Collector’s Notebook: Identifying Loetz Austria Glass
This week, we look at identifying Loetz glass, dating antique furniture, recognizing Capodimonte-style porcelain, and navigating the rules surrounding inherited ivory.
Identifying antique glass isn’t always easy. If you’re lucky, a piece may be marked, like this Phänomen vase, which is signed “Loetz Austria” on its pontil (the spot on the base where the blown molten glass was attached to a pontil for shaping). Proof of its maker, along with its complex shape and silvery iridescent sheen, makes signed examples especially desirable to collectors.
But glass isn’t always marked. While it can take an expert to authenticate glass, it’s helpful to be able to recognize some of the characteristic shapes and colors made by particular glassmakers. Loetz received patents for iridescent glass in 1895 and 1896, shortly after Tiffany launched the fashion with its famous Favrile glass. Loetz produced several lines of iridescent glass, and Phänomen was its triumph, winning a Grand Prix award at the Paris Universal Exposition in 1900. It combines the beauty of iridescence with the technical expertise required to create its organic shapes and silvery pulled threads.
Q&As
Q: I picked up an antique set of furniture at an auction and I have looked for years online to identify and see what it used to look like back in 1894. I got that date from the casters. I want to make it look like whatever it did when it was made. Can you please help me? All three pieces are gold velvet upholstered; the chair has carved leaves, and the other chair is similar to a barrel style with no arms. It's just a high back like the settee.
A: A word of caution: 1894 may be the patent date for the casters, not the date the furniture was made. An appraiser or antique furniture dealer would have to see your furniture in person to be able to accurately date it. Remember that furniture styles have been revived, copied, and reproduced for hundreds of years, and some reproductions are so well done, even experts have a hard time telling them apart from originals!
Q: I inherited a pair of lamps and would like to know the value of them. I have attached some pictures. There is a signature on one of the lamps that I can't make out and painted numbers on the bottom of each of the lamps. There is nothing wrong with them. They work and have no chips, etc.
A: Your lamps look like banquet lamps, a type of lamp used in the late 19th century with a pedestal base and a glass globe shade. They originally burned kerosene, but many, like yours, have been electrified for modern use. Banquet lamps usually have a bronze base, or one made of decorated glass that matches the shade. Yours are unusual, with porcelain figures for the base.
There is a mark visible on the underside of the figure in one of your pictures with a crown over the letter “N” and the word “Capodimonte.” Capodimonte porcelain was first produced at the Royal Factory at Capodimonte in Naples in the 18th century. The original factory used a fleur-de-lis mark. The crowned “N” became associated with porcelain produced later at the Royal Factory in Naples and has since been widely copied by other manufacturers. For that reason, a crowned “N” alone does not establish that a piece was made by the original Capodimonte factory. Your lamps appear to be Capodimonte-style pieces rather than products of the original factory.
Q: I inherited some ivory from my grandmother. I know there are lots of restrictions and regulations on selling or trading ivory. I was pointed to you as a company to see if you can help. I’m not looking to keep it.
A: Federal and state laws strictly regulate the sale and trade of ivory, and the rules depend on factors including the species, age, and provenance of the item and whether a sale occurs within or across state lines. If you are considering selling inherited ivory, start with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s current guidance on elephant ivory and your state wildlife agency. Documentation establishing the species, age, and history of the item may be required. A qualified appraiser or auction house experienced with legally saleable ivory may also be able to help determine what documentation you need.
Tip
Be sure that any restorer, refinisher, or upholsterer working on your antique is insured.
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