Estonian First Independence period fruit bowl with cornflower motive by Johannes Lorup manufactury

You a looking at a pressed glass pedestal fruit bowl, masterfully crafted by the renowned  Johannes Lorup Glass Factory (Johannes Lorupi Klaasivabrik) in Tallinn, Estonia. Dating back to the 1930s, this iconic piece features the stunning cornflower (rukkilill) pattern—the national flower of Estonia.

Far more than everyday vintage tableware, this design beautifully captures the booming cultural identity and national pride of the First Estonian Republic just before the era of WWII. A true piece of Estonian history that is worth being matched into a set of glassware with the same pattern. 

Hight is about 18,5 cm

Width of the bowl is about 23 cm

Background information:

Because the factory was nationalized and absorbed by Soviet authorities in 1940 (later becoming Tarbeklaas), authentic, original "Lorup Independence Era" tableware pieces were only produced for roughly 6 years. While many glass factories traditionally start with cheaper pressed glass lines and work up to luxury crystal as they grow, Lorup’s business model was uniquely aggressive and highly capitalized. When the factory fired up its ovens in 1934, it immediately operated separate production lines for everyday pressed household glass, chemical laboratory glass, and high-end semi-crystal and luxury lead crystal.

By 1938, demand for his luxury line grew so massive that he physically expanded the fine crystal engraving and polishing department alone from 30 specialized craftsmen to 73 workers to keep up with global exports.