Loetz Dresser Jar, Hans Bolek design, Form Nr. 812/12 cm, ca. 1916 - with original paper label

Hans Bolek's collaboration with Loetz began after they were commissioned to produce a series of pieces by the Oesterreichischer Werkbund (of which Bolek was a member) for inclusion in the Werkbund Exhibition in Cologne in 1914. Although Loetz's association with the Werkbund ended immediately thereafter, their association with Hans Bolek continued until 1923.

Hans Bolek was born in Vienna in 1890. He studied at the School for Applied Arts in Vienna under Josef Hoffmann, at the same time he also worked for Otto Prutscher’s architectural studio. In 1910 he set up as a free-lance architect. Bolek was not just an architect but also a painter who designed furniture, jewelry and glassware, most notably pieces such as this one for Loetz. Professor Hoffman died in 1978 in Vienna.

The gummed paper label on this piece came in two varieties - white writing on a black background or black on a gold background, and was used in the 1920s and 1930s (its presence on this piece would suggest that it may have been used a little earlier).

Sources: Loetz Bohemian Glass, 1880-1940, by Jan Mergl, Ernst Ploil, and Helmut Ricke, and also the Galerie bei der Albertina in Vienna