Posted 4 years ago
glasfreund
(36 items)
In an exhibition catalog in 2011, I was able for the first time to attribute unknown hot finished glasses to the Fritz Heckert glass factory (still hypothetically) by comparing their shapes. One year later, Stefania Zelasko's monograph on the Heckert Glashütte was published with the first publication of numerous pages from the pattern books. This includes patterns marked with Th and consecutive numbers, which we can safely count today as part of the production of hot finished glasses. Th most likely stands for Otto Thamm, the director of the glassworks until 1905.
The pattern books also contain decor designations. However, it is almost impossible to assign them to individual decor variants, since all the shapes listed with decor names exist with different decorations. Only one pattern (496/5) is exclusively associated with the decor "Changeant", which allowed this name to be identified.
Some decors such as Changeant and Marmopal are very common, others less common. Then there are isolated decors that can be applied with only one or very few pieces. The glassworks experimented a lot and quickly replaced decors and patterns that were hardly successful at trade fairs with new ones. This could very well explain why we occasionally come across decors and decor variants that are not yet documented. (Compare also my notes on the livid red glasses of the glassworks: https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/230873-new-heckert-decor-of-hot-finished-art-no?in=user.)
Recently a collector offered me the small ball vase in the first picture. It is covered with cobalt blue and silver yellow crumbs, which correspond to the Marmopal decoration. However, the opal glass inner layer is missing here. Just as unusual is the rather coarsely crackled surface, a decoration that is known on other Heckert glasses. Finally, the shiny iridescence is somewhat unusual. So what ID is it? Heckert or Lötz or a third manufacturer? The form is not particularly characteristic and with it alone an attribution would hardly be possible. But all characteristics together let me come to the conclusion that this vase with a size of only 6 cm is a product of the Fritz Heckert glass factory with a decoration that has not been verified so far. The shape number is quickly found: Th 70 II (second image). Heckert made these ball vases in five different sizes (see picture 3 with two more sizes).
A vase comparable in decoration was offered at the auction house Dr. Fischer (picture 4, right, 32 cm height, courtesy of Dr. Fischer auction house). Presumably it is actually the same decoration, slight differences are certainly production-related and due to the size differences.
I'm sure there are more glasses with this decor, maybe in other colors. So let's keep our eyes open.
Thanks for the Loves! Appreciated.