Twisted Sommerso Vase, Chartreuse & Smoky Brown, Attributed to Josef Hospodka for Chřibská, 29.5 cm, 1960s

This mouth-blown vase of thick-walled sommerso glass is attributed to Josef Hospodka (1923–1989), who served as head designer of the North Bohemian Chřibská glassworks from 1958 to 1970 and shaped its art glass of the 1960s. His designs are known for organic bodies formed freely at the furnace, with strong colour layers encased in heavy clear glass. The vase bears neither label nor signature, which is common for Chřibská glass. Its form, colouring and workmanship, however, correspond to the twisted sommerso vases from this production, which is why it is described here as attributed rather than confirmed.

From a solid clear-glass foot, the body rises in a pronounced twist and opens into a four-lobed mouth with softly pulled points that curve slightly outwards. Inside lies a two-tone core: a warm smoky brown with an amber glow at the bottom, shifting upwards into a luminous chartreuse yellow-green. Broad clear-glass ribs follow the twist and break the light into bright bands, so that the colours range from delicate lime green to dark olive brown depending on the angle. Seen from above, the cross-section is almost square with undulating edges, and through the base the coloured core appears as a spiral.

As a standalone piece on a sideboard, windowsill or shelf, or with a few branches, the vase pairs well with mid-century furniture and other sommerso objects from Bohemia or Murano. It measures 29.5 cm in height and 12.5 cm in width and depth and is in very good condition without chips or cracks. The base shows fine, age-appropriate signs of use; a few small air bubbles in the glass result from the making and are typical of mouth-blown furnace glass.