H.P. Berlage Leerdam 1926 Jaarbeker, Amethyst Cut-Glass Goblet

Designed by Hendrik Petrus Berlage for Glasfabriek Leerdam, this 1926 Jaarbeker, or annual commemorative goblet, celebrates the Dutch architect’s seventieth birthday.

The amethyst-coloured glass rises from a seven-sided foot into a gently narrowing stem and an elegantly flared bowl. Seventy small cut facets articulate the rim, referring to Berlage’s age while creating a lively interplay of light and reflection. Its geometric construction brings an architectural clarity to a richly expressive glass form.

Formerly in the Meentwijck Collection, this is the actual example illustrated in Leven in een verzameling: Toegepaste kunst 1890–1940 uit de collectie Meentwijck, fig. 63. The publication also reproduces preparatory drawings for the design as fig. 64.

Another example of this 1926 design is held in the collection of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, accession number V 98 (KN&V).

An appealing piece for collectors of Berlage, historic Leerdam glass and Dutch design.