LOETZ BLUE OIL SPOT ART GLASS STERLING SILVER OVERLAY NOUVEAU MUSTARD POT. This is a very special, rare and unusual little piece.
It is an elegant and beautiful hand-made art glass mustard pot with an applied glass handle and made in an iridescent cobalt blue oil spot colored glass and covered in elaborate and heavy Art Nouveau sterling silver overlay decoration with hand chasing. I did find the word STERLING in the sterling decoration directly under the bottom of the handle (very faint and I did not try to photograph this), but I found no makers mark. The silver decoration is very heavy and high quality like I would expect to see from a company like Alvin or La Pierre. The lid is sterling silver as well and is so marked STERLING on the back side directly beneath the hinge.All four sides are pictured so you can see how elaborate the sterling decoration is. There is a panel of sterling silver on the front side of the piece for a monogram but this one has not been monogrammed. This piece has been in my personal collection since 2003.
The exterior surface of the glass is finished with a Tiffany-like iridized finish that gives the glass a semi-matte appearance. I have always attributed the glass Itself to Loetz and the dealer from whom I bought the piece believed that to be the case as well. I actually believe this to be a piece of Loetz Rubin (Ruby) Papillon pattern and made that attribution after listing the Loetz website and consulting their Decors Index. If you hold this up to a strong light and look into the inside of the piece, the base color you see in the glass is red.
Regardless, this is a fine high-quality example and gorgeous as you can see from the photos! I do my best to describe all items as accurately as possible and to the best of my ability. Some of my photos may be somewhat lighter or darker than actual to better show detail or color. However, do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, comments, or with requests for additional pictures. Our store has many unique and interesting items in several different categories from 35 years of our dealing and collecting antiques and collectables. This piece dates to circa 1900. It is in near pristine original condition.Please look closely at the photos as they are an important part of my description of this item. I did find on miniscule little flea bite to the underside of the foot this can be seen in the close-up photo of the foot at about the 7:30 clock position. I really cant feel it but noticed it when I was looking the piece over with a loupe looking for a mark on the silver. Otherwise, there no chips, flea bites, cracks, scratches, hairlines or repairs to the glass. I see no loss to the sterling silver overlay decoration and no place where the silver is loose; only a bit of tarnish.
There are only some very light signs of use or wear to the silver that are consistent with a piece of this age. The hinge on the lid opens and closes fine with only a very slight amount of movement side to side.
Please keep in mind these photos can be blown up at least 8X-10X times normal, so anything you see will look 8X-10X times larger in the photos than it really is. Please note: if you see a dark spot in the photos it is from my camera and is not a mark on the piece. It will be either just to the right of center towards the bottom or slightly above center on the right side of the photo. About 2.375 (6 cm) in diameter at the widest point and sits about 4 (10.2 cm) off the table at the top of the handle on the lid. About 6.25 ounces (177 grams).
On heavier items I will also offer a less expensive option, if available. The item "LOETZ BLUE OIL SPOT ART GLASS STERLING SILVER OVERLAY NOUVEAU MUSTARD POT" is in sale since Sunday, March 29, 2020.
This item is in the category "Pottery & Glass\Decorative Pottery & Glassware\Vases". The seller is "rvhound" and is located in Middletown, Ohio. This item can be shipped worldwide.