Loetz Glass Vase, ca. 1910
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GUEST:
I brought a vase that my mother gave me over 25 years ago because she didn't like it. And I love glass and I always liked it. And I said to her, I said, "I think this could be something," but I never found any markings on it. When my great-aunt died, there was a list. It was about a 1929 insurance schedule, and it listed a Favrile vase. And my mom said, "I don't like it, it's ugly, take it." So I took it and I've had it for years, and I have absolutely no idea. You know, there's so much stuff out there I don't know who it is, what it is.
APPRAISER:
Do you remember how much the price was on the original insurance?
GUEST:
No, no. It wasn't big.
APPRAISER:
Well, even though it's not signed, it's a Loetz piece. The handles are gorgeous. It is beautifully decorated and it's all hallmarks of the Loetz Manufacturing Company out of Bohemia.
GUEST:
Yes, absolutely.
APPRAISER:
It is one of the largest ones I've seen in a while, and so the size is a good size. You said that it was on the insurance waiver as a Favrile. That's actually a Tiffany term. You discuss Favrile when you talk about glass, porcelain and pottery that was made by the Tiffany Company. But it's not something that's associated with other companies at all. So people kind of mistake and use that term incorrectly. How we would describe this is an iridescent vase. A lot of Loetz is unsigned, so it's-- you'll see a lot of pieces at auction, they'll be attributed to Loetz or in the style of.
GUEST:
I would show it to guests that came over or friends. They'd be like, "Well, that's a Tiffany vase." I'm like, "I don't... it doesn't say Tiffany and I don't know."
APPRAISER:
Yeah, not quite, but kind of the same time period, about circa 1910 to 1915.
GUEST:
You can tell by the pattern?
APPRAISER:
By the decorated patterns, the color of the gilt decorating, the threads that are running through the glass, and the shape. It's an unusual shape, but it's something that we would associate with a Loetz.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
At auction today, I would estimate this to sell between $2,000 and $3,000.
GUEST:
Oh, that's great. My mother won't like that, but it's great. It's been a mystery for over 40 years. It's nice to have the mystery solved.
Appraisal Details
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