Loetz vase with etched decor Josef Hoffmann um 1912

Josef Hoffmann’s design for the decorative motif, combining geometric patterns with the “Hoffmann Leaf Vine,” was first documented in 1911. That year, two collections featuring this decor were created for Johann Loetz Witwe and J. & L. Lobmeyr. While Johann Loetz Witwe produced glasses with this decor in vibrant colors, J. & L. Lobmeyr created glasses with patterns in black and gold. Both collections were exhibited by Hoffmann alongside the Loetz company at the Austrian Arts and Crafts Exhibition of 1911/12.
Vases in this form and with this decor were produced in over 30 different color variants. The etched decoration was created using a meticulous process. For this color variant, the piece, initially made from colorless glass, was first overlaid with an opalescent casing and then further covered with black. Through multiple subsequent steps, the decoration was etched out of the overlay using acid—a process that requires particular precision, especially when working with straight lines and geometric patterns.
The stylized depiction of bellflowers with foliage, combined with a geometric pattern, wonderfully reflects Hoffmann’s distinctive design language of that era.