A rare Harrach 'Early Japonisme' Vase.

In the late Victorian 1870/80 period glass refinement peaked in Bohemia. After a time of repeated European styles such as 'Antic-, Gothic-, Renaissance- and Rococo-Revivals' the decorative art of Arabian, Indian, Persian, Chinese and Japanese countries strongly gained influence onto European taste, strongly supported by contemporery lithographic publications such as A. Racinet's "L'Ornement Polychrome" 1873, Paris one template XI is shown in the last foto. Especially the Harrach artist Josef Petricek created many decors based on Racinet's publication as shown by the two examples in the compilation in foto 4 taken from ed. Jan Mergl 'From Neuwelt to the Whole World, 300 Years of Harrach Glass' pages 240-242. My vase resembles a related mirror image of the vase kept at the Passau Glass Museum.

To put my vase into it's historical context I will just citate some sentences of the book mentioned above: 'In the artistically highly refined designs by Josef Petricek, the glassworks found its own distinct answer to the diversity of styles ... he created designs of a quality on par with the work of the renowned Viennese architects (Franz Schmoranz and Johann Machytka, names added by kairomalte) who collaborated with J.& L. Lobmeyr Company. The final form of Petricek's design ... rested on the mastery of the Harrach painters, such as Wilhelm Pohl and Franz Hermann. Their collaboration resulted in glass vessels executed in an original style, and with such a high quality of craftmanship that they remain one of the paramount expressions of the art of glass making from the period of late Historicism and of the nineteenth century style.'

You may also notice, that many details like the blossoms, the bird enclosed by a circle and one butterfly are taken/inspired from Racinet template XI, the second butterfly is actually taken from Racinet XII, see my CW contribution 'Harrach in front of development of Early Art Nouveau 1876'.

My vase stands 17 cm high, has a diameter of 18.5 cm and is 10 cm thick. It is blown out of white opaline glass with a ruby-red spreading inner case and a blue spreading outer case. The foot is separately attached and shows a polished pontil, it is not signed. The fine enamele is contoured entirely by golden outlines. The vase appears as if it just has left the Harrach production.