Cranberry Red Iridescent Glass Inkwell

Attributed to Kralik, this cranberry red iridescent glass inkwell features a bronze Satyr head hinged lid and decorative metal overlay showcasing four classic Art Nouveau panels. The panels with sweeping ribbons, wreaths and Satyr faces match the inkwell’s lid.

The body is blown from a rich cranberry-red glass that has been reduction-fumed to produce an iridescent, metallic finish. The surface dynamically catches the light, casting a brilliant oil-slick sheen of violet, copper, and amber highlights. The piece is crowned with a heavy metal collar and a highly stylized, sculptural hinged lid depicting a dramatic face with horns.

While items of this caliber and iridescent quality are frequently given a generic attribution to Loetz or labeled as “Loetz Type” by auction houses and collectors, the definitive signature of this inkwell lies stamped directly into its metalwork. The underside of the hinge assembly features the dual registration marks:

• O.E.P. 10385 (Oesterreichisches Patent / Austrian Patent)

• D.R.G.M. 168180 (Deutsches Reich Gebrauchs Muster / German Imperial Utility Model)

These patent and design registry numbers were granted right at the turn of the century (circa 1901–1902) to protect the mechanical engineering of this specific hinged collar mount. Modern research into Bohemian glass archives has successfully mapped these exact registrations to Wilhelm Kralik Sohn.

Emerging from a glassmaking legacy begun by Johann Meyr in 1815, the firm officially consolidated under the name Wilhelm Kralik Sohn in the early 1880s. Operating out of massive Bohemian production centers like the Eleonorenhain (Eleonorahütte) factory, Kralik established itself as an export powerhouse. The company specialized in high-quality, shimmering iridescent tableware and desk sets designed to go toe-to-toe with luxury firms like Loetz and Tiffany.

The presence of the 1902 patented hardware on this cranberry iridized body, swapping the common leaf design for an expressive, horned-mask lid, perfectly demonstrates how Kralik utilized their standardized, protected metal components across an array of different artistic glass lines. This mechanical stamp serves as the ironclad chronological and manufacturer fingerprint for the piece.

A second example, square in shape, added. It sold for $251 in April 2025