Charles Lotton Early Amber Multi Flora Vase (1986)

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.

This beautiful piece was made by Charles Lotton in 1986. It shows a full development of his renowned Multi Flora Style and has been in our collection for many years.

About Charles Lotton: The gifted artist entered into a requirements contract with the renowned Lillian Nassau, the "doyenne" of New York antiques dealers. The contract expired in 1977. 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. By 1977, Lotton had achieved a national reputation and wanted the freedom to sell glass directly to his own distributors. Lotton glass has been sold through the Lotton Studios in Crete, Illinois and select retailers like RSB Home and at specialized shows ever since.

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. Eventually, 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 and I remember in my earlier days visiting him with my mother, an early fan, antiques dealer — "A Touch of Glass" — and promoter of his work in the Chicagoland area. In 1975, he built a new studio in Lynwood, Illinois, eventually building a glasswork behind his home in Crete, Illinois, in 1982.

Lotton’s glass is now 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 also collected by an interesting assortment of celebrities, business leaders and collectors across the globe and was featured recently on the Lakeshore PBS Series "Eye on the Arts."

This piece is about 9 inches tall, 6 inches wide, and weighs about 4 lbs. Any Lotton collector or connossieur should consider Early Charles Lotton works a "must have." And, while he may be imitated by others, there was only one Charles.