Posted 5 years ago
larksel
(130 items)
Today I managed to get photos from a vase produced by the Teplice glassworks Ernst Steinwal & Co. from the Museum of Glass and Bijouterie in Jablonec (photo 2). This vase is mentioned in the book Das Böhmische Glas Band VI - p. 65, pic. VI.69. The vase is provided with a sticker by the glassworks Arnošt Steinwald a spol. Teplice-Šanov (Arnošt is the Czech version of the name Ernst) and also a numerical designation - possibly the product number, decor, shape (?), the inventory number of the Museum written on glass, and a sticker with the text in Czech "Napodobenina benátská práce" (Imitation of Venetian work) (photo 3) . In photo 1 there are 2 vases from my collection, one of which has a "semi-circle" mark Czechoslovakia at the bottom. In the last photo, the vase in the Glasmuseum Passau collection is marked as a product of the Ernst Steinwald & Co. glassworks.
I think this is a serious argument for changing the general opinion that these vases, collectors called "Caged", were not made by the W. Kralik glassworks, but by the glassworks Ernst Steinwald & Co.
For the provided photos from the Museum of Glass and Bijouterie Jablonec I thank the main curator dr. Petr Nový.
Seems a strong argument to me. Where does that leave the semicircle provenance mark generally used to attribute Kralik production?
Collectible Bohemian Glass II, Robert & Deborah Truitt, page 123, indicates that the semicircle provenance mark was used by other manufacturers and that Kralik glassware is found with other providence marks as well. Truitt clearly states that the semicircle marks indicates a 60-70% probability that the glass was made by Kralik.
I think that this "semi-circle" mark Czechoslovakia could be used not only by the W. Kralik glassworks but also by Ernst Steinwald, and I do not rule out the possibility that more (perhaps significantly more) decors attributed to the W. Kralik glassworks were made by Ernst Steinwald. The shapes of the glass on the E.Steinwlad advertisement, which "very similar" to the shapes ascribed to W. Kralik, also correspond to this - see my last post.
Is it not possible that both Kralik and Steinwald purchased cages from the same supplier?
Yes, it is definitely a real possibility. But when I consider the comparison of the shapes from E. Steinwald's advertisement with the shapes attributed to W. Kralik, I think that the variant that "Caged" is only E. Steinwald is more likely. For example: the third vase left down from the advertisement E.S. is clearly the same vase as the sixteenth vase at Kralik Crimped Fan at http://www.kralik-glass.com). There are more such examples.
I have 2 problems with this change in identification, I also think, why doe Steinwald have to be the only one who made some of these shapes, that not only have Kralik shapes, but Kralik decors, such as the Passau caged vase is a famous Kralik Decor in many pieces and it also has a silver label, that is marked with BAMBUS the name of the decor.
http://nebula.wsimg.com/21aa3ec1b0f839a20053d1ebfbe22c6d?AccessKeyId=3A908495ACD7ABD44DFC&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
on this vase
http://nebula.wsimg.com/214c9eda641b1544dcc6405a32f34486?AccessKeyId=3A908495ACD7ABD44DFC&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
another example without the cage
http://nebula.wsimg.com/b870b5c3a055453b14b8d973b8481df9?AccessKeyId=3A908495ACD7ABD44DFC&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
the well known Kralik ball vase
http://nebula.wsimg.com/5c01c0dbab35510b1355684dde260e39?AccessKeyId=3A908495ACD7ABD44DFC&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
My second problem is the drawing of the fan on the advertisement is not exactly the same shape as Kralik, it also has a glass ring at the base above the wide foot base. This again is found in dozens of Kralik decors, some with the IRIS label, a Kralik decor on many pieces with NO RING at the base.
http://nebula.wsimg.com/c7d1a8ef813656105ad93f6ae31de9fc?AccessKeyId=3A908495ACD7ABD44DFC&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
with another Kralik decor
http://nebula.wsimg.com/14403c4a7c7b508988d806c72fe3bebb?AccessKeyId=3A908495ACD7ABD44DFC&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
So, it is pretty hard to believe all of this glass is not Kralik but Steinwald, I dont know why both would make so many similar pieces and use the same export mark, but I am sure there is an explanation we don't know yet. It is certainly not the first time that 2 important glass houses have produced similar decorative interwar glass.
From what I know and learned about collecting Kralik Czech glass, there are at least 6 marks found on them, and several labels. The arch mark is only one of them.
There is no doubt that, judging from their cover illustrations, that there is a good deal of similarity between the Steinwald and Kralik products. Even more troubling that the crimped fan vase you point out is the threaded fan opposite it on the cover but until more can be shown of the Steinwald products I agree with TOD that similarity was the normal practice all glassmakers.
As for the paper stickers Bambus and IRIS DEKOR BOHEMIA, in my opinion again they do not solve anything. Unfortunately, these labels do not indicate the glassworks. They can belong to both W. Kralik and E. Steinwald.
As for the use - copying shapes by different glassworks, this is probably true. But I don't think that the glassworks would choose such a large number of adopted shapes for the advertisement. (But who knows?)
