Modernist Sculptural Flower Vase attibuted to Rudolf Jurnikl, 1960s

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Some objects manage to feel both vintage and startlingly modern, as if they slipped through time untouched. This 1960s flower … Read more Some objects manage to feel both vintage and startlingly modern, as if they slipped through time untouched. This 1960s flower vase is one of those rare pieces. Its bold, architectural form instantly recalls the sculptural language of Czech designer Rudolf Jurnikl—all crisp edges, verticality, and a fascination with rhythm in glass. Yet its stepped, skyscraper-like silhouette also echoes the later Hurricane Vase by Louise Roe and the textured optical work of Horst Tünseldmann for Peill & Putzler.

It belongs to that small category of mid-century glass where design ambition and everyday functionality meet in a striking way.

The vase rises in a series of refined vertical planes, almost like a miniature high-rise rendered in crystal. Light plays beautifully across the facets, creating sharp highlights and deep shadows that shift throughout the day. Whether placed near a window or under soft interior light, the form gains a dramatic, almost architectural presence—proof that even a functional vessel can behave like a sculpture.

Its weight and clarity suggest careful craftsmanship, typical of the postwar European glass tradition. While the exact attribution remains open, its design DNA unmistakably sits within the modernist aesthetic that swept across Czechoslovakia and Germany during the 1960s, when designers explored geometry, structure, and repetition in new and exciting ways.

This example is preserved in excellent vintage condition, free from chips and bearing only the most minimal signs of age - subtle marks that affirm its history without diminishing its elegance.

A perfect centrepiece for lovers of modernist design, this vase brings both visual strength and quiet sophistication to any interior. Whether used for flowers or displayed as a sculptural object, it commands attention with confidence. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



issues arising from misattribution See less