Harrach and/or Riedel Formosa - A Bold Statement in Color

Opaque red glass cased in a clear top layer, with chromaventurin (green aventurine) marbled within. Flowers and vines in gold enamel in high relief. The decor is called Formosa, and it was produced in Harrachov from 1900-1904. At the same time, the nearby firm of Riedel was producing a similar glass (not to mention this was a favorite Riedel shape), making an exact attribution difficult. A piece in this exact shape is shown in Das Bohmisches Glas, Band IV, plate IV.367 in clear glass with ruby red underneath, and is attributed to Riedel. Still, there is a free-blown Harrach Formosa jardiniere example in the same volume, plate IV.344!

There are also a few examples on Alfredo Villanueva-Collado's website, including one with the exact same type of gold enamel decoration and glass marbling attributed to Harrach - see:
http://sites.google.com/site/loetzandglass/czech-jugendstil--other-makers
-Plate 14.

Regardless of which firm produced it, both made a bold statement by mixing two colors on opposite sides of the color wheel - deep red and sparkling dark green, making Formosa an ideal decor to decorate one's holiday table. This is one of my favorite decorative lines, and I was fortunate enough to find one at an affordable price at auction.