A late 1950s Harrach ‘Harrtil’ bud-shaped vase, designed by Milan Metelak

Description

The instantly–recognisable Harrtil range was one of Harrach’s most important ranges during the 1950s. The idea of using woven glass fibres (from Czech manufacturer Vertex) inside layers of glass was devised by their head of production Miloš Půlpitel in 1954, after he was inspired by antique Venetian ‘lace’ glass and (reputedly) seeing a mass of overhead telephone cables.

This form was designed by Rudolf Schwedler in the mid-1950s and is typical of European glass design during this time, with its organic, asymmetric, and curving bud–like form. The foot of the vase has a very slight yellow tinge, which ‘lifts’ the curving body.

With the Harrtil range, bowls are considerably more common than vases - for every ten bowls or ashtrays you see, you’ll only see one vase. This example is the piece shown on p77 of my book ‘Sklo: Czech Glass Design from the 1950s–70s’, and comes from my private collection.

18cm high, 7.5cm wide

Condition
Excellent, clean original vintage condition with no cracks or chips.

Shipping
Postage and packing is free within the UK. If you live outside the UK, please contact me to obtain a shipping quote. I pack and ship at cost, and do not make any money from this service. Items are sent via Royal Mail signed and tracked services, but I am happy to use another service at your request.