A 1960s Skrdlovice ‘Andromeda’ vase, designed by Jaroslav Beránek

Description

One of Skrdlovice's most known designs, a blue core was cased in a layer of green glass, and an exterior layer of colourless glass. The molten cased gob was then blown into a vertically ribbed optical mould before being turned or twisted, giving spiralling, curving, heavy ribs. This is pattern number 5346, designed in 1953 by Jaroslav Beránek.

 When initially released, colours were pale and soft, including pink, green or blue. From 1960, colours became stronger and bolder, parobably at the behest of Miloslava Svobodova, and included the combination shown here. The name 'Andromeda' was devised for a 1965 feature in Czechoslovak Glass Review.

 Jaroslav Beránek (1927-2006) was one of two sons of Bohuslav Beránek, and the nephew of company founder Emanuel Beránek. He worked at Skrdlovice for over 30 years, producing most of his designs for the company in the 1950s.