Tag: glass design

Auction alert: Decades Of Glass – 18th-21st Century

Jan Gabrhel for Chlum u Trebone - Four Garnet glass vases

This week, we’re bringing to your attention to the Decades Of Glass – 18th-21st Century sale at Opus Auctions in Sunningdale, Berkshire taking place on 28th October 2021, from 11am. There are a total of 247 lots, however, we’ve concentrated on some of the mid 20th century examples. There’s something for everyone going under the hammer; estimates range from £20 – £40 to £8,000 – £10,000 (the latter being the Stanislav Libensky vase featured at the bottom of this post).

When buying with Opus Auctioneers a premium of 22% + VAT of the hammer price is applied to your invoice. If you choose to use an online bidding service there will be an additional charge for using this service. Please consult the relevant bidding system for additional charges as these may vary. We recommend EasyLive Auctions £3 flat fee bidding service.

Whitefriars - an aqua colour coffin vase

Lot 142: Whitefriars – an aqua colour coffin vase
9686, 12.5cm high
Estimate: £60 – £80

Isle of Wight - a tortoiseshell glass stoppered squat vase

Lot 165: Isle of Wight – a tortoiseshell glass stoppered squat vase
Hand engraved Michael Harris Isle of Wight to underside of base, 14cm high approx (2)
Estimate: £100 – £150

Mandruzzato Sommerso glass bowl

Lot 188: A large Mandruzzato Sommerso glass bowl
Facetted square section, the colours of bright Emerald green and olive glass, Italian, Mid Century, 20.5cm max diam x 13cm high
Estimate: £60 – £80

Holmegaard - 12 Canada shape glasses

Lot 195: Holmegaard – 12 Canada shape glasses
Smoke colour, in two sizes, the larger size in original box, 16cm and 13.5cm approx (13)
Estimate: £130 – £150

Per Lutkin /Christer Holmgren for Holmegaard green glass vase

Lot 201: Per Lutkin /Christer Holmgren for Holmegaard
A Majgrøn / May Green glass bottle vase, engraved Holmgaard and C 17795, Denmark, Mid Century, 16cm high approx
Estimate: £50 – £70

Jaroslav Svoboda - a glass cylinder vase

Lot 213: Jaroslav Svoboda – a glass cylinder vase
Colourless applied with with amber and blue pad spots, two original paper labels, c1972, PN 7233/32, 33 cm approx
Estimate: £200 – £300

Bohumil Elias - a bulb form glass vase

Lot 216: Bohumil Elias – a bulb form glass vase
Decorated with vertical iridescent stripes of silver grey, unmarked, old collections labels affixed to base, 18cm high
Estimate: £150 – £250

Vladimir Jelinek - a Unica amber glass 'pebble'

Lot 228: Vladimir Jelinek – a Unica amber glass ‘pebble’
With bubble inclusions and a lightly textured surface, 24cm max
Estimate: £650 – £750

Pavel Hlava for Exbor, an angular Galaxy vase

Lot 236: Pavel Hlava for Exbor, an angular Galaxy vase
Mid 20th Century, acid cut Exbor mark to base, 14cm high
Estimate: £180 – £220

Jan Gabrhel for Chlum u Trebone - Four Garnet glass vases

Lot 240: Jan Gabrhel for Chlum u Trebone – Four Garnet glass vases
Each graduating from red to yellow glass, 34.5cm high and smaller (4)
Estimate: £100 – £150

Stanislav Libensky - a 1001 Nights enamelled glass vase

Lot 247: Stanislav Libensky – a 1001 Nights enamelled glass vase
Decorated at the Specialised School of Glassmaking, the acid etched design brightly enamelled in polychrome colours with fabulous beasts in and on trees, Novy Bor, c1946, 23.2cm high ** See
Petrova & Olivier; Bohemian Glass
D. Klein, Masters of Czech glass: 1945-1965, exhibition catalogue Dan Klein Limited, London, 1983, cat. 38 for notes on this artist and this group of glasswares and the Victoria & Albert Museum accession number C.104-1984 for an example from this group of designs.
Estimate: £8,000 – £10,000

Designer Desire: Nanny Still

Montage of Nanny Still glass designs

Nanny Still (1926-2009) was a mid-century Finnish glass designer. She’s also known by her married name, Nanny Still-McKinney.

