Art Glass Vases

Five Types of Art Glass Vases

Hightlighting a few modern and vintage vases

• Bohemian or "Art Nouveau" - The creation of Bohemian art glass began over five centuries ago in what is now the Czech Republic, but evolved into Art Nouveau into the 18th and 19th centuries.Though Bohemian vases range from simple crystal or glass vases to pieces that have been hand-worked into elaborate representations of nature, the most highly recognized Bohemian art glass vases are those that have been painted with floral designs.
• Carnival - Early 20th century. Carnival glass is molded and patterned and fired in such a way as to produce a tinted shimmer.
• Depression - Sold and given away for promotional purposes during the Depression Era. Though depression glass was relatively inexpensive to make, it is now highly collectible. Prices may range from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars for one vase.
• Studio Art - While Depression glass, carnival glass, Bohemian, and most Vaseline glass are produced in bulk in factories, studio art glass is hand-made. These types of vases are done by one artist or a small group of artists. Vase makers may hand-blow, press, mold, and paint the glass anyway they wish -- it's their studio and they do what they want with it. Studio art glass is not limited to a particular type of glass.
• Uranium or "Vaseline" - This refers to the glass materials and the lighting effect obtained from the uranium. In truth, vaseline glass may also be used to make carnival glass or other types of vases. The easiest way to tell a vase is made of uranium glass is to look at it - there will be a greenish tint to it. Even uranium glass that appears to be clear will show up as green under a black-light.