* AN ICON OF CZECH ART GLASS, A MOST ELEGANT VASE DESIGNED BY HANA MACHOVSKA FOR MSTISOV IN 1960

A MOST ELEGANT HALLMARK AND ICON OF MID 20TH CENTURY CZECH ART GLASS:

A FAVOURITE! BLUE, AMBER AND ORANGE MSTIŠOV GLASSWORKS VASE, DESIGNED BY HANA MACHOVSKA

Rare hand-made art glass from behind the Iron Curtain : a unique opportunity to acquire your very own, very beautiful piece of 20th Century European History!

This classic, elegant (and widely published) hallmark of mid-20th century Czech glass was designed by Hana Machovská in late 1960 or early 1961 for Mstišov glassworks. 

This asymmetric, curving and organic vase was deemed the most important design of her ‘Romana’ range and was first profiled in the state trade publication Czechoslovak Glass review in May 1961. Production of the ‘Romana’ range at the Mstišov glassworks at Teplice was discontinued in 1964 when the land was needed for the expanding coal industry, leading to staff, designs and production being transferred to Moser in Karlovy Vary and the Mstišov factory closing.

- Pattern 53656

- Height : 25cm

- Weight : 1,410kg

- Excellent vintage condition : excellent condition with minor/insignificant age-related indications of wear at the bottom

PRICE BENCHMARKING

An identical vase sold for R3,513 on 8 October 2012 at Strauss & Company in Cape Town (lot 365).

LITERATURE

- Hill, Mark. Hi Sklo Lo Sklo: Post War Czech Glass Design from Masterpiece to Mass-produced, 2008, 148pp. Reproduced on page 53 as well as the back cover of the book.

- Czechoslovak Glass Review 1964-8

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Along with Scandinavia and Italy, Czechoslovakia was one of the leading European producers and exporters of glass across the world during the second half of the 20th Century. The 1950s-70s saw a renaissance in Czech glass design that confirmed and re-established the country's global reputation in this area.

From behind the Iron Curtain, highly talented and exceptionally skilled designers pushed the boundaries of 20th century glass design and produced unique art glass masterpieces that went on to inspire visually stunning ranges and exquisite works of art in sparkling glass.

Exported and sold around the world as ‘art glass for the home’, these modern and vibrantly coloured designs became enormously successful.

During the last five years or so international tastes and fashions have brought Czech post war art glass very much into vogue once again and hence the renewed appreciation of the glass hierarchy and the public alike.

Czech art glass has rapidly been becoming the latest highly sought after additions to prized art glass collections all over the world.

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* Shipping costs are R80 via SA Post Office (tracked), R160 via Postnet and R225 via courier.

* The item will be packed to withstand an earthquake!

* Please do have a look at my other Czech art glass items on offer.

* Please note that glass from the mid-20th century is vintage glassware and age related signs of wear such as small fine surface scratches/marks should be expected. The items are hand-made, they may have imperfections such as bubbles, inclusions and lumps within the glass. Tool marks from where they have been shaped and worked in the manufacturing process can often be seen. As this indicates authenticity and forms an inherent part of the character of handmade crystal glass, these are normally not considered as faults by collectors.

* The images provided form part of the description. 

* This magnificent vase is an original and rare, hand-made Czech art glass vase (and not Italian Murano, Kosta Boda, Orrefors, Flygsfors, Swarovski, Leerdam, Val St Lambert or Lalique studio glass). I personally sourced this beauty from the Czech Republic.

* Appreciation and acknowledgement to Messrs Mark Hill and Jindrich Parik for their invaluable archival and reference material.