Charles Lotton Miniature Aurene Vine & Purple Striped Bowl (1975)

Charles Gerald Lotton (born October 21, 1935 — passed on September 17, 2021) was a contemporary glass artist and Master of glass making and daring new styles in art glass.

Early Charles Lotton pieces are hard to find, and much sought after.

This piece was made in 1975 by Charles Lotton during the last years of his contract with the renowned Lillian Nassau, the "doyenne" of New York antiques dealers. Nassau was an expert on the works of the Tiffany Studios. She pioneered recognition and appreciation of Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles and identified the young and aspiring Charles Lotton as the worthy successor to Louis Comfort Tiffany. In 1970, Lotton built a small glass studio behind his house in Sauk Village, Illinois. In June 1971, Lotton sold his first glass to C. D. Peacock, a downtown Chicago jeweler.

A chance meeting with Dr. Ed McConnell during a visit to Corning, New York, resulted in an introduction to Lillian Nassau. Paul Nassau, Lillian’s son, and Lotton signed an exclusive five-year contract in 1972. Lotton leased a former lumber yard in Lansing, Illinois, to serve as his studio. In 1975, he built a new studio in Lynwood, Illinois, eventually building a glasswork behind his home in Crete, Illinois, in 1982.

By 1977, Lotton had achieved a national reputation and wanted the freedom to sell glass directly to his own distributors. Lotton glass is sold through select retailers like RSB Home and at specialized shows.

Lotton’s glass is in the collections of major museums such as the Art Institute of Chicago, Corning Museum of Glass, High Museum, and the Smithsonian. His work is collected by an interesting assortment of celebrities, business leaders and collectors across the globe.

This piece is a so-called "Miniature." It was part of the deal with Nassau that Charles would create experimental pieces and play with ideas that might be of interest for expansion of the product line later. The use of Aurene and other metallic pigments is dicey, yet Charles shows in this work how easy his talent came to him. It is flawless, other than natural wear on the bottom from being moved occasionally.

It is 3 1/2/ inches high, about 4 inches wide and weighs about 6 ounces. This may have been created at the Lynwood Studio. Any Lotton collector or connossieur should consider Early Charles Lotton works a "must have." And, while he may be imitated by some, there was only one Charles.