Important vase by Floris Meydan and Royal Leerdam, 1950s

Floris Meydan (1919-2011) / Royal Leerdam
Bottle vase in mouth-blown glass, shaded blue and white
Netherlands, 1950s
Height: 44 cm
Diameter: 10 cm

It was from 1915 onwards that the "NV Koninklijke Nederlandsche Glasfabriek Leerdam," founded in 1765, resolutely shifted towards modernist and innovative production, conceived by three architect-designers: the Dutchman Hendrik Petrus Berlage (already creating designs for the French crystalworks of Pantin and Baccarat), Karel Petrus Cornelis of Basel, and the renowned American Frank Lloyd Wright. More than 15 years before the birth of Scandinavian design, the Leerdam factory industrially produced tableware with clean, functional lines. The designers also conceived artistic pieces that were free-blown and handcrafted.

The designer Floris Meydam (1919-2011), originally from Leerdam, joined the glassworks in 1935 as a collaborator in the design department, becoming its director in 1949. At the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, the grand prize was awarded to the Leerdam pavilion.