Loetz Glass, Part I

There had been a glass works on the Loetz site since 1836. This was in Bohemia, now the Czech Republic. After several changes of ownership, in 1851, it was owned by a Dr Franz Gertsner and his wife, Susanna. Susanna had already inherited some other glassworks when a previous husband had died, and now in 1852 she now owned this new site.

She changed its' name to Johann Lotz Witwe (Johan Lotz Widow). It was eventually to become Lotz, and at this stage it was commonly used in the Anglicised form, Loetz. Signatures on the glass are found with both forms of the name. In the 1880's it was making streaked glass, which imitated stones such as agate and onyx, often embellished with gilding or enamel. Their Onyx glass, was a streaked brown glass, and Cornelian, a streaked red glass.

They went on to produce other imitation stoneware such as chalcedony, aventurine and jasper. Loetz are reputed to have made a form of Intarsia. Max Ritter von Spaun, Susanna's grandson, inherited the factory in 1879. This was to be a time of great expansion and experimentation, and in 1895 was beginning to produce iridescent glassware, which was similar to Tiffany Favrile, but executed in its own very special European style. They started by adding iridescence to Cornelian glass.

To Be Continued.

Pictured above: Iridescent Green Snake Vase Unsigned Loetz. This vase is available at our CHShops Mall Store at: http://pennysantiquesandwedgwoodpantry.chshops.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=90&products_id=418.

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