Lötz Witwe

The decorations designed by Hofstätter are mainly based on quite similar, more or less stylized and abstract naturalistic depictions: plants grow from what is supposed to be the ground - therefore a brown or brownish-yellow base - into a silver, golden or bluish atmosphere up to an imaginary sky. This design is sometimes really naturalistic, sometimes totally abstract (GRE 358). It can be clearly discerned on those produced under genre 388.

Although the glassworkers at Lötz have a high level of craftsmanship, the execution of some designs was so challenging that only certain - obviously the best - masters were commissioned. The sections of these vases in such extremely rare cases.

The company Lötz, founded in 1851, had a continuous economic upswing in the first thirty years of its existence. In the ensuing fifteen years under Max Ritter of Spaun it was also extremely successful.

The World Exhibition in Paris brought Spaun and his glasshouse not only fame and international recognition but also economic success. A considerable number of vases displayed by Spaun were bought by museums and national collections at the exhibition. Some items produced for the World Exhibition were taken into the current product range and were sold worldwide in considerable numbers. The major part of this glassware was very expensive and was either produced in limited quantities or a second time with cheaper decorations. This explains why many World Exhibition items have still not come to light and why those, which have, are extremely rare.

As Spaun has hoped, the World Exhibition was a tremendous success: the glasshouse, acclaimed in numerous exhibition reviews, was awarded a Grand Prix; a prize that before had only gone to the illustrious companies Gallé and Tiffany.