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Jan Beranek Red Core Vase 1959 & Vizner Style Czech Glass Duo Vintage Sculptur
€900Bid from €699
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Private sellerBerlin, GermanyOn Whoppah since August 2023 • 23 sales
Product description
Jan Beránek for Beránek Glassworks – “Red Core” Sculptural Glass Vase, 1959
With companion vase attributed to František Vízner for Sklo Union / Škrdlovice – “Whirlpool” series, 1968
A vivid and intellectually charged duet of Czech mid-century glass artistry: one volcanic and expressive, the other restrained, optical, and precise.
Vase 1: “Red Core” by Jan Beránek
Beránek Glassworks (Škrdlovice), Czechoslovakia, 1959
Model Number: 5988
Material: Hand-blown layered art glass
Colorway: Violet, pink, petrol blue with inner ruby core
Height: 29.5 cm
Diameter: approx. 13 cm
Weight: approx. 4.5 kg
Technique: Freeform hot-sculpted, thick-walled cased glass
A masterwork of Czech postwar glass, this monumental vase belongs to Jan Beránek’s iconic Red Core series of the late 1950s. Shaped entirely by hand and without molds, the form appears compressed, inflated, and arrested mid-eruption.
The thick, undulating walls fracture and refract light, while the glowing ruby nucleus burns at the center like a fossilized flame. Violet, pink, and petrol tones melt into one another, producing a baroque chromatic depth that shifts with every angle. Each example is unique, the direct result of Beránek’s fully sculptural working method.
The Red Core series is widely documented in Czech glass literature and held in major collections, and is regarded as one of the most expressive achievements of Škrdlovice glass in the postwar period.
Vase 2: Attributed to František Vízner
Sklo Union / Škrdlovice, Whirlpool series, 1968
(pattern-associated with Škrdlovice no. 6860)
Material: Hot-shaped blown glass
Colorway: Encased gradient from amber-orange to translucent green
Height: 21 cm
Diameter: 8 cm
Weight: approx. 2 kg
Technique: Cased glass with controlled air-bubble inclusions
Label: Traces of original Škrdlovice paper label on foot
This cylindrical vase corresponds to the Whirlpool series designed for the Škrdlovice glassworks in 1968 and is associated with factory pattern number 6860, a model documented in late-1960s Škrdlovice pattern records and consistently attributed in museum collections, specialist literature, and international auction catalogues to František Vízner.
The vase exemplifies Vízner’s Škrdlovice language of the period: strict geometry activated by optical depth. A thick-walled cylindrical body encases layered amber and green glass, within which precisely controlled air bubbles form a subtle internal movement—less decorative than structural, and central to the visual effect.
In contrast to Beránek’s eruptive, sculptural exuberance, this work reflects Modernist restraint and intellectual clarity. The bubbles do not explode; they circulate. The color does not blaze; it glows. Light is slowed, folded inward, and held in suspension.
The Duo
Together, the two vases form a compelling dialogue within Czech postwar glass design:
gesture and discipline, eruption and containment, fire and quiet motion.
They share a chromatic kinship—amber, green, internal luminosity—yet articulate two distinct artistic positions within the Škrdlovice tradition. Displayed as a pair, they read not merely as decorative objects, but as a condensed history of Czech studio glass at its most ambitious.
Condition
Both vases are in excellent vintage condition.
Minor base wear consistent with age.
No chips, cracks, or repairs.
Collector’s Highlights
– Museum-documented Red Core vase by Jan Beránek
– Škrdlovice Whirlpool design associated with František Vízner (pattern no. 6860, 1968)
– Attribution supported by factory records, literature, and auction history
– Strong visual and conceptual pairing
– Ideal for serious collectors of Czech, Brutalist, and studio glass
General Information
Questions are welcome and will be answered promptly.
International buyers are encouraged. Please contact us before purchasing for precise shipping quotes outside the EU. Any customs duties or VAT are the buyer’s responsibility.
All items are described as accurately and honestly as possible. Please review all photographs carefully—they form part of the description. As with all vintage items, signs of age and minor wear are to be expected.
This is a private sale under German law. No returns, refunds, or warranties. By purchasing, you agree to these terms.
Your data will be used solely to process the sale and arrange shipment.
Specifications
ConditionVery goodColorsMint, Turquoise, Purple, Green, Red, Multi Color, Yellow, TransparentMaterialGlassNumber of items2StyleVintageHeight30 cmWidth13 cmDepth13 cm
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Seller information
About this seller
Private sellerBerlin, GermanyOn Whoppah since August 2023 • 23 sales