Vintage Heavy Hand-Blown Bubble Glass Vase with Engraved Galleon – 6.5"

An unusual vintage hand-blown clear art glass vase featuring a striking engraved geometric galleon and a dense concentration of trapped air bubbles through the lower body.

The vase has a substantial sculptural construction, weighing approximately 1 kg despite standing only 6.5 inches high. Thick clear glass forms the rounded body, rising to an organically shaped asymmetric rim.

Across the front is an engraved maritime scene depicting a stylised galleon. Rather than a naturalistic ship illustration, the design uses simplified geometric forms for the sails, masts, hull and surrounding water, giving the decoration a distinctly mid-century appearance.

The lower portion of the vase contains hundreds of tiny trapped bubbles interspersed with much larger individual bubbles. This decorative technique, combined with the substantial clear casing, creates considerable depth and optical distortion when the vase is viewed from different angles.

Comparable vintage art-glass vases combining hand-blown bubble glass and engraved ship decoration are known, but examples have been attributed to several different countries and manufacturers. An unmarked example currently offered on the UK market is simply catalogued as studio glass, while other galleon-decorated glass has been attributed to different European makers. 

As this example is unsigned and unlabelled, no specific manufacturer or country of origin is attributed.

Type: Art glass vase
Material: Clear glass
Technique: Hand blown
Decoration: Engraved geometric galleon with trapped bubble decoration
Height: approximately 6.5 inches / 16.5 cm
Widest point: approximately 3.75 inches / 9.5 cm
Weight: approximately 1 kg
Maker: Unidentified
Origin: Unknown
Condition: Good vintage condition with no chips or cracks noted. Please examine all photographs carefully for condition and details of the handmade glass.