Glass

THE ITEM
This tall and graceful work of handblown art glass is by Erwin Eisch, German glass artist and painter.

The form of this piece is beautifully balanced with Art Nouveau and Loetz, Kralik influences yet still retaining the artistic creativity of Eisch. Lightly organic, this piece is finished with an undulating rim. The purple glass has finely 'pulled feather' detail within it that shows off fine bands of turquoise and apricot. The crackled gold iridescence begins at the rim, moves down from the neck and fans out around the body of the vase.

CONDITION
Excellent. No chips, cracks or repairs. There is negligible surface wear that is commensurate with the age of the piece - please refer to photos as part of the condition report. The underside of the base is inscribed with Eisch's signature of 'Eisch' and dated with '1983'.

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 18" / 46 cm x c. 5.6" / 15 cm diameter (across widest point). Unpackaged weight: c. 1.6 kg / 1,560 g

NOTES
Vase will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured.
Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

A BIT OF HISTORY
The glass-making tradition of the Eisch family has been traced back to Mathias Alesch, born in the Bohemian Forest in 1689 and listed among the employees of a small glassworks there. In December 1952 the first glass was smelted in what was at the time the latest and smallest glassworks in Bavaria. In spite of initial difficulties, by 1956 Eisch glassworks had expanded to a 12-pot furnace.

The full name - Glashütte Eisch, lies at the heart of the Bavarian Forest, it is here that the Eisch family has been producing hand-made glass for over 60 years. Erwin Eisch has been regarded as the founder of the international studio glass movement since the 1960s, with Harvey Littleton as one of the first artists to use glass as a medium of artistic expression.

This majestic hand-worked piece of Scandinavian Modern design is attributed to Vicke Lindstrand (b. 1904 - d. 1983) for Kosta (Boda) glassworks. Lindstrand was a Swedish textile and ceramic designer and painter and is considered as one of the most influential 20th-century glass artists and a pioneer of glass art.

This particular piece is constructed from its very tactile and ridge-gathered Dark Scarlet core. From here, there are 18 Scarlet red bands graduating outwards alternating with 18 clear but Scarlet-trimmed clear 'petals'. The overall effect is organic and like that of a Bi-colour Sorbet Gerbera flower.

The composition of the abstract floral design, the striking colour and form - and the stunning refractions that come from placing this piece in the path of sunlight - makes this work a particularly rare find. A stunning work of art glass that very much embodies and exemplifies the tenets of simplicity, minimalism, and functionality influences of Scandinavian Modern design.

CONDITION
Excellent. No chips, cracks, or repair. There is negligible surface wear and movement marks on the underside of the base that is commensurable with the age of the piece - please see photos as they form part of the condition report. The underside of the base is signed with 'Kosta'.

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 2.7" / 6.8 cm tall (from base to rim) x c. 12" / 30.6 cm in diameter (across widest point). Base diameter: c. 2.4" / 6.2 cm. Unpackaged weight: 1.9 kg / 1,920 g

NOTES
Charger will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

A BIT OF HISTORY
Vicke Lindstrand (b. 1904 - d. 1983) was a Swedish textile and ceramic designer and painter. He is considered as one of the most influential 20th-century glass artists and a pioneer of glass art. Lindstrand along with his peer Edvin Öhström, pioneered a new glass-colouring process called the Ariel technique.

Lindstrand's prolific career began in commercial illustration before finding employment at the glass manufactory Orrefors. He would join Kosta Boda 1950, remaining there until 1973. Beyond his commercial work, he also produced several massive public sculptures around the world. Today, his works are in many museum collections, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Kosta Boda, Sweden’s oldest glass company, was founded in 1742 and would only begin making art glass — that is, unique and limited edition pieces — with the hiring of the painter Gunnar Wennerberg in 1898. Kosta Boda enjoys a reputation as the country’s most artistic and experimental glassworks, featuring artists and sculptors.

Two post-war Kosta Boda designers stand foremost in the minds of collectors, one is Vicke Lindstrand, who excelled at a technique of 'Sommerso', or cased glass. The other is Erik Höglund, who had an almost artisanal eye for glass shapes, and liked to produce glass that had a textured, warped look.

This striking and joyful work of mid-century handblown art glass is of Japanese art glass design and by the Japanese glassworks Iwatsu, who were known to have produced art glass under the labels of Hineri and Art Glass.

There is an air of gracefulness in the way the stripes are lightly rippled and curved to create the evenly shaped segments or 'petals' of this piece. The colours of Apricot, Scarlet Red and Violet swirl gloriously from the centre of the dish and outwards in alternating bands. The red and violet tones are translucent, showing spectacular refractions when placed in the path of sunlight. The work is finished with a clear glass 'Sommerso' casing. 

This excellent piece is stylistically timeless yet very obviously retro and above all, joyful. 

CONDITION
Very Good. There are no obvious scratches, with the most considerable wear being a single flake along the clear glass rim that measures c. 1.7cm. Beyond this, there are faint movement marks that are on the underside of the base, which are commensurable with age. Please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report. The underside of the base has a concave pontil that is a known finishing touch of Iwatsu.