She designed for Riihimäki for approaching 3 decades; from her graduation from the University of Art and Design, Helsinki in 1947 until the 1970s. Some of her ranges include Polaris, Neptuna, Harlekiini (Harlequin), Fantasma, Majakka (Lighthouse) and Pajazzo.

In 1972, she was presented with the Pro Finlandia Medal for Meritorious Artists of the Order of the Lion of Finland.

In 1959, she and her husband moved to Belgium; whilst living there, she created designs for Rosenthal from 1977. Some of the Studio Linie series that she produced for them include Arabesk, Taiga and my favourite – Blütenregen – which roughly translates as ‘blossom shower’.

You can readily acquire examples of her glassware on eBay and Etsy and Tradera.

There’s a 1995 catalogue available entitled, Nanny Still, 45 Years of Design from an exhibition held at both Riihimäki Lasimuseo and the Glass Museum of Charleroi in Belgium.

Portrait of Nanny Still holding one of her Polaris bottlescredit

Additional image credits:
Bukowskis

Designer Desire: Pentti Sarpaneva

Montage of Pentti Sarpaneva glass and metalware designs | H is for Home

This week, I planned to feature the jewellery designs of Pentti Sarpaneva in our Designer Desire slot. However, I’m also really taken by his glass and metal homeware items – so I’m going with those instead.

Pentti Sarpaneva’s designs – like many of his Norwegian compatriots – are very elemental and brutalist. He uses brass, bronze, silver, gold, amber coloured glass, enamel and semi-precious stones such as agate, amethyst, obsidian and spectrolite.

He designed for Turun Hopea Oy and Kalevala Koru and the Kumela glass factory. You can find examples of his jewellery and homewares on eBay and Etsy.

Sarpaneva (1925-78) is the older brother of the more well-known designer, Timo.

Portrait of Pentti Sarpaneva with his mother and brother, TimoPortrait of Pentti Sarpaneva (left) with his mother and brother, Timo (credit)

Additional image credits:

Bukowskis | Designlasi

Designer Desire: Pavel Pánek

Various art glass designs by Pavel Pánek

Either for his birthday or Christmas a few years ago, I bought Justin a vintage glass ram as a present; he’s an Aries, you see. For some reason, I’ve always thought that the ram (the left-hand one of the three animals in the top image of the montage… and the amber-coloured one beneath it) was produced by the Kosta Boda factory; it was, in fact, designed by Pavel Pánek.

Pánek (1945-2008) was born on December 2nd 1945 in Znojmo. In 1961, he graduated from the Glass School of Applied Arts in Železný Brod. For two years he worked as a drawing teacher at the apprentice school in Bohemia in Světlá nad Sázavou. In 1969, he became the designer of Sklo Union Teplice, later head of the art centre. After 1989, Pánek moved to the Rudolfov Dubí factory, then to AVIRUNION, where he worked until spring 1995.

I absolutely love his knobbly 5135 vases designed for Rosice Glassworks in 1972. I’d like an example in each colour, if you please! If you are as taken by his designs as I am, there are examples available on eBay and Etsy.

Czech glass (otherwise known as Bohemian glass) is so affordable in comparison to much of its Scandinavian relations. To me, many of the designs are just as attractive and skilful. I think Antiques Roadshow expert, Mark Hill, is in agreement. He has published a couple of books on the subject; SkLO: Czech Glass Design from the 1950s-70s and Hi Sklo Lo Sklo: 1950s-70s Czech Glass Design from Masterpiece to Mass-produced.

Portrait of Pavel Pánekcredit

Additional image credits:

Pinterest | Sklo Union Glass