Posted 4 years ago
larksel
(130 items)
Another supporting argument in favor of Ernst Steinwald & Co. This vase with a paper sticker from the Chicago Fair 1933 was on offer on ebay in the USA. Unfortunately, the seller did not send it to the Czech Republic, so I could not buy this proof. However, the seller gave me permission to use his photos.
This decor was (or probably still is) attributed to the glassworks Wilhelm Kralik. However, the Wilhelm Kralik glassworks did not participate in the Chicago Fair 1933 (-1934). On the contrary, the Ernst Steinwald & Co. glassworks was one of the participants in the exhibition of Czechoslovak glass. The list of participants was published in the magazine "Sklá?ské rozhledy" volume 1934, page 106.
I tried to find some period photographs from the glass exhibition in the Czechoslovak pavilion, but I have not been successful yet.
And here is my same vase, but without a sticker (already transferred from W. Kralik to Ernst Steinwald) - here it is possible to see the continuation of the list of Czechoslovak glass exhibitors at the Chicago Fair 1933: https://www.bohemianglass.org/katalog/vaza-vz-12-webbed-898/detail/
Great research. So all the webbed decors, invariably attributed to Kralik, are now in question.
Many thanks. I find that list of 1933-34 exhibitors fascinating in itself. That sticker is wonderful too. The naysayers will give the usual sticker story. But as I said elsewhere ... There are many ways to skin a cat.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1933-Chicago-Worlds-Fair-Postcard-CZECHOSLOVAKIAN-BUILDING-Czech-Pavilion-/382921797602
Ales, Very interesting as usual. If you ever have a problem with shipping please let me know I can arrange something... This I say in case anybody has issues with shipping as well, we have to work together in the spirit of progress.
I was in the process of attributing some of the Bambus folders to Ernst Steinwald and some to Kralik- with the premise that ES could not have made all of this simple decor (I was relying on Bambus Rods and shapes). This shape is very interesting to me because is is commonly seen with red and green pulled glass like this, I judge it as cheaply made and lighter glass than most Bambus. I have looked very carefully at witch shapes are marked "bambus". The ones marked are lighter smaller and less dense; Sorry to say but the Bambus mark is only on pieces that are less impressive. for this reason I kept the attribution as Kralik.
Ales, is there any reference to Bambus as a ES line of decor?
If you are right and the Kralik did not produce any Bambus then it will be easier to attribute all of the Marquetry to ES as well
Thanks for your comment Jericho. I finally managed to buy this vase. It should be delivered on the first working day after the New Year (almost three months on the road). Unfortunately, I have not found any specific information about the Bambus decor related to ES&C anywhere. But at the same time I did not find such information in relation to W. Kralik. I am increasingly convinced that the vast majority of glass production from the 1920s and 1930s attributed to the W. Kralik glassworks was made by Steinwald. I am trying to find some information that would support the widespread opinion that W. Kralik was one of the most important exporters of glass in the 20-30. years to the USA. So far, completely unsuccessful. I think that in some publications (I estimate from about the 60's and later) it was stated (probably without a specific document) the assignment of some decor to W. Kralik (for example "Marquetry" or "Bambus" or "Millefiori") and from that a large mystification. Then it was relatively easy to assign shapes and then other decors. The Butler Brothers catalog also helped. I am in the same situation now, I just think I have at least minimal concrete evidence for ES&C.
I walked through the glass again at the Lenora Museum. There is not a single example of glass from the 20-30. years like Bambus, Millefiori, Marquetry, Webbed, or anything like that. If in any museum these decors are assigned to the glassworks W. Kralik (especially PGM, but also others), then in my opinion it is an assignment from after 1960 (probably later), and I do not know any specific evidence that would correct documented. I would welcome any links to any resources for inclusion in the W. Kralik glassworks.
And to make matters worse, I'm now getting caught up in the problem of identifying Rindskopf's glassworks production. Again, the trail seems to lead again to ES&C.
In addition to sources from the Teplice Museum (which unfortunately I can not publish yet), there is another trace of using the same or very similar shapes (for example, well-known examples of "Pepita" decor in shapes previously attributed to W. Kralik - in my opinion it is ES&C).
Another possible clue to ES&C is through the exporter of glass and ceramics - the company Lazarus & Rosenfeld. I assume that ES&C could have been a major supplier of L&R. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any catalogs yet. Only a few photos from exhibitions, but that's not enough.
Thank you for doing the tedious work, I saw a few cases in the museum of South Bohemia that show Kralik from the 1930's if memory serves me- but they own so much glass and rotate the glass as well. I wish museums could post things on their web pages showing actual cases seasonally.
I think that decors got bunched together, when one millifiori vase was attributed to kralik all millifiore pieces were kralik... when tango was attributed to loetz suddenly all Tango is Loetz.
As far as Bambus is concerned It occurred to me years ago that the decor is easy to produce and could have been made by more than one company- The (Bambus) mark could have been made later than the production of the first decor. In my opinion all flame like vases are Bambus by grouping (absent another companies design name or marketing documentation). I find it surprising that only smaller, thinner and rim-ground pieces have been seen with Bambus mark. Why are there no large pontilled pieces with a Bambus (like Iris)?.
If we find a true link to Bambus or Iris from any company it would help the identification of glass decor lines in the future. Can anyone see if the Iris label appears in the glass lexicon under Kralik?
In the Hartmann Glasmarken Lexikon, the Iris Dekor Bohemia paper sticker is listed at the Loetz glassworks. This is obviously a mistake. (There is also a reference to Lit. - Giuseppe Cappa: LÉurope de l´Art Verrier Liege, 1991). There is no paper sticker for Kralik.
Unfortunately, I do not have the book by G. Cappa to which Hartmann refers. In another book by G. Cappa: Le Génie verrier de l´Europe from 1998, the "Millefiori" decor dish with the IRIS DECOR BOHEMIA paper sticker as a product of the W. Kralik glassworks is already mentioned (Fig. 148, page 93). Here is a link to Helga Hilschenz: Das Glas des Jugendstils (1973), but already to J. Mergl Das Böhmische Glas (Passau Glasmuseum). Maybe the error happened right here.
https://www.abebooks.com/Genie-Verrier-lEurope-PATRIMOINES-Cappa-Guiseppe/30807513015/bd?cm_mmc=ggl-_-US_Shopp_Trade-_-naa-_-naa&gclid=CjwKCAiArbv_BRA8EiwAYGs23GkjCUoioknikXa5k4_n4tl1UV4lim5X5Pp3QVzWjIHWPBwQRrNmeBoCAvIQAvD_BwE