Fantastic find
Interesting comparisons to be made between what I have found in the Harrach book and this detailed and informative Loetz article then:
1) In the Loetz description made at point 7.05
'
The vases 7.06-08,7.10-17 are examples of early Loetz 'Karoatlas' glass introduced in 1885 [Neuwirth] page 245: Sprechsaal 1889 S.77 A.Schmidt: 'Von der Kunstgewerbeausstellung in Muenchen 1888', with a décor made by air inclusions in the shape of diamonds similarly to the Webb and Harrach 'Mother of Pearl' décor. Vase 7.06, similar in colour to 2.01-04, has the remains of a Dek number and the unique shape of 7.07 resembles PN=85/3684 (1899).'the author describes the
Loetz as
'Karoatlas' glass and remarks with regard the diamond air decor as a comparison to other makers '...similarly to the Webb and
Harrach 'Mother of Pearl' décor'.
Yet in the Harrach book page 266, fig 306, there is a diamond airtrap yellow over white vase with coralene decoration described thus:
'Vase
form: 1887, prod no.1143/9
execution: Karoatlas
h 11.5 cm
Museum of Glass, Harrachov, inv. no 4139
White opal glass with colourless overlay, with an optical checked pattern, flashed with colourless glass and shaded to topaz yellow at the top, mould blown. Raised tiny twigs decoration of applied colourless beads. Rim matte gilded.
A unique combination of flashed optical decoration with an applied bead pattern. This vase, which was part of the original company sample room, is an example of an almost experimental approach to finding new decorative techniques and an effort to discover new types of decoration.'So I'm not sure why the author says the Loetz version is 'Karoatlas' but then compares it to the Harrach versions calling them '
Mother of Pearl' decor when the Harrach book calls them Karoatlas and gives a production number.
2) Loetz did use a dark green which can been seen on other examples on that page. I'm not sure if it is a direct match for the OP's vase green. I have not been able to find a Harrach in that dark grey green yet.( Caveat - Harrach were a huge glassworks that produced enormous amounts of glass and colours so at the moment I would think the colour would not be a deal breaker if an example could not be found?)
3) The design of the dragon and foliage in the Harrach book page 297 is remarkably similar to the OP's vase. But there are differences. However the similarities in the dragon are so remarkable, and the layout of the foliage decoration around the vase also, that I think it is entirely possible it was taken from that design...
... and actually, in the text of the vase plate 346 (an engraved vase with a dragon on), which is shown in photograph above the watercolour design for the enamelled vase similar to the OP's, it has the following remark in the body of text:
'The dragon figure rendered in high relief engraving compositionally replaces the motif of a
dragon with a scaled body documented in several designs for painted vases , which can be attributed with some certainty to Josef Petricek. The original template was probably a dragon from a Chinese silk pattern from the period of the Qing dynasty, published in RACINET 1872, II Livraison, tab. XIII.'
So from that paragraph it could be deduced that there were a number of vases with enamelled dragons, therefore the fact that the design of OP's vase is not a direct match but has remarkable similarities would also not be a deal breaker.
It would be good to match the colour and the shape of the vase to a Harrach piece as a final confirmation or not.
If I have time I'll have a look around.
m
Topic: help with ID bohemien or poss French (Read 3129 times)
