Mid-century cigar ashtray by Josef Hospodka 1950's, heavy crystal metallurgical glass

The ashtray was designed by jozef hospodka in czechoslovakia in the 1950s. Hand-formed, mass-dyed, beautiful multi-colored metallurgical glass. The item is in very good original condition, shows regular signs of use. Josef michael hospodka (*21.1. 1923, + 8.1. 1989 ) Josef michael hospodka was born on january 21.1923 in švihov. In the years 1938-1940 he graduated from the state school of graphics in prague and continued his studies at the school of applied arts in the studio of prof. J. Holečka in the years 1940 - 1945. Then, until 1952, he was a teacher at the vocational glass school in nový bor, where he headed the cut glass department. In hospodka's teaching career, he continued at the chřibská glass school's workshop, where in the first half of the 1950s he led the saturday glassmaking classes, in which, under hospodka's guidance, the basic collection of chřib metallurgical glass was designed in the familiar form. However, the production of densely shaped glass in chřibská did not fully start until 1956, when a new four-pan furnace was put into operation. In 1958, josef hospodka became the chief designer of the national enterprise borské sklo, and in the years 1960 – 1964 he was the director of this enterprise. In the years 1970 – 1985, hospodka was the director of the secondary industrial glass school in kamenický šenov. Then, until his death in january 1989, he was the designer of the crystalex nový bor plant in chřib. Hospodka's tempered glass designs have been reproduced so many times and ground into different shapes and colors until recently that when we talk about "tempered glass" everyone thinks of just this type of product.

Ref. : Z261DDFR