A Loetz Vase of Unknown Decor

Every Loetz art glass piece has a form—its shape—and a decor—its surface decoration. A vase sold on October 15 by ACES Gallery of Stamford reportedly has been the property of a Briarcliff family for the past century and more, dating back very likely to the time of its original purchase. The vase has a characteristic Loetz organic form and art nouveau iridescent decor. That specific decor is almost certainly one of the Phänomen Gre. (for Phenomenon Genre) variety, but which one is apparently not documented.

Loetz
ACES Gallery listing accessed October 15, 2023 just six and a half minutes before the auction

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/162070166_loetz-austria-art-glass-vase

Sold!

Note:  My online source for calling the decor an undocumented one is here.

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A Tiffany "Wave" Paperweight

A Tiffany Studios bronze and favrile glass "Wave" pattern paperweight demonstrates an organic art nouveau form. Offered for sale at auction in early 2020 with an estimate of $2,500 to $4,000, it sold for the low estimate.

Tiffany Studios

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/a-tiffany-studios-new-york-bronze-and-favrile-gla-db24e27a8d

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Eugène Grasset: October

Happy October! Has three-quarters of this year gone by already?

Eugène Grasset's Les Douze Mois de 1889 is an art nouveau calendar published in Paris. It presents the twelve months in book format. The days of the month in list form are separated by week, with the corresponding Saints day alongside them. The calendar is decorated with fruits and flowers as well as signs of the zodiac, although here Scorpio doesn't begin until the 23rd of October. The inclusion of the astrological signs along with the Saints days is a pretty strong hint that a primary function of this calendar is decoration.

This copy of the calendar will be auctioned today at Swann Galleries in New York.

Eugène Grasset, Octobre
Les Douze Mois de 1889, calendar

Swann Galleries, Art, Press & Illustrated Books, Sale 2358, Lot 141, October 1, 2014

http://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/asp/fullcatalogue.asp?salelot=2358+++++141+&refno=++694247

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Liz Taylor Loetz

From the estate of Elizabeth Taylor comes this beautifully-decorated Loetz vase to be sold on December 16 at Christie's. The decor is Phänomen Gre. 29. I've shown another example below for comparison.

I'm not sure what the form is. (Most readers would do well to skip the following truly atrocious sentence, but I wouldn't mind some feedback on it from Loetz experts.) The form of the vase resembles a Bakalowits design, Com. 85/3823 (dopp. Nr.) [Ref. 1], but there is no record of this particular form being decorated with Phänomen Gre. 29 [2]. OK, it's safe to resume reading now.

LOETZ 

An Iridescent Glass Vase, circa 1900

8 in. (20 cm.) high
with etched signature Loetz Austria

Estimate

$1,500 - $2,500

December 16, 2011 Price Realized $4,000

• Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and do not reflect costs, financing fees or application of buyer’s or seller’s credits.

Sale Information

Sale 2634 Lot 843
The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor: Fine and Decorative Art & Film Memorabilia, Including Costumes 
16 December 2011
New York, Rockefeller Plaza 

CONDITION
The overall condition is good. 

Special Notice

Please note that the copyright, and any and all associated intellectual property and other rights for this item are exclusively retained by the Trustees of the Estate of Elizabeth Taylor.

http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?action=conditionreport&intObjectId=5503063

Another example of Loetz Phänomen Gre. 29

http://kralik-glass.com/loetzpg29array.html

References:  

1.  Ricke, Helmut, et al. Lötz: Böhmisches Glas 1880-1940 (München: Prestel-Verlag 1989), Band 2, p. 283.

2.  Ibid, p. 539.

Note:  My recent Loetz post is here.

You can see examples of Phänomen Gre 29 here and here.

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A Loetz Double Gourd Vase

Heritage Auctions offers this gorgeous Loetz vase in its November 19 sale. The conventions for describing Loetz vases are a bit arcane, flabbergasting even to many auction houses and complicated by the fact that the reference works are mostly in German.

Basically, vases are described in German by their form, the color of the glass, and the surface decor. Based on Ricke, Helmut, et al. Lötz: Böhmisches Glas 1880-1940 (München: Prestel-Verlag 1989) Band I, p. 89, the production number is 7724/8" neu Nr. 106 (1900). The color of the glass is red, hence this is Rubin. The decor is one of the Phänomen (or Phenomenon) genres, specifically Rubin Phänomen Gre. 7624 dating from 1898.

Decors were used on different vase forms sometimes for years after their development, hence any Loetz vase decorated with Phänomen Gre. 7624 must date from 1898 or later. The production number, or form, limits the vase to the year 1900. The cataloguer at Heritage arrived at the correct date without bothering to name the production number or decor. So be it, but where is the scholarship in that?

 Loetz vase production number is 7724/8"
neu Nr. 106 (1900), Rubin Phänomen Gre. 7624 (1898)

Loetz vase production number is 7724/8"
neu Nr. 106 (1900), Rubin Phänomen Gre. 7624 (1898)

Ground and polished pontil on the base of this Loetz vase, production number 7724/8"
neu Nr. 106 (1900), Rubin Phänomen Gre. 7624 (1898)

LOETZ GLASS DOUBLE GOURD VASE 

Blue and copper wave motif gourd vase, circa 1900

8-3/4 inches high (22.2 cm)
Estimate: $1,200 - $1,600.


November 19, 2011 Update:

Sold for:

$4,929.38 (includes BP )

Condition Report*:  

The gourd vase is in excellent overall condition with a beautifully applied wave motif.

http://fineart.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=5075&lotNo=62180&lotIDNo=19001#Photo

Here's another example of this decor on a vase with a very different form:

Rubin Phänomen Gre. 7624, 1898, 
I - 7557, © MCH

http://users.skynet.be/fa000612/decorsgre7624.htm

Note:  The best online resource for information about Loetz glass is Eddy Scheeper's website http://loetz.net/.


And while we're at it, here's an earlier post with an example of art nouveau Tiffany glass from the estate of Elizabeth Taylor.

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