Bean vase, transparent pressed glass, HSG Ząbkowice, Poland, 1970s

A 1970s vase from HSG Ząbkowice made of transparent, colourless pressed soda glass. The construction features thick, evenly cast walls and a gently tapering cylindrical shape. The surface is decorated with a regular, raised pattern of vertical oval 'bean' columns – details characteristic of the aesthetics of Polish pressed glass from this decade. The shiny, mirror-like texture attracts light play and creates a three-dimensional effect. The upper rim of the vessel is straight and cleanly finished, and the flat base ensures stability, attesting to the solid craftsmanship of the Ząbkowice manufactory. There are no visible signs of use or damage, indicating a very good state of preservation. The item has remained in its authentic, unchanged form. The vase clearly speaks the language of the 1970s, when the Polish school of glass paid homage to modernity and experimented with raw, geometric decoration. The repetitive, moulded rhythm of the protrusions refers to modernist architecture and brutalist motifs – as if the object itself wanted to capture the spirit of the era, in which light, shadow and transparency created a new drama of everyday forms. The reflections on the surface evoke the atmosphere of interiors where glass played the role of a discreet voice of modernity. In a living room arrangement, the vase can be combined with heavier furniture forms with simple lines – e.g. A walnut sideboard or a steel console – which will emphasise the modernist context of the object. It works well in the company of minimalist lamps, collector's posters and single decorations made of milk glass or ceramics in subdued colours. It is worth combining it with green leaves or single branches to bring out the play of light in the glass texture and emphasise its sculptural form.