"Coman" is Mark of Modern Romanian Glass Maker

Glass marked Coman has caused some confusion in online auctions. All items with this mark are new. The pieces are the work of Misu Coman, a glass artist from Romania.

Coman, born in 1961 in Buzau, Romania, studied at the Bucharest Academy of Fine Art. He opened his first studio in 1990. According to promotional literature, each piece of glass is personally designed and blown by the artist. The artist asserts that all his work is signed, the most common mark being "Coman Design" engraved on the base or sometimes on the side. Any piece with this mark cannot date before 1990 at the earliest. His work is primarily abstract shapes in bright colors. Most, but not all, pieces have some type of applied decorations in contrasting colors. Some work has been offered, either through ignorance or deliberate misrepresentation, as pre-1939 Czech and 1950s Murano.

Although the artist does have better individual works in galleries, most pieces in online auctions and web sites are common inexpensive production models that sold for $20 to $50 (USD). Both examples shown on this page were offered for under $40 retail.

Fig. 1 Recently produced 7½-inch glass vase by Romanian glass artist Misu Coman. Engraved mark "Coman Design" located on the side of the base. Retail price $39.

Fig. 2 New 8-inch vase by Misu Coman. Engraved "Coman Design" on the side. Retail price $39.

Fig. 3 Detail of engraved "Coman Design" mark.

Fig. 4 Another sample of a "Coman Design" mark. Size, location and legibility of marks vary.