THIS IS BY FAR THE MOST INTERESTING ITEM I HAVE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF OWNING.MY DAD WAS A WEALTHY CONTRACTOR WHO OWNED PROPERTY IN WESTERN MASS. HE WAS AN AVID "LOETZ" AND "STEUBEN" COLLECTOR AMONG MANY OTHERS.INSTEAD OF PROPERTY HE WAS DIVIDING AMONG HIS CHILDREN IN 1992, I WAS GIVEN THIS VASE, WITH OTHER ITEMS BEACAUSE I DID NOT WANT THE PROPERTY.HE HAD TOLD ME A LOT ABOUT GLASS AS I WAS GROWING UP AS I BECAME A BOTTLE DIGGER/COLLECTOR WHEN I WAS 12 AND I AM ABSOLUTELY FASCINATED WITH OLD GLASS!! AND THIS PARTICULAR VASE HE SAID HE PURCHASED FOR ALMOST 10 THOUSAND DOLLARS AT AN AUCTION WHEN I WAS A CHILD.APPARENTLY THE SIGNIFICANT FACTORS WERE THAT IT WAS SIGNED "J." LOETZ AND NOT JUST "LOETZ".DAD IS NO LONGER WITH ME SO I CAN'T ASK HIM ANY PERTINANT QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD NOW LIKE TO....I'M TOLD THIS DATES THE VASE BETWEEN 1840 AND 1848 SINCE HE DIED 8 YEARS AFTER HE BEGAN PRODUCTION SO OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS SOMETHING PRODUCED BY JOHANN (AMERICAN SPELLING) HIMSELF.I UNDERSTAND THAT HIS MOST EARLIEST WORKS WERE SOMEWHAT ODD AND QUIRKY AND MAYBE "EXPERIMENTAL" AS PERHAPS HE HADN'T FOUND HIS "STYLE" YET AT THAT POINT ALTHOUGH IT DOES CONTAIN CHARACHTERISTICS IN THE PAINTING THAT ARE SIMILAR TO LATER LOETZ WORKS.MOST OF US KNOW LOETZ TO BE MORE ELABORATE AND FRAGILE AS WERE THE ITEMS AFTER HIS WIFE TOOK OVER THE PRODUCTION UPON HIS DEATH.IT IS AN INTENSE EMERALD GREEN WITH A "SPUN" SMOOTH MOUTH HAND LINED IN A GOLD BAND.THE BASE IS PITTED OR "DIMPLED" TO GIVE IT THE APPEARENCE OF WATER AND THE CORNERS ARE RAISED AND HEAVILY COATED IN GOLD.THERE IS A SNAPPED PONTIL WHICH IS NOT CHARACHTERISTIC OF LATER LOETZ WHICH WAS GROUND AND THEN POLISHED.. BUT AGAIN, THIS PIECE IS "MOST" UNUSUAL AND IT DEFINATELY TOOK A MASTER GLASSWORKER TO PULL ALL THIS GLASS TOGETHER,BEING HAND BLOWN AND TOOLED INTO 2 COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SHAPES...VERY DARING AND TOTALLY "GENIOUS"!! THIS VASE MAY HAVE NOT ACTUALLY EVEN INITIALLY BEEN MADE FOR SALE BUT SOMEHOW MADE IT INTO THE MUSEUM AT SOME POINT IN TIME. WHAT IS MORE INTERESTING IS THAT THERE IS A GOLD CROWN THAT APPEARS TO BE SCRIBED INTO THE GLASS AND HEAVILY ACCENTED WITH GOLD.I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THIS MEANT UNTIL SOMEONE TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE ONLY AWARE THAT 4 SUCH MARKS EXSIST THUS FAR AND I WAS OFFERED OVER $20,000.00 FOR IT.OF COURSE THIS INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED "AFTER" I AGREED TO MAKE THE SALE AND OBVIOUSLY THE GENTLEMAN KNOWS MUCH MORE ABOUT IT THAN I DO AND I'M FEELING THAT EVEN AT THAT OFFER...I MAY BE BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF DUE TO LACK OF PROPER KNOWLEDGE BECAUSE IT WAS ALL TOO FAST AND DEMANDING. I HAVE SEEN LOETZ VASES SOLD AT AUCTION IN THE 9-15 THOUSAND DOLLAR RANGE SO I ACTUALLY THOUGHT I WAS GETTING A "MORE THAN" FAIR OFFER BUT GIVEN THE BASIC FACTS,I NOW FEEL DIFFERENTLY.DUE TO THE WAY I WAS BEING COERCED INTO ACCEPTING PAYMENT SO QUICKLY,IT RAISED SOME FLAGS AND THEN WHEN I AGREED AND WAS TOLD ABOUT THE SIG. AND THE MARKING, I THOUGHT I BEST GET MORE INFORMATION BEFORE I CLOSE THE DEAL.THIS GUY APPARENTLY DEALS IN OLD GLASS AND WAS ABSOLUTELY PLANNING ON PROFITING ON THIS DEAL SO I NEED TO KNOW IF THE OFFER IS FAIR OR IF I HAVE SOMETHING SO RARE THAT IT'S WHAT SOMEONE TOLD ME IS WHATS CALLED A "SLEEPER" ??
I REALLY DON'T WANT TO WELCH ON A DEAL BUT IF SOMEONE IS TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MY LACK OF KNOWLEDGE,THEN I NEED TO STATE THIS TO HIM AND RE-EVALUATE THE DEAL OR FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO SELL IT!! THIS NOT ONLY HAS A MONETARY VALUE BUT WAS GIVEN TO ME BY DAD TO INSURE I HAD SOME MONEY AT A POINT WHEN I NEEDED IT MOST SO I DON'T NEED TO TAKE THE FIRST ATTRACTIVE OFFER WAVED IN MY FACE BUT I WANT TO GET OUT OF IT WHAT DAD INTENDED SO I NEED A TRUE AND FAIR VALUE TO IT!
THANX!!
