Dimensions: the set includes four glasses (21 x 7.5 x 7.5 cm)
A set of four glasses designed by Zbigniew Horbowy (1935–2019) at the “Barbara” Art Glassworks in Polanica-Zdrój. The glasses are made of soda glass, body-tinted in dark red as well as shades of orange and yellow, creating a gradient effect—darkest at the neck and base of the bowl, and nearly transparent at the rim. The set is an example of Polish glass design from the 1970s, distinguished by the expressive color palette typical of the artist’s work.
Condition
One glass with a minor chip on the rim; minor imperfections in the glass
Biography
A visual artist considered one of Poland’s leading designers of functional glassware and the founder of his own school of design. As a young boy, he was interested in mechanics and considered studying at a technical university; however, persuaded by his friend Jerzy Antkowiak, he took the entrance exams for the State Higher School of Fine Arts in Wrocław alongside him. He studied in the glass studio of the then-rector, Stanisław Dawski. He completed his thesis project in 1959 at the “Sudety” Glassworks in Szczytna, becoming the first student at that institution to create a complete set of functional glassware. In later years, he was associated with the “Barbara” Art Glassworks in Polanica-Zdrój, where, from 1975 to 1989, he served as artistic director of an experimental design studio.
Inspired by the artist, the “Inco” Art Glass Studio was established in Wrocław. He served as a professor in the Department of Ceramics and Glass and as rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław. His works are included in numerous museum collections, including the National Museum in Warsaw.
