F. Van Houten Fils, Bonn Art Nouveau Vase With Metal Mount (in The Style Of Orivit)

F. Van Houten Fils, Bonn – Art Nouveau Vase, Metal Mount and Iridescent Enamelled Glass, circa 1900Court Supplier · Documented in Official Catalogue Düsseldorf 1902 · Polychrome Enamelled Iridescent Glass · H. 33.5 cm

An Art Nouveau vase in transparent iridescent glass with polychrome enamel decoration, set in a gilt metal mount, designed and executed by F. Van Houten Fils (Van Houten Sohn), Court Supplier (Hoflieferant), Bonn-on-the-Rhine, circa 1900. Total height with mount 33.5 cm. Marks stamped on the mount: 1858 (model number) · imperial crown · coat of arms of the city of Bonn.

Piece documented in contemporary official literature: the mark of F. Van Houten Fils is reproduced in the Official Catalogue of the Industrial and Commercial Exhibition Düsseldorf 1902, p. 159 — the most important Rhenish-Westphalian exhibition of the early century, at which Orivit AG also received a distinction.

The glass body — transparent, iridescent, with polychrome enamel decoration — presents characteristics that link it to several of the most sought-after glass productions of the period. Its precise attribution remains open between four leading candidates: the iridescent Phänomen décor of the Lötz Witwe glassworks, Klostermühle (circa 1900); the Damascene Favrile glass of Tiffany Studios; the enamelled glass of the Fritz Heckert Glassworks; or the Rippl-Rónai decoration of the Vilmos Zsolnay manufactory in Pécs. Each of these characteristics — iridescence, polychrome enamelling, transparency — is compatible with several of these sources. Only a thorough material analysis could definitively resolve the attribution.

F. Van Houten Fils (Hoflieferant — Imperial Court Supplier) was one of the most reputable decorative arts houses of the Rhenish region at the turn of the century, combining high-quality metal mounts with glass bodies from leading European manufactories — in a spirit comparable to that of the Orivit AG in Cologne-Ehrenfeld.

A note for collectors and enthusiasts: the Kreismuseum Zons opens on 13 May 2026 the new exhibition „Selten. Silber. Orivit. Rheinische Jugendstilschätze mit internationalem Flair. " — a presentation of rare Orivit silver objects alongside the museum's permanent Jugendstil pewter collection, just a few kilometres from Düsseldorf. A unique opportunity to discover the historical context of this vase.

• Height: 33.5 cm (with mount)
• Glass: transparent iridescent · polychrome enamel decoration · attribution open: Lötz Witwe / Tiffany / Fritz Heckert / Zsolnay
• Mount: gilt metal · F. Van Houten Fils, Bonn-on-the-Rhine, circa 1900
• Marks: model 1858 · imperial crown · coat of arms of Bonn
• Documentation: Official Catalogue, Industrial Exhibition Düsseldorf 1902, p. 159
• Reference: www.steinmarks.co.uk
• Condition: very good · exceptional workmanship

Seen in museums — available to you.

Available for viewing by appointment at our Düsseldorf gallery.

Keywords integrated: F. Van Houten Bonn, Art Nouveau vase metal mount, iridescent enamelled glass, Lötz Witwe, Tiffany Damascene Favrile, Fritz Heckert, Zsolnay Rippl-Rónai, Hoflieferant, Düsseldorf 1902, Kreismuseum Zons