Johann Loetz Witwe - Vase - Olympia - Iridescent glass

Johann Loetz Witwe, Klostermühle, Austria – Art Nouveau vase with ‘Olympia’ decor – 1896–1899
‘Olympia’ is a relatively early decor from 1896 and was of significant importance to Loetz in the further development of iridescent glass during the Art Nouveau period. Olympia is a luminous, smooth, light-green decor with a matte iridescent surface. Cabochons or small handles were sometimes added, or the vase was further decorated with a gold design.

The body of this vase is made in Olympia and was soberly finished with a blue-green iridescent rim that matches the hot-applied foot. The foot is made in the blue-green version of the Delphi decor from 1899. Delphi was often used as a ground for enamelled decorations, and here as a matching foot. This information can be found in Jan Mergl’s 2003 Loetz catalogue. The vase is also illustrated on page 97 of Guiseppe Cappa’s book ‘Le Génie Verrier de l’Europe’ (Mardaga, 1998).

The vase is in very good condition, with only minor signs of age.

The vase is 20 cm high and its widest diameter is approximately 11 cm.

The photos are part of the description. It will be carefully packed, insured and shipped with a tracking code to your home. We do not ship outside the EU or to countries or territories with a special customs status.

Lötz/Loetz was founded in 1840 by Johann Lötz and was a company based in Bohemia, which belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1879, Lötz’s grandson, Max Ritter-Von Spaun, took over the business from his grandmother and retained the name Joh. Lötz Witwe.

From then on, Johann Lötz Witwe really began to make a name for itself. The company developed new and innovative glassmaking techniques, while its designs and vivid colours were also entirely groundbreaking. It designed distinctive shapes and vases, as well as luxury goods, which it sold in high-end shops in Vienna, Berlin, Hamburg, Paris, London, Milan, Brussels and Madrid. The company soon became very well known and famous.

This was the period when Art Nouveau flourished. The company used organic forms, taking nature as its model. The shapes were often formed organically by using pincers to shape the hot glass unevenly.
Lötz took part in various World’s Fairs, including the famous 1900 Paris Exposition. It received numerous awards for its participation in World’s Fairs. Its designs were well received, including in the United States. The company was able to produce iridescent glass. In short, Lötz had become a household name. And it still is.

Lötz also worked closely with other glass manufacturers and various artists, such as Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser and other artists of the Wiener Werkstätte. In the 1920s, more streamlined vases were produced, more in keeping with the Art Deco style of the time.

Lötz continued to exist until 1940, when the factory was completely destroyed by fire following a bombing.
Lötz glass remains very popular and is collected worldwide; its body of work can also be found in many museum collections.