Collectors Facts - Bulbous Deco vases, probably Libochovice, Czechoslovakia
Giant Lily, marigold
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Inca, blue
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Pebble and Fan, blue
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Seagulls, aqua
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Shapes:
Bulbous vase
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Colours:
See below
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Back in the mid-1990s we purchased (and named) the Giant Lily vase shown above. We were struck by its strong Art Deco style and its similarity in shape and unusual neck/mould "construction" to several other blow-moulded bulbous vases we owned—Inca, Pebble and Fan, and Seagulls.
Why the attribution to Libochovice?
We considered that they were from the same factory: not only because of the very similar bulbous design and that they were all blow-moulded, but also because they all had the same complex moulded neck structure, as below.
Why the attribution to Libochovice?
We considered that they were from the same factory: not only because of the very similar bulbous design and that they were all blow-moulded, but also because they all had the same complex moulded neck structure, as below.
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Although it was felt they were European, we had not been able to attribute them to a maker, but the Giant Lily vase gave us two significant clues. On the base was the acid etched mark CZECHOSLOVAKIA and on the shoulder of the vase was a paper label that stated TRADE MARK "CORONET", as below. So, we knew they were made in Czechoslovakia - and the style of the designs, their strong Art Deco style, suggested a date of round about the 1930s.
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The CORONET label?
We originally thought it could be a clue to the maker, but information from Della Breukelaar in Holland showed that the CORONET label was in fact owned by a major US importer called George Borgfeldt and Co. located at Irving Pl. & E. 16th in New York City. The trademark is described as the stamp of a crown inside a laurel wreath. It is shown in White-Orr's 1930 Classified Business Directory, New York City section, under the heading China, Glass and Earthenware, Importers and Wholesale Dealers. The location where we found the Giant Lily vase, and that the person who sold it to us came from New York State bear this out. The date of the business directory also indicate an approximate date of importation, and thus production.
Recently, glass researcher, Marcus Newhall found a catalogue from Libochovice (Libochovice aka Libochwitzer Glashuette C.S. aka Libochovické Sklárny). In the 1920s and early 1930s, Libochovice produced small amounts of very high quality, decorative glass. They had an interesting range of colours, including amethyst, smoke, green and a colour described as "absinthe" (which was almost certainly vaseline glass).
However, the catalogue also included items that are known in Carnival, providing strong circumstantial evidence for attributing other pieces to this important glass works, including these bulbous Deco vases.
The evidence is as yet circumstantial rather than fully attributed and proven.
Giant Lily 9" high x 27" girth
We originally thought it could be a clue to the maker, but information from Della Breukelaar in Holland showed that the CORONET label was in fact owned by a major US importer called George Borgfeldt and Co. located at Irving Pl. & E. 16th in New York City. The trademark is described as the stamp of a crown inside a laurel wreath. It is shown in White-Orr's 1930 Classified Business Directory, New York City section, under the heading China, Glass and Earthenware, Importers and Wholesale Dealers. The location where we found the Giant Lily vase, and that the person who sold it to us came from New York State bear this out. The date of the business directory also indicate an approximate date of importation, and thus production.
Recently, glass researcher, Marcus Newhall found a catalogue from Libochovice (Libochovice aka Libochwitzer Glashuette C.S. aka Libochovické Sklárny). In the 1920s and early 1930s, Libochovice produced small amounts of very high quality, decorative glass. They had an interesting range of colours, including amethyst, smoke, green and a colour described as "absinthe" (which was almost certainly vaseline glass).
However, the catalogue also included items that are known in Carnival, providing strong circumstantial evidence for attributing other pieces to this important glass works, including these bulbous Deco vases.
The evidence is as yet circumstantial rather than fully attributed and proven.
Giant Lily 9" high x 27" girth
Giant Lily, marigold
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Giant Lily, purple, courtesy Sandy Sage
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Detail of purple Giant Lily
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For some years, our marigold Giant Lily vase was the only one known, but we were delighted when a purple example was found by Sandy Sage—indeed she had purchased it from a person in Prague in the Czech Republic (the former Czechoslovakia). The pictures of this vase above are all courtesy of Sandy. It is identical in size and shape to the marigold one, and also has the acid etched mark CZECHOSLOVAKIA on its base. You can see how dark it looks in the pictures, and it is similar in colour to an example of the Inca vase which is also known in this very dramatic purple.
Inca 12" high x 32" girth
Inca 12" high x 32" girth
Inca, blue
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Pebble and Fan 11" high x 23" girth
Pebble and Fan, blue
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Pebble and Fan, vaseline
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Seagulls 11" high x 30" girth
Seagulls, aqua
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Seagulls, purple
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Seagulls, vaseline, courtesy Della Breukelaar
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The beautiful purple Seagulls vase shown above had been languishing in southern France for the best part of a century before it was recently sold. It is the first we have actually seen in this colour. The base glass is a rich, deep purple and the iridescence - as you can see - is magnificent, shot through with turquoise, purple, lime green and gold. Two others are known in purple, one in England and one other example in North America (but it is cracked).
The Czech bulbous vases have some similarities to Décoratif and Art Deco avec Rectangles, but they are from a different maker.
See more Collectors Facts
The Czech bulbous vases have some similarities to Décoratif and Art Deco avec Rectangles, but they are from a different maker.
See more Collectors Facts