Jug

This “jug for serving wine and liqueur” appeared in 1935 in the first sales catalogue of the new artistic branch of the Verreries de Saint-Prex (1928-1964). Judging by the large number of these objects preserved today, this model was very popular. Available in two sizes, it also offered a wide range of different designs. The Vitromusée Romont owns seven examples, ranging from green glass to glass coated with cracked silver and gold, as well as black or red-black enamelled glass. The body, blown in a mould, has a foot – almost a pedestal – leaving enough space for the sphere to unfold harmoniously.

The gold label, which added a certain cachet to Saint-Prex vases and jugs from 1935 onwards, was to serve as a distinguishing feature until the end of production in 1964. The material, green bottle glass, is also a hallmark of these vessels. Reminiscent of the historically simple use of this material, it is characteristic of the functionalist movement in art and design.

This type of vase or “sphere jug” was already well known in ancient Rome and during the Renaissance. Rediscovered by the avant-garde movements of the 20th century, they became widespread in Europe and the United States from the 1920s and 1930s onwards.

For the launch of the new artistic collection, the glassworks management opted for well-known designers. The ceramist Paul Ami Bonifas was asked to work with the Verreries from 1931. In the monograph devoted to him by Edmond Beaujon, Bonifas recalls: “With a view to the Salon fédéral des Beaux-Arts et des Arts Appliqués to be held in Geneva in 1931, the S.A. Verreries de Saint-Prex asked me to design the models it intended to present to the jury and to oversee their manufacture. For two months, I had the pleasure of working with a highly skilled craftsman, a glassmaker from northern Italy who had trained in Murano. Our material was none other than ordinary bottle glass.”

The presence of this unknown Italian glassblower in Saint-Prex also suggests a link with contemporary glass arts. In fact, some of the designs by Italian architect Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978), from 1926 to 1931 young designer at MVM Cappellin in Murano, are variations on the theme of the sphere: with a foot or heel, a neck of varying length, flared or cylindrical, and sometimes with a simple rolled lip to crown the sphere. The creations from Murano, shown at exhibitions in Paris, Leipzig and Amsterdam between 1928 and 1931, demonstrate the contemporary appeal of the sphere shape. Such design ideas also featured in the Saint-Prex catalogues.

Bonifas also drew inspiration from this perfect form for his work in ceramics. In this way, he combines treasured aspects of design with contemporary glassmaking expertise.