Posted 10 years ago
glasfreund
(31 items)
This pair of enameled vases was designed by Carl Schmoll von Eisenwerth for the Poschinger Glassworks Buchenau and exhibited at the World Fair in Paris in 1900. This is documented in an article of the magazine “Deutsche Kunst und Dekoration” (German Art and Decoration), edition 11/1900 on page 518 and 534 (second image). The vases are 23 cm (9 in) tall. The light opal blue cased glass shows a stylized white orchid blossom on the front side.
A similar but shorter pair (17,6 cm / 7 in) is displayed in the Passau Glass Museum and pictured in the catalog “Das Böhmische Glas 1700-1950”, Volume V, p. 23. Interestingly one of the two in Passau is fully signed “Ferd. von Poschinger Glashüttenwerke Buchenau Bayern No. 289”, whereas the other has no marks. Both vases here are marked with “56/I H./113.” From many other marked examples we can tell that 56/I stands for the shape (56) and its size (I). The second part is assumed to designate the decor and its designer. The letter H often is attributed to Betty Hedrich as designer. On other enameled pieces the letter S is part of the decor number and attributed to Carl Schmoll (von Eisenwerth).
Obviously these attributions are doubtful. Following this assumption, the vases here, designed by Schmoll von Eisenwerth, should be marked with the letter S instead of H. On the other hand the letter H should not be connected with Betty Hedrich as most art historians and vendors do. Likewise all four vases tell us that not all glasses of the same shape and decor are signed or marked and they underline the assumption that numbers of fully signed pieces are all unique.
Nice...
Very elegant and so good to have reference to get firm attributions..
My German is not at all where it was in college, but doesn't that period reference indicate "design patterns" by Schmoll? If the design is Schmoll's, couldn't it also hold that Hedrich executed the enamel work from those designs? It was my understanding that Hedrich did produce some of her own design work, but she also had a direct hand in the enamel work itself.
That is an interesting question. Did Betty Hedrich execute her design works by herself? There are some arguments which do not support this idea: she was an artist, doing etchings, drawings and illustrations, and she was a member of the Munich womens art society. Her subjects were portraits, still lifes and religious themes. In the literatur she is referenced as designer for Poschinger. There are quite many enameled glasses marked with the "H." It seems rather unlikely that she executed them all by herself. I cannot proof that, just my thoughts...
It could also be that Hedrich was "snubbed" by the paternalistic art journals of the time. Schmoll and Dietz were much bigger names at the time (and male).
Very intersting the coments of all. The design is very feminine and the combination o colours delightful.