The Swedish design philosophy of “beautiful things for everyday life” is actualized in the vintage glassware of Orrefors. Founded in 1898, this glass manufacturer was one of the leading companies in the Scandinavian modernism movement and is revered by collectors for the fine craftsmanship and innovation of its superlative art glass.
Orrefors began making art glass — works that, distinct from mass-production pieces, are made in small numbers to showcase the skills and talents of artists and artisans — in 1913. Two of the first artists hired by the firm were Simon Gate and Edward Hald, who worked initially in the organic Art Nouveau style, and later proved adept with the geometric imagery of the Art Deco period.
Hald and Gate worked closely with glassblowers to refine traditional glassmaking methods, creating new materials such as "graal" glass. In the graal technique a design made with colored glass is encased in layers of transparent glass, preserving the image while the overall glass form is worked and shaped. Orrefors won an international following when it presented such pieces in Paris in 1925 at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes — the design fair whose name gave rise to the term Art Deco.
In the years following that success, Orrefors attracted more dynamic and experimental artists such as Vicke Lindstrand and Edvin Ohrström, who joined the company in the 1930s. Lindstrand and Ohstrom worked with glassblowers to create the "ariel" glass technique, an innovation that produces deeper, richer imagery that seems to morph and flow as light is refracted by the glass.
As you will see from the items offered on 1stDibs, there is a special aesthetic quality to vintage Orrefors glass. Whether a vase or a set of wine goblets, the work of this premier Swedish company represents the apex of functional artistry.
$275
H 8.25 in Dm 5 in
1940 Verlys Raised Seasons Art Deco Frosted Glass Vase Signed Carl Schmitz Verly
By Carl Schmitz Verley
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
Crafted in the 1940s, this French Verlys raised glass vase epitomizes the elegance of Art Deco design. Signed by the renowned artist Carl Schmitz Verlys, it features a delicate frost...
Glass
"Female Nudes and Ivy, " Deeply Engraved Art Deco Glass Vase, Czech
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Deeply engraved -- not molded -- in gorgeous glass crystal, this Art Deco vase depicts two nude female figures under a canopy of ivy. The glass sculpting is impressive and shows the ...
Glass
V Lindstrand - Orrefors, Mermaid Vase, 20th Century
By Orrefors, Vicke Lindstrand
Located in MARSEILLE, FR
Clear glass vase engraved with a mermaid motif; the shape of the vase is reminiscent of sea waves Vase on a black glass base, signed Orrefors and Vicke Lindstrand and numbered 122...
Glass
$2,080Sale Price|20% Off
H 7.25 in Dm 4.5 in
"Gathering Water, " Fabulous Art Deco Vase with Female Nudes by Nylund/Rorstrand
By Gunnar Nylund
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Beautifully conceived and executed, this elegant vase designed by Gunnar Nylund for the famed Rorstrand porcelain works in Sweden depicts two pairs of nude women, all collecting wate...
Porcelain
$7,875
H 11.03 in W 6.3 in D 6.3 in
Vicke Lindstrand Rare and Large 'Dykare' Vase in Etched Glass for Orrefors 1930s
By Vicke Lindstrand, Orrefors
Located in Tilburg, NL
Vicke Lindstrand Rare and Large 'Dykare' or 'Diver' Vase in Etched Glass for Orrefors, Sweden, 1930s. A very rare and mesmerizingly beautiful 'diver' vase by Vicke Lindstrand for Or...
Glass, Art Glass
Lars Kjellander for Kosta, Sweden, art glass vase in clear glass. 1930s
Located in København, Copenhagen
Lars Kjellander for Kosta, Sweden. Art glass vase in clear glass with motif of nude woman. Approx. 1930. Perfect condition. Signed Kjellander Dimension...
Art Glass
$1,400
H 5.875 in Dm 5.75 in
Nils Landberg for Orrefors Engraved Mermaid Art Deco Glass Vase, signed 1944
By Orrefors, Nils Landberg
Located in Atlanta, GA
Elegant "Mermaid" Swedish Art Deco Art Glass Vase by famed Swedish glass artist Nils Landberg (1907 - 1981) for Orrefors Glassworks. This heavy hand blown vase faceted beauty feathe...
Blown Glass, Art Glass
$4,525
H 9.06 in W 9.65 in D 7.68 in
Lalique Paris, "Ganymede" Ice Bucket, Satin-Finish Crystal, ca. 1950
By Lalique, René Lalique
Located in Palermo, IT
This exquisite Ganimede-model satin-finished pressed crystal vase, designed by Lalique France, is a true collector's item for lovers of antiques and vintage items. It features an ele...
Crystal
Attr. to Heinrich Hoffman-Ingrid Vase, 20th Century
By Heinrich Hoffmann
Located in Beaune, FR
Small pressed and satin molded glass vase with relief decoration of a round of bacchantes with vine branches. The base is circular with canted sides. It is not signed and in very goo...
Glass
1932 Gabriel Argy Rousseau - Vase Jeunesse Younth Glass Pate De Verre
By Gabriel Argy-Rousseau
Located in Boulogne Billancourt, FR
Vase "Jeunesse" (Youth) made in white, yellow and brown glass pate de verre by Gabriel Argy-Rousseau in 1932. Molded signature. Perfect condition. Very beautiful colors. Rare ...
Blown Glass
