Loetz vase decor PG 7766 ca. 1899

In the period before 1900, the Loetz Witwe glassworks experimented with the production of the first so-called Phänomen Genres, the most expensive and elaborate surface designs that Loetz had in its program. The Phänomen Genre 7766 decor is one of these early designs from around 1898 and exemplifies the courage and creativity with which the glassblowers of the time created a series of modern art glasses that influenced generations after. A light grey-brown underlay was applied to a colorless top layer to determine the base color of the glass – in this case called Zephyr. The glass was overlaid with silver oxide crumbs that were twisted into circles and warped several times and melted onto the hot glass mass. The entire vessel was then pinched six times at the mouth and iridized. This gives the surface of the glass the appearance of a dynamically moving storm or a gust of wind that carries away foliage. The PG 7766 is an rare decor and therefore highly sought after.