A museum level piece. Vintage glass vase made in the renowned Swedish glassmaking technique, Graal. Designed by Edward Hald, one of the pioneers of the Graal technique.
Made at Orrefors glassworks in 1964, this piece is signed by the designer. Dimensions: Height 8 cm, Diameter 18 cm. Signed: "Orrefors 242 v Edward Hald." Excellent vintage condition.
Each Graal glass creation by Hald is highly collectible and sought after by collectors and glass admirers worldwide.
Why buy vintage glass in Graal technique?
"THE BIRTH OF GRAAL GLASS
Orrefors first major innovation and specialty became Graal glass. They had experimented with the then-popular overlay glass but wanted to develop the technique further and integrate the decoration into the glass body. In close collaboration between the skilled glassblowing master Knut Bergqvist and the artist Simon Gate developed Graal glass.
Its fascination lies, among other things, in its mysteriousness. The image decor seems to float within the vessel’s body. In overlay glass, one can see how the decor has been ground or etched from two or more layers of glass placed on top of each other. In Graal glass, the painted or engraved image subject is enclosed within the glass mass and blown into it. The image grows as the glass is blown out, gaining life and movement in the creation process.
Graal glass received its name from Gustaf Fröding’s poem ‘The Tale of the Grail.’ The Grail was the cup in which Jesus’ blood was collected, a mystically shimmering fluid in a transparent body.
The first Graal glass was exhibited as early as 1916 at the Nordic Company. In the spring of 1917, Orrefors exhibited again at NC, and Edward Hald also participated, but with ceramics. Through his contribution and his wife Brita Lagerström, painter Edward Hald had come into contact with ceramics and created designs for ceramic objects. That exhibition marked a breakthrough for Hald, both as a ceramicist and a potential glass artist. He was first employed by Rörstrand and then by Orrefors, but the time between was brief. Hald participated as both a designer of ceramics and a glass artist at the Home Exhibition in 1917.”
From the book: Svenskt Glas. 1985. P. 78-79. ISBN 91-46-16820-6.
Why buy vintage glass by Edward Hald?
Edward Hald was one of the founders for modern glass in the beginnig of the 20th century. His pieces are on permanent display in a various museums, such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), the National Museum of Sweden, the Småland Museum, and others.
“Simon Gate and Edward Hald created the first modern art glass, and initiated an era that lives on to this day. This is particularly evident when today's designers apply the techniques introduced by Gates and Hald in the 1910's and 1920's. In addition, many of their productions are now living classics, partly because the truly beautiful always survives, but also because techniques based on skill and experience never become outdated".
Source: Hernmarck, Carl; Lundquist, Birger. Orrefors glasbruk 1951.
