Loetz Vase PG 1/158 ca. 1901

Art glass from glassworks Johann Loetz Witwe is characterized by the combination of varied decors with sometimes unusual shapes. This vessel impresses with its colorful decor Phenomen Genre 1/158, which is based on a very complex process of creation.
All starts with a small glass sphere, the workpiece, which gets a yellow overlay. The sphere is then blown up in a blowing mould with vertically positioned ribs. They leave an imprint on the wall, creating hollow spaces. A thin silver oxide thread is then spun around the workpiece, breaking in the process of further inflation, resulting in the dotted, vertical pattern. In a further step, other silver threads are warped into uniform feathers. This causes different blue, lilac and green iridescent shades that beautifully stand out against the metallic yellow ground.
Loetz collector Toby Sharp describes this vase’s form as “resembling an ancient fertility symbol”*. Indeed, its harmonious curves highlight the décor and make this vase an outstanding specimen of Loetz’s creative period shortly after Paris World Fair 1900.
* Toby Sharp, Loetz. The Passion, NBVD, Hamburg 2015, p. 106-107