Collectors Facts - Sublime Deco, Libochovice, Czechoslovakia
Updated and re-written, October 2019. Further updated February 2021.
Shown below is an iridised, single stem Deco candlestick (Libochovice catalogue number 1224), which was purchased by us at the Vienna Naschmarkt in March, 2004. It is fully iridised on both frosted and un-frosted surfaces, giving an ethereal almost magical shimmer to the glass. On the base of our single stem candlestick is the moulded word TCHECOSLOVAQUIE, which dates the production of the mould to between 1918 and 1938 (before WW2). Above, on the right is the catalogue image of the item as seen in an undated Libochovice catalogue*.
Below is the double stick version of the candlestick (Libochovice catalogue number 1686). The double stick does not have the moulded mark TCHECOSLOVAQUIE, but it is in the same, undated Libochovice catalogue*- shown here on the right. Libochovice's double stem version of the Sublime Deco candlestick.
The Patent In 1937, a patent was granted to David Traum (of Dritz-Traum Co., New York) for a “Design for a Candlestick or Similar Article”. The item in question was the single stick, as shown at the top of the page. Traum wasn’t known for his designs of glass (having submitted patents for a door stop and an ornamental book covering), nor was he seemingly connected with any USA glass firms. He and his partner Dritz were more involved in the design, manufacture and distribution of beaded bags – as well as other fabric associated notions, such as “Irontex” the “Miracle Fabric Mender”, shown below. The Art Deco candlestick design seems more of an opportunistic application, and indeed it is even possible that Traum could have been acting as an agent on behalf of Libochovice themselves. A possible connection exists between Dritz-Traum and the Czech glass industry, in that they were very likely using Czech-made glass beads for their bags.
Whatever the reason, the timing is certainly curious. The patent was granted at the end of July, 1937. This was at a time when Czechoslovakia was undergoing great unrest, just months prior to the annexation of the Sudetenland (where Libochovice was located) by Hitler. It seems possible – even likely – that the candlestick mould for 1224 (Sublime Deco) was made before this time, possibly in the somewhat more settled years of the early 1930s (we know, because of the TCHECOSLOVAQUIE mark, that it was made before 1938). And perhaps Traum formalised it in 1937, maybe with a view to later sales in the USA (it is reported – but we cannot confirm – that “Royal Imports” – connected with Jeannette Glass – imported the double stick in the 1970s). |
* Libochovice Catalogue images courtesy the late Marcus Newhall and Zdeněk Hrábak (Severočeské Muzeum v Liberci).
David Traum's 1937 New York Patent.
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The (uniridised) double stick has been called “Malverne” and the single stick has been called “Chateau”, but we cannot confirm any source for these names. The single and double Sublime Deco candlesticks on the right appeared in an undated (but believed to be c. 1930-39) “Verreries de Libochovice S.A.” catalogue, courtesy Stan Hoegerman and Corning Glass Museum. Note the pendant lustres. Production The Libochovice glassworks was founded in 1912 by Josef Feigl and Vladislav Moravek. After WW2, in 1945, it was reorganised, and in 1965 became part of the Sklo Union combine. The glassworks focussed on the production of “exclusive decorative accessories, such as vases”. There was a change of ownership in 2000 (staving off bankruptcy) and the Sahn CS group took over. The glassworks finally closed around 2006 or 2007. Both the single and double sticks are known in shimmering iridescent glass that is sometimes partially frosted (the iridescence was probably created using stannous chloride) as well as in clear, and part clear/part frosted glass. |
They are also known with pendant lustres (as shown here, above right). In 2006 we contacted Libochovice to enquire about our Sublime Deco iridescent candlestick. They confirmed that this candlestick (number 1224) was indeed their production dating back to the 1930s and that this particular model had not been in production for some time. Libochovice described our candlestick as a "really very old design" and confirmed that at the time of our conversation they were not currently iridising any glass. They did confirm, however, that the double stick (number 1686) was in current production and indeed was illustrated on their website at that time in part frosted finish (not iridised). On the left is a Sublime Deco double stick. It was shown in a Libochovice catalogue, c. late 1990s or early 2000: we dated it to this time as the catalogue has an email address. |
History of the Carnival versions
In the 1990s we first became aware of the existence of two Sublime Deco double stick candle holders. One was in the Notley Lerpiniere Carnival Glass collection (stored at the Himley Hall Museum near Dudley, UK). The other was in a private collection, having been discovered in a charity / thrift shop in the UK. The former was illustrated in a paperback “Popular Glass of the 19th and 20th Centuries” (2000, Millers) by the late Raymond Notley, in which it was described as “A rare Czech candelabrum, with titanium iridescence, c. 1937”. The text further added the following: “By the 1930s, when the candelabrum ... was made, new technology made innovative colours of metallic lustre possible. The brilliant, thin-film lustre evident here was from titanium”.
