Blown glass vase design features of Lviv art glass of 70-80 years of the 20th century

Ukrainian blown glass as an independent phenomenon in the domestic decorative and applied art reached its most prosperity at the end of the 20th century. The centre of the glass blowing, formation of national identity, heart of tradition preservation and improving, education of next generations of glass blowing masters and glass artists is Lviv region. Just here the glass department of Lviv Experimental Ceramic and Sculpture Factory existed for about half a century where a wide range of blown glass goods made by free forming method was produced. Among the range of limited blown glass products of the factory we can mark out two main typological groups: decorative and decorative and applied glassware, animalistic plastic art and sculpture. One of the most typical and inherent for Ukrainian blown glass category of glassware are decorative and applied vases. This group reached its brightest prosperity at the period of the second half of the 20th century and was almost the main product manufactured at Lviv Experimental Ceramic and Sculpture Factory.

All the masters and professional artists without exception worked over the samples of blown glass vases. In the present research two main sub-groups are marked out: flower vase and bowl vase. 

In the masterpiece of one of the most famous artists of modern Ukrainian art glass Andrii Bokotei we find several variants of decorative and applied vase samples, made for duplication in the glass department of Lviv Experimental Ceramic and Sculpture Factory during 70-80 years. Describing the whole spectrum of samples of the artist’s authorship of this period his longing for an experiment not just technological but also form-building is not left unnoticeable. Among the professional artists who made samples for production at Lviv Experimental Ceramic and Sculpture Factory was Bohdan Halytskyi, the Head of Art Glass Department of Lviv State Institute of Applied and Decorative Art (today Lviv National Academy of Arts). 

One of the leading figures of Lviv glass blowing and the authors of many methods of vase decoration was Bohdan Valko, who is the author of almost hundreds of samples. Last vases made by B. Valko will be adorable for all connoisseurs of Ukrainian blown glass and will have a subtle stone marble texture.

The author’s individuality is clearly read in the works of one more glass blower and virtuoso O. Hera. The author, unlike his colleague B. Valko, concentrates mostly on form-building properties of his own samples. Refined minimalism of internal design and saturation of external texture characterized the creative work of one of the oldest glass blowers, who formed the basis of Ukrainian blown glass of Soviet period – Yosyp Hulianskyi.

In the work of one more founder of Lviv blown glass school Mechyslav Pavlovskyi the vase designs with the use of so-called combing are notable. A professional artist and master-virtuoso Frants Cherniak worked much over the performance of the vase samples, who hold the post of the Leading Artist of Lviv Experimental Ceramic and Sculpture Factory for a long time. His designs stood out for his innovation and search of the modern form according to the epoch.

The collective work at the factory department promoted to the adoption of the experience of older masters and ideas exchange of ideas, which were further improving individually and were implemented into the production. The most of samples was performed in joint cooperation of a professional artist and a glass blowing master, or two masters. Mutual penetration of ideas and methods had a substantial influence on the creation work of designers’ tandem and a considerable progress in product range enrichment.