Art Deco or Art Nouveau... A tale of two Loetz vases

Deco Period Loetz Papillon Post 1918

One of the most popular early decors for Loetz was the Papillon line. It had a very long life, having started in 1898 and contined on well into the 1920's.  It saw a resurgence as the Art Deco period replaced the Art Nouveau.

This Loetz cobalt Papillon vase stands only 5" tall but displays larger due to its width. The handles always add interest as well as value. It is signed with the etched oval mark seen after 1918 as well as the remnants of a paper label. Nice bright iridescence from what was basically an updated line for the Deco period.

Compare this vase to the early Art Nouveau piece circa 1902 below

The early vase on the right shows a much higher level of technical skill. The handles were extruded/ pulled from the body of the vase. They were then marvered into the body below the rim. The shape follows the basic characteristics of the Art Nouveau period with fluid naturalist lines in a more organic form.

Fluid organic lines so often associated with the Art Nouveau period, this early Loetz was a testiment to the technical skills of the gaffers employed by J.Loetz

              
 SO...my question to you is, which do you  prefer and why?

Loetz Diaspora vase, rare in pink circa 1900

The real beauty of Loetz art glass is often difficult to capture in photography.

Studio lighting along with a good camera a good lens and  some luck are needed. They can highlight the art and the skill of the craftsman that labored to make these pieces. Even photographs cannot show every nuance. Sometimes only a video can do them justice.

The problem then becomes one of technology over art. A camera's white balance wants to constantly correct the iridescence that its computer chip reads as the vase reflects light on its turntable. Here's one example.

                     

The vase is a Loetz Diaspora in the seldom seen pink ground color circa 1900.


 
               

Loetz Art Glass by Tony Abbate

Loetz Etched Silberiris Dek

 

Loetz cobalt blue Papillion with extruded handles.

Welcome.
My name is Tony Abbate. An Art History class in college led me to a lifetime pursuit of art glass. It was years later that I stumbled across the works by Bohemian glasshouses such as Loetz, Rindskopf, Kralik and Pallme Konig.

First...lets make no mistake. The attribution and classification of art glass is a fluid endeavor and not always an exact science as some would have you believe. One must be willing to learn from new documentation that surfaces every day. Publications that were believed to be valid even 5 years ago are now considered to be incorrect.

20 years ago, any high quality art glass that couldn't be attributed to the well know American art glass companies such as Tiffany and Durand, Steuben and Quezal, were called Loetz or Bohemian.

Over the years I have been called upon by several major auction houses to assist them in the attribution of Loetz art glass. Several of the pieces we have owned have found themselves into collections at the MAK museum in Vienna as well as the newest museum, the Pavilion SKLA in the Czech Republic.

This doesn't mean I'm never wrong and that mistakes won't be made here! Far from it. But I do try my very best to stay atop the newest reference materials and research that continues to define and categorize the works of the different companies. When errors are noted, special attention will be given to their correction.

Its my hope that lovers of Austrian Art Nouveau glass by the firm of J.Loetz will find these pages helpful and entertaining. Please visit the Facebook page I created and maintain and if you find it helpful, please "friend" me there, Loetz Art Glass. 

https://www.facebook.com/Loetz.Abbate

Phänomen Genre 7993 form 323 circa 1900