Loetz was the premier Bohemian art glass manufacturer during the Art Nouveau period (or Jugendstil, as it was called in German-speaking countries) from roughly 1890 to 1920. Founded in 1840 by Johann Loetz in what is now the Czech Republic, the company became known for its innovative techniques, organic forms, and bold use of color.

Before Loetz became known for its Phänomen and "oil spot" pieces, it had pioneered a surface technique called Marmoriertes, which produced a marbled red, pink, or green surface on objects such as vases and bowls. Another late-1880s precursor to its most prized works are the Octopus pieces, whose white curlicue lines on a darker, mottled surface was thought to resemble the tentacles of octopi.

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