/IndexMagazineTW


@IndexMag


@CanterburyIndex


ANTIQUES 043 Czech it out!


These glass pieces are being snapped up by savvy collectors who’ve grown to appreciate their vibrant colours and modern style


always overlooked by glass collectors. Now these post-war Czechoslovakian – as the country was known then – glass pieces are being snapped up by savvy collectors who have come to appreciate both their vibrant colours and quintessentially modern style. Collectors are paying more attention to the vast array of Czech glass in circulation and identifi cation of the artists and factories is becoming easier. However, even today wonderful affordable pieces do still turn up at boot fairs, fl ea markets and in thrift shops. The long-established Czech glass industry had been torn apart by the Second World War and, shortly after it ended, the new regime, keen to bring in valuable foreign currency, as well as to showcase the successes and power of communism to the capitalist West, set about reviving it.


W Jennie Buist Brown


alk into any charity shop and you’ll fi nd an array of colourful glass objects that until very recently were


Factories were rebuilt and a clear educational structure was put in place allowing student glass


designers to learn all aspects


of glass design and manufacture, and to progress smoothly from education to a full-time job. This level of sponsorship and fi nancial support continued into the industry itself, which was organised and run by a government agency, right through to sales. The result was that artists were free to pursue a modern, abstract style – many of them infl uenced by the Italian and Scandinavian designers of the time. These Czech glass designs were shown at a number of important international exhibitions, including the Milan Triennale of 1957, expositions in Brussels in 1958 and Montreal in 1967. At every exhibition Czechoslovakian glass won top awards.


Glass act


Czech glass can be split into two categories: experimental and progressive designs produced in limited runs or as unique objects for exhibitions; and mass-produced, factory- made designs produced for sale in shops across the world. Much of the functional pressed-glass homewares – glasses, cups, dinner plates and dessert sets – were destined for countries under communist rule. However, since the domestic market for art glass was small, considerable amounts of Czech art glass were sold at affordable prices in shops across the West.


Artists to look out for are Jirˇí


Harcuba (well-known for his portraits of Czech notables carved into blocks of glass), Stanislav Libensky´, Jan Kotik and the highly experimental Pavel Hlava. If you are new to collecting it


can be very diffi cult to recognise the collectable pieces and to identify the artists – especially since most of the glass was unmarked. Originally most had a Bohemian Glass label, applied by the centrally run export agency, Sklo Export, but these are often missing today.


So where to begin?


• I would recommend doing your research. Three very good books are: Hi Sklo Lo Sklo by Mark Hill; Art Before Industry: 20th Century Czech Pressed Glass Design by Marcus Newhall; and Czech Glass 1945-1980: Design In An Age of Adversity by Helmut Ricke. • Familiarise yourself with the designs, colours and shapes and then go searching. The pieces date from the early 1950s with many still being made in the late 80s – so there is still plenty to fi nd. • Price wise, it is still possible to pick up pieces very cheaply although prices are creeping up. Happy hunting!


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70