Antiques — Decorators Find Cool New Trends in Old Glass

Nothing decorates as effectively as glass. A few well-chosen glasses accessories can change the character of a room. By the unique way glass plays with color, form and light, it can really fire up a space, and just as easily make any place the coolest spot in town.
It’s the cool stuff that seems to be attracting many of today’s decorators and magazine stylists. With vintage glass this means mid-20th Century Scandinavian art glass from Sweden and Finland.
The philosophy behind this glass was to make items look liquid, like clear, clean, ice cold water. There was even a fad for what was called “White Water” glass, that showed pale blue on the cut where most glass would show green.
Scandinavian art glass was abundantly produced between the 1930s and the 1960s, and can be found available and very affordable in today’s antique shops.
Taking a cue from the Scandinavians during this period was American Steuben glass from Corning, New York. This company, that used to be known for its brilliantly colored art glass, started producing wonderful, liquid-clear glass sculptures and decorator items in the post-WWII 940s and ‘50s. They are not as abundant as the Swedish pieces, and will cost a bit more, but the artist-signed pieces still retain decent investment value.
For a mid-20th Century glass with another kind of cool — as in hip, neat and chic – look to Italy, of course. In 1929, the glass artist, Paolo Venini, brought the revered, old Venetian/Murano glass industry back to international attention and acclaim.
The focus of the Italian glass from this period is all about the artistry – blown pieces, deftly fashioned, using age-old techniques. Unsigned pieces from the era are still quite affordable, a bargain, considering how difficult they were to produce. Some signed pieces, especially those from Venini’s studio can be quite pricey.
Also cool, stylish and affordable are pieces made in Czechoslovakia, especially the Art Deco glass created between1918 and 1940. Czechoslovakia was formed after the break-up of the Austrian an Empire at the end of WWI, and it included the Kingdom of Bohemia. Bohemian art glass has a history going back to Roman times. Their artists were especially adept at batch-making, mixing glass for color and clarity. Besides decorative items, collectors love to find Czech perfume bottles.
The mid-20th Century was a very creative era in the production of art glass. It’s difficult to quantify, but it may have even out-produced the Victorian Age. The photos I’ve included with this column are just some special items — the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. Local antique shops feature a whole array of 20th Century European and American art glass just waiting to bring their cool style into your home.
Arthur Schwerdt, a certified appraiser, is the author of “The Antique Story Book: Finding the Real Value of Old Things,” and co-owner of The August Farmhouse Antiques on Route 9 in Swainton. Send your comments, questions and appraisal requests to: aschwerdt@cmcherad.com.