Daniel Lotton Pulled Vase

I will admit that I am not the biggest fan of some of the Lotton family's more traditional designs, namely the florals. Regardless, when I was wandering downtown Chicago a few years ago, I entered the Lotton Gallery on Michigan Avenue to have a look around. My initial thought was that it would be a quick look, because 90% of the items on display were the floral designs (that I didn't like) from different members of the family. Then, tucked in a corner - almost like they were ashamed of it - was this beauty by Daniel Lotton.

As with most of my glass pieces I have posted on CW, I struggled to get shots of this which do it justice. The glass is jet black with the pulled design being done in a mirrored silver - it's clear when you get up close, but from a viewable distance, it looks like silver. It's not particularly large, but it is VERY heavy. Since that time I have found other pieces of this pulled/fern design, but none live up to this look. Most seem to be variations of their floral work so that the pulled patterns are still pastel or (to me) garish somehow. Daniel's son Timothy (Charles' grandson) has also begun doing glasswork, and he seems to have come up with some interesting designs that I am watching.