In the 1990s we first became aware of the existence of two Sublime Deco double stick candle holders. One was in the Notley Lerpiniere Carnival Glass collection (stored at the Himley Hall Museum near Dudley, UK). The other was in a private collection, having been discovered in a charity / thrift shop in the UK. The former was illustrated in a paperback “Popular Glass of the 19th and 20th Centuries” (2000, Millers) by the late Raymond Notley, in which it was described as “A rare Czech candelabrum, with titanium iridescence, c. 1937”. The text further added the following: “By the 1930s, when the candelabrum ... was made, new technology made innovative colours of metallic lustre possible. The brilliant, thin-film lustre evident here was from titanium”.
In 2004 we found the Sublime Deco single stick (as described at the beginning of this article) and in November 2018, we came across a Sublime Deco double stick for sale on the internet. These items were the first reported, iridescent, single stick and the third reported, iridescent, double stick.
At that point, we believed that these were old, iridised items dating back to the 1930s, as claimed by Raymond Notley in the Miller’s guide “Popular Glass of the 19th and 20th Centuries” – and more or less as explained to us by Libochovice themselves in 2006 (although they did not give us a specific date of production). Our previous writings on this topic had been in accordance with this timeline. However, various other discoveries and emerging information since late 2018 and throughout 2019, have made us pause and re-think the most likely period when these beautiful candlesticks were iridised. Sklo Union Iridescent Items Over the past two decades we have seen emerging a limited number of very beautiful, iridescent items (mainly vases) made by factories in the Sklo Union group. (The Sklo Union group was established in the former Czechoslovakia in 1965 and included glass works such as Libochovice, Hermanova Hut and Inwald’s former factory of Rudolfova Hut). The iridescence on these items is breathtaking and can be recognised by its shimmering lightness. Matching up these recently found Sklo Union vases to production dates (using various Sklo Union catalogues) led us to believe that these items were produced and iridised from c. late 1960s through to probably c. late 1990s and possibly into the early 2000s – in small quantities. Further finds through 2019 have added a wider perspective, as a growing number of iridescent Sublime Deco candlesticks have also recently emerged too – both the double sticks and the single sticks. (Minor differences in detail between examples are probably accounted for by multiple moulds in use over many decades). Other iridescent deco style candlesticks have also been reported, as well as various further items that are now being researched. It is possible that some of the items mentioned above may have been “hot” iridised at the Sklo Union factories at the time of production. It is also possible that some might have been iridised in more recent times using a form of (cold) vacuum iridising, in the style of the LGW process - this isn’t confirmed, but it remains a possibility. Research continues into these astonishingly beautiful pieces of Carnival Glass. |
Streams, also called Bubbles.
Designed by Frantisek Peceny, 1974, For Hermanova Hut (Sklo Union). |
Research Update, February 2021.
As we intimated in 2019 (above), our research into these Sklo Union pieces was ongoing, and we can now report information we uncovered about a firm in the Czech Republic called LiGlass, a company that had split off from the Železný Brod glassworks in 1990.
One of the specialities of the LiGlass company was vacuum iridising glass that was brought in from other glassworks (in the style of the LGW vacuum process). A shimmering, pastel iridescence, using titanium, was applied to some items from Sklo Union glassworks. We believe that this was how these beautiful candlesticks shown above were iridised.
Read more on our page about LiGlass, where you can see other items iridised in this way: LiGlass Vacuum Iridising
As we intimated in 2019 (above), our research into these Sklo Union pieces was ongoing, and we can now report information we uncovered about a firm in the Czech Republic called LiGlass, a company that had split off from the Železný Brod glassworks in 1990.
One of the specialities of the LiGlass company was vacuum iridising glass that was brought in from other glassworks (in the style of the LGW vacuum process). A shimmering, pastel iridescence, using titanium, was applied to some items from Sklo Union glassworks. We believe that this was how these beautiful candlesticks shown above were iridised.
Read more on our page about LiGlass, where you can see other items iridised in this way: LiGlass Vacuum Iridising
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