A Glass Centrepiece for Wiener Werkstaette 1917

An amazing vase with Reclining Female Figures.

Designed, circa 1917, executed by Johann Oertel & Co, Haida for the Wiener Werkstätte.

Hoffmann, Josef (Austrian, 1870-1956), Designer
Wieselthier, Vally (Austrian, 1895-1945), Designer and Executor
Joh. Oertel & Co. (f. 1896). Maker for Wiener Werkstaette (1903-1932).

Signed ”V. WIESELTHIER WW”.

An archive photograph is preserved in the WW Archives at the MAK, Vienna with inventory no. WWF 90-80-4. Colorless non-lead glass with red, dark blue, and light blue enamels; blown, bowl and foot joined while cold. Thin-walled bowl with slightly flared ground and polished rim enameled blue; walls divided into three horizontal bands with enameled decoration on colorless background; top band has two reclining draped female nudes on opposite walls painted in blue on white with shaded flesh tones, separated by panels enclosing linear floral designs in light and dark blue; narrow middle band edged in blue with four sections of angled vertical red stripes edged on one side in blue, sections interspersed with alternating single stars and crosshatches; lower wide band has two alternating rows of small blue flowers; hollow conical foot joined while cold, decorated in three bands; top – evenly spaced stars, middle – edged in blue and divided by the same striped pattern of middle body band; lower – thick stripe of deep blue; base rim ground and polished.