Rare Trio of Loetz Lapis lazuli miniature vases, ca. 1893

Lapis lazuli is an extremely hard to find (and early) variation of Loetz "marmoriertes" glass, vessels meant to imitate semi-precious stones. It was introduced in the early 1890s, most famously at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. The most popular variations are opal & red "Carneol" and opal & brown "Onyx". Less commonly found are green "Malachit" and "Green Onyx" varieties. The deep blue Lapis lazuli almost never comes to the market, so I was delighted to find these three residing with the same seller in France. This makes sense, as there is evidence that Lapis was marketed to the French via L. Boutigny in Paris (reference Loetz Böhmisches Glas, 1880-1940, Band 2 Musterschnitte - Boutigny commission PNs 89/LB 25 and 89/LB 30).

The pair of squat vases pictured here (about 2.5" tall) are painted with white enameling on gold in a manner typical of Loetz, with factory ground and polished rims, and ground and polished pontils. Unfortunately, the there are no decor markings on either vase.

The taller vase stands only about 3.5" tall and is also painted in typical Loetz enameled pattern similar to those found on certain other early Loetz vases (similarly decorated pieces are found in Loetz Bohemian Glass 1880-1940 (Cantz), p. 287 - Rainbow and Persica examples). It is mold-blown and has a factory ground and polished rim with no pontil mark.

The dark blue glass is marbled with strands of opal and the occasional red. Difficult to photograph, the effect is very subtle - in order to appreciate it fully, it must be seen in hand.