I have been collecting images of all of the different trophy vase styles that come along and at some point am hoping I can make sense of them.....  at least a little bit......

M.....  I thought that my piece may have been a cut down Hyacinth until I saw a remnant of gold paint on the top of the rim.....   it was Enameled gold at some point but has worn away.......  so simply made in a very linear form originally.....

[glassobsessed]

The shape of this one struck me as somewhat 'trophy like' but of course no handles. Anyway, just adding it here in case it might be useful at some stage, I found it recently and have done next to no research on it yet.

White ground with pale blue and green (aventurine?) chips, cased in clear.

John

[Lustrousstone]

Well done Craig. Looking forward to the results. Are you in contact with Dirk re likely Welz thorn vases?

[obscurities]

Thanks John, I have been collecting images of those, as I put them in the same class as a trophy vase regarding shapes......

Christine, Yes, I have been in contact with Dirk......  He and I discussed the topic a couple of weeks ago.

[Greg.]

Came across these today, working on the assumption that these are also Welz....?

[obscurities]

Hi Greg.... I am working on the process of linking the two tall pieces through the same decor on other shapes I can confirm are Welz.

My inclination at this point is to say that I believe they are Welz production......  Particularly the two tall pieces.  I refer to the decor on the covered piece as Harlequin Honeycomb.......  and believe that a lot of it was Welz production, but I am not there yet as far as making a solid commitment on that decor. There is also the possibility that someone else made the decor also......  I am 90% sure of my findings at this point, and that is likely as sure as I can get without factory records..... 

The Oxblood spatter decor is found, I believe, as production from at least a couple of houses. One observation I have made is that it appears that the examples which seem to me to be Welz production, have a kind of orange/yellow interior color like the interior color of my trophy vase. Yopur two pieces seem to have this color on the interior of the pieces.   I also have a piece of a similar decor in my collection which I do not believe to be Welz, and the interior color is a different color.... kind of a bright opaque cranberry....

Unfortunately, all of these pieces in your images are being attributed to Ruckl by a particular ebay seller, who seems to believe that Welz never existed based on their selling strategy......  They are also attributed to Ruckl on Collectors Weekly by the same seller and her husband who post independent of each other....

Personally, at this point I just have to laugh......

Is it OK if I copy and use your images in my research and findings when I publish them on my website?
I would also love to see interior shots of the tall pieces in particular....  Thanks in advance either way...

Craig

[Greg.]

Hi Craig, Many thanks for your thoughts on these, much appreciated.

I have attached a handful of further images, predominately of the interiors of both pieces. As you thought the interior of the tall pieces are indeed a yellow colour. Interesting to read your views on the covered piece, as you may have suspected the interior of this piece is white. Aside from the differences to the interiors/decors both pieces in the flesh, do have striking similarities.

I fully understand your frustration regarding these being miss-attributed to Ruckl online, hopefully its just a matter of time before these inaccuracies are corrected and these pieces get the correct attribution they deserve.

Please feel free to use any of the images I have uploaded and please excuse the poor picture quality as the light was virtually non existent this afternoon. Should you require any additional images or require higher res versions, please just let me know.

Many thanks again.
Greg