Topic: Erwin Eisch signature/works

[kwqd]

I have started looking around for a piece by Erwin Eisch for my collection and am confused by the various signatures that I see and the inconsistent commentary on them. I have looked at all of the posts on GlassMessages, which don't seem to come to a consensus, and many images of signatures found elsewhere. My confusion is due to what appear to be hand signed pieces "Eisch (two digit year)", like the one's shown below. Are pieces signed in this fashion, assuming they are genuine, by Erwin Eisch? Some say that unless the signature is "E. Eisch", dated or not, it is not his work. Sometimes works signed as shown in the images are described as by Erwin Eisch for the Eisch "Factory", etc. Also confusing... Thanks for any help in preventing my head from exploding.

[chopin-liszt]

I was following this discussion a bit in another thread , and I read the bit about it only being by Erwin if the E is before the Eisch.
I have two "Peacock" pieces, with no marks, but one still has a beige (it may have been white once, hard to tell) paper label attached with a red cord to the handle.
It reads, unfortunately in ancient German script.

There's a d)" mark I have worked out is ch
and some f's are s's I just don't know which ones. 

Mit deifem Glas erwerben Sie eine Befonderbeit aus dem Bayerifden Wald, eine Roftbarleit fur den Renner echter Glasmacherlunft. Entwurf u. Technil
      flammenvon
unferem Runftler
Erwin Eifch

on the back there's a logo of black and white triangles in a block and
GLASHUTTE VALENTIN EISCH KG
FRAUENAU
BAYERISCHER WALD
I have always assumed these are not by Erwin himself.

More recently I got another piece, with is marked Eisch and dated '90. No E.
Looking at that, (I love it) it is really quite wonky and has manufacturing flaws I would not expect to find in the work of somebody who has a lot of experience, as Erwin would have had by  '90.
So I'm quite happy to think if the E is not there, it's factory piece rather than one by the man himself. What I have supports that notion.

[kwqd]

Thanks chopin-liszt! That makes sense. So that brings up the question of why I can find very few examples signed "E. Eisch"? I recently talked to an early studio glass artist, active since 1968 and just planning to retire, and he started signing his work immediately but not adding an inventory/tracking number until 1974. Since 1974, he has numbered over 18,000 pieces of studio art glass.... Since Eisch was active earlier and maybe still active, I would assume his body of work would be proportionally larger. That being said, I also almost never see signed works by Harvey Littleton, Joel Philip Myers, etc., so maybe the majority of original glass by these early studio artists is already in collections, museums, etc., which is entirely believable. And sad. It also suggests that a lot of the glass marked "Eisch XX" is probably overpriced as it is assumed to be by Erwin Eisch. Also sad.

[chopin-liszt]

I've never bothered too much about marks on bottoms of things.
A beautiful piece of glass is always a beautiful piece of glass.

Marks on glass are where dodgy stuff starts happening. Faked signatures, wrong information about their meaning, ridiculous price hikes and so on. But that's the market as it operates. 

[kwqd]

Totally understand that viewpoint. Beauty is an immediate thing and stands independent of its past. For me, knowing that a piece of art was actually made by a specific artist, perhaps at a specific time, as opposed to maybe designed or influenced by that artist, is a different level of connection to the piece and to the artist. That is the reason I don't collect prints, only original paintings. I do have a lot of factory art glass as well, however, but I place it in a different category from studio glass which I can connect to a specific artist or artists, time and place. I have some objects which are not especially beautiful but are special to me because of that connection to the artist. That makes it more valuable to me.

[NevB]

Hello Sue, I think all the f's in you piece are s's except the one in Entwurf (design). Although I can translate some of it some of the words have got me stumped so I'll leave it to someone who's German doesn't date back 45 years!

[chopin-liszt]

I'd rather an original painting by an unknown artist to a print of anything by a great too.
I like knowing who made something, because they should get the credit for it.
I'd like bits by Erwin, but I'm very happy with the designs he produced and had made at the factory, I have not found anything I know to be definitely by him either.
But I really wanted something because of Eisch being the German beginnings of the Studio Glass Movement.
And also because I love it. I've got a thing about silver salts being used in hot glass.

Thanks Nev! I have a German friend I can ask, or maybe Monika might turn up and help out.

It's too late for me to correct my ffffupses

[NevB]

I will say that the last bit means roughly "design under the technical supervision of our director? Erwin Eisch ", so as you say not actually by him.

[chopin-liszt]

I'll report back what Katrin tells me as soon as she does. 

[Fuhrman Glass]

I met Erwin a time or two and he was shall we say somewhat eccentric, but a wonderful artist and person. Trying to pin down what he actually did and did not do I think would be a very difficult task just knowing what I know of him. He really had a great sense of humor and it showed in lots of his work and his expression thru his work was unique.