Napoleon Vase in Aubergine and White Opaline by Jerzy Słuczan-Orkusz for Glassworks Tarnowiec, Poland, 1980s

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Description

A hand-blown vase from the "Napoleon" model, designed by Jerzy Słuczan-Orkusz for the Tarnowiec glassworks in southern Poland.

The body … Read more A hand-blown vase from the "Napoleon" model, designed by Jerzy Słuczan-Orkusz for the Tarnowiec glassworks in southern Poland.

The body is cased glass. A deep aubergine gather, streaked and swirled where it was worked at the furnace, is laid over a white opaline underlayer that surfaces as a single stripe running the length of one side. The form tapers from a narrow foot, draws in at the neck, then opens into a wide two-lobed mouth finished with a rolled rim of white opal. Every piece was shaped by hand at the bench, so the fold of the mouth and the run of the stripe differ from vase to vase.

No factory label survives on this example. The attribution follows the model: the "Napoleon" vase is recorded under that name, with Słuczan-Orkusz as designer and Tarnowiec as maker, in Polish auction and dealer catalogues.

Jerzy Słuczan-Orkusz (1924-2002) took his diploma in ceramics and glass at the Wrocław academy in 1953 and was chief designer at the Tarnowiec glassworks from 1982 to 1991, which places this model in the 1980s. His glass is held by the National Museums in Kraków, Warsaw and Wrocław. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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