But what is important. The technique of making a vase (design) from the Museum of Glass and Bijouterie in Jablonec is, in my opinion, the same as for other Caged vases, which are considered W. Kralik, including those that have elements of Bamboo decor.
It's also a problem for me. For this type of glass, which I have quite a lot represented in my collection, I still consider the inclusion of the W. Kralík glassworks to be definitely correct. Unfortunately, I'm not sure anymore.
Larksel, thank you for your great post, it will help to get a clearer picture of the glass industry at that time. Here are a few observations to good questions I see in the comments:
Larksel, agree the semicircle mark could have multiple makers. I think it’s unlikely that two big glass factories so far away would have the same mark- more likely it’s a mark of a refiner, purchased inventory or importer purchases from many factories stamped before export.
Artfoot,
I think caged pieces could have been made by two or three companies but I don’t believe another company produced only the cages; these metals are available to all and easy to assemble.
The troubling thing is the piece in the last museum case is closely tied to kralik... if not- it’s a huge shift
On the issue if identifying by region, we know kralik identifies by region (the WKS Bohemia decal) and Bambus, Iris etc... The question is did E&S identity their company with Bohemia in any of the literature, although they could be two totally different companies using decals and both identifying themselves as bohemian
Lastly that first pic looks wrong to me. I see all the Paper marks as having The same patina - I would have thought if E&S had a production mark from 1928 and the museum printed a label in 1980 the age would be more pronounced - what evidence is there that we know what the the E&S Mark looks like? Are there more marks or marks to match the literature? And what of the glasmark lexicon, I would think they have a mark(s) of a producer that prominent.
Thank you all for your contributions and comments. Gradually, this creates the solution of a jigsaw puzzle called the Ernst Steinwald & Co. glassworks. I believe that we will eventually discover other items with corporate brand "Arnošt Steinwald a spol."
I hope that after the return of the curator of the glass collection in the Teplice Regional Museum at the beginning of July, there will be another 2 pieces of glass with the company brand of this glassworks. But I think it will be brands from the beginning of the 20th century (circa 1900 - 1910).
In any case, another shift would mean finding other decors mentioned in the advertisement by E. Steinwald. I.e. decors: Pastilla and Aquarin. I think there might be paper stickers with the names of these decors (but that's just speculation).
Jericho,
Before publishing my posts I send you an email message with this information, but I'm afraid it ended up as spam.
wow what a lot o knowledge and what a lot of doubts.... but the vases are beautiful
What I don’t understand is why the caged vases are considered Kralik. In 1995 the Passau example above was pictured beautifully on page 65 of Das Böhmische Glas 1700-1950 Band VI.
It is identified there 25 years ago as “Tovarna duteho skla, Arnost Steinwald a spol, Teplice-Sanov (Hohlglasfabrik Ernst Steinwald & Comp., Teplitz-Schoenau). There is a description in German by the author of the section ‘Weitere Glasfabriken’ Duna Panenkova that mentions the vase in the “Museum für Glas und Bijouterie in Gablonz (Inv. Nr. 5 6527).
When did it become Kralik ???
Well put Vetraio. I've been wondering that too!
Thanks Kevin for that observation - something I wasn't aware of before now...!
As far as caged pieces go, I only remember the widely excepted arch signature was recognized as kralik. Another strong connection to kralik was the powder decors and later the Bambus types. I assumed that if that the metal work was a way of identifying the pieces as well but now I clearly see that other companies could buy the supplies and duplicate the technique. If you look at all the caged pieces that came from Bohemia (and I have a few to add) you could delineate them into 2-4 main groups. If you assumed that the Bambus and powder pieces were Kralik and the more opal pieces were something else. You might now have emerging evidence that the main pieces are ES&Co and the fringe pieces are kralik. It might be that early on people knew Kralik made some caged pieces and they assumed all pieces were Kralik.
It’s going to be very difficult to turn this ship around but we should start if new information comes to light; anxious to see the paperwork
One more myth busted.
Only a small fraction of Bohemian glass was actually made where we think.
There were several hundreds glassmakers and refineries in Bohemia at the time.Sometimes they competed but very often they worked together to fulfil a contract.
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/266767-kralik--osiris
Bambus, flowerall and Osiris shapes are matching up pretty well, there will be more on this later. If you look at the inventory sticker on this caged piece it matches the link Osiris piece- (see link), on that piece you have an arched signature.
I believe one of the flowerall pieces is marked with the arch signature as well. I am not ready to make any conclusions but I have a lot of theories
Yes you are right Jericho, the sticker is the same - maybe the decor number, the shape ...
In the 4th photo (from PGM) the second vase at the top left could be the OSIRIS decor. I'm sorry I don't have a picture of the vases that are on the shelf below. It seems that these could be other decores attributed so far to the Kralik Glassworks.
Osiris is single color glass with vertical or horizontal stripes created by heating the glass at different temps or applying something to create the opaque bands- that example is something different but I think it’s on your sight
This was recently sold on ebay:
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Kralik-Tschechoslowakei-Caged-Blown-Out-signiert-Glas-Krug-/114222493758?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=yy%252B91oG%252F%252BDIZ3PleVzzmVI%252B1f0g%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc