This exceptionally rare Jugendstil exhibition vase was designed by Franz Hofstötter for the highly important Exposition Universelle de 1900 in Paris and represents one of the most ambitious artistic and technical achievements of the glassworks of Johann Loetz Witwe.
With its impressive height of 48 cm, the vase is executed in the celebrated décor Phänomen Genre 387 and corresponds to model number 387 as well. This is of particular significance: the décor was conceived specifically for this very shape, meaning that the artistic composition and the form were developed together by Hofstötter as a unified design exclusively for the Paris World Exhibition.
Hofstötter had been appointed at an early stage of his career by Max Ritter von Spaun, at a time when the designer was still relatively unknown. For the Paris exhibition he created a series of groundbreaking, exhibition-only designs, of which this vase is among the most refined and technically demanding examples. Its execution required exceptional mastery from the glassblowers at Loetz and stands as a testament to the innovative capabilities of the manufactory at the turn of the century.
The present vase played a role in establishing Loetz as one of the leading art glass producers of its time. The success of these exhibition pieces contributed directly to the gold medal awarded to Loetz in Paris and marked a decisive milestone in the artistic and international recognition of the firm, placing it on equal footing with the great contemporaries such as Louis Comfort Tiffany.
The symbolic colour composition is particularly striking. The vase is built upon a deep dark-brown base, representing the earth. The lower half of the body and the elongated neck are rendered in warm golden tones, evoking a sunlit sky, while the finely applied rounded glass threads near the upper section suggest a glowing red horizon. This poetic, nature-inspired imagery is entirely in keeping with the ideals of Jugendstil and reflects the period’s fascination with organic forms and atmospheric landscapes.
A museum-quality masterpiece of exceptional rarity, created expressly for the Paris World Exhibition of 1900 and among the most important surviving examples of Franz Hofstötter’s exhibition work for Loetz.
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