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. " / 5 cm (base to rim) Length/Width: c. " / 19.6 cm x c. " / 19.6 cm (across widest points). Base diameter: c. " / 8.8 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 0.9 kg / 920 g

NOTES
Dish will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

A BIT OF HISTORY
Iwatsu Glassworks
Unfortunately, little is known about Iwatsu despite being one of the largest glassmakers in Japan, the commonly cited and understood reason is due to language barriers. However, Iwatsu is deemed to have produced art glass under the Hineri and Art Glass labels before closing in the 1990s. Iwatsu were known to have been based in Osaka in Japan, producing colourful art glass during the 1970s. The quality and style of their work rivalled and is often mistaken for, Italian Murano glass and Czech glass from the same period.

This exquisitely tactile trio of handblown Swedish art glass is by Bertil Vallien (b. 1938 - ), celebrated glass artist, sculptor, ceramist and designer.

These works are miniatures of the collectable 'Volcano' or 'Vulcano' series from the 'Artist Collection'. The Artist Collection concept was introduced by Vallien to give glass artists the freedom for personal, creative expression and to remove the 'mass produced' feeling. Pieces are limited edition studio works, individual to the artist that created them.

Each piece is gently sculptural and bulbed, the abstract bottle forms are accented with a frosted and iridescent, purple frit-glass neck giving the closely freckled effect.

The subtly veined, myriad decor of the vase bodies mimic the moments before pooling lava fragments and is coloured with a magnificently oiled iridescence.

CONDITION
Excellent, no chips, cracks or repairs on either vase. Mild age-commensurate wear is present in the form of movement marks on the underside of the vase bases - refer to photos as they form part of the condition report. The base of mini vase 1 is engraved with 'Kosta Boda, Artist Coll, B Vallien 48139' and labelled with the 'HANDMADE, BODA' label. The other two vases are unsigned.

MEASUREMENTS
- Larger Vase Height: c. 3.2" / 8.2 cm x c. 3.4" / 8.6 cm in width (across widest point) x depth: c. 2.4" / 6 cm.
- Mini Volcano 1 Height: c. 2.4" / 6 cm x c. 2.3" / 5.8 cm in width (across widest point) x depth: c. 1.6" / 4.2 cm.
- Mini Volcano 2 Height: c. 2.2" / 5.5 cm x c. 2.4" / 6 cm in width (across widest point) x depth: c. 1.5" / 3.7 cm. Unpackaged weight (Trio): c. 0.3 kg / 284 g

NOTES
Vases will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

A BIT OF HISTORY
Born 1938, Bertil Vallien was only 15 when he left home, drawn by the allure of the big city. After a series of occasional jobs, as a window-dresser at one of the main department stores in Stockholm, and as an apprentice in his father's decorating firm, Vallien would eventually decide to become an artist which would lead him into the world of ceramics. The guidance he received in his early career included that of Stig Lindberg - one of Sweden's foremost designers of ceramic art and one of the leading designers for Rörstrand in the 1970s.

Today, Vallien is one of the most well-known representatives of 20th century Swedish ceramic and art glass design and is represented at the Swedish National Museum of Art and Design as well as abroad in the Everson Museum of Art of New York.

Vallien's works have only become more collectable over the years with sculptures from his Head and Journey (Boat) series fetching up to $20,000 USD.

This outstanding work of mid-century handblown art glass is of Japanese art glass design and by the well known Japanese glassworks of Iwatsu who were known to have produced art glass under the labels of Hineri and Art Glass.

There is an air of graceful elegance in the form of this piece and has accents that are similar to a dish from the Fantasy series by another well known Japanese art glass studio Sanyu. The form of the main body proudly displays the evenly curved and organically shaped segments which alternate between curling and unfurling. The palette of this piece is a combination of Raspberry pink, Grape purple, Blueberries and Blueberry Soda blue. The colour palette combined with the form makes this piece a rare find.

CONDITION
Excellent. No chips or cracks or repairs, the most considerable age-wear are movement marks and flakes that are on the underside of the base and are commensurable with age. Please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report. The underside of the base has a concave pontil that is a known finishing touch of Iwatsu.

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 2.2" / 5.5 cm (base to rim) Length/Width: c. 9.3" / 23.5 cm x c. 9.3" / 23.5 cm (across widest point). Base measurements: c. 4.3" / 11 cm x c. 4.3" / 11 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 1.3 kg / 1,260 g

NOTES
Dish will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

A BIT OF HISTORY
Iwatsu Glassworks
Unfortunately, little is known about Iwatsu despite being one of the largest glassmakers in Japan, the commonly cited and understood reason is due to language barriers. However, Iwatsu is deemed to have produced art glass under the Hineri and Art Glass labels before closing in the 1990s. Iwatsu were known to have been based in Osaka in Japan, producing colourful art glass during the 1970s. The quality and style of their work rivalled and is often mistaken for, Italian Murano glass and Czech glass from the same period.

This elegantly ethereal duo of handblown Swedish art glass miniatures is by Bertil Vallien, (b. 1938 - ), internationally celebrated Swedish glass artist, sculptor, ceramist, and designer for Kosta Boda, one of Sweden's leading glassworks.

Those familiar with the process of hand-blowing or hot working glass will know that glass needs to reach 1,320 °C (2,400 °F) to melt and even the working temperature is 1,090 °C (2,000 °F). This knowledge helps to appreciate the care, effort, and skill required to create these miniature works of art glass.

The blue pipe vase bearing the signature winding stripes is from Vallien's Rainbow series, designed in the 1980s. However, it is created in the uncommon and translucent Pale Powdered blue with traces of a golden-sand toned frit glass interwoven into the body.

The lidded pot is even more unusual and has not been attributable to a series, though it is a Vallien signed piece with its original label intact. The body and lid are also in an airy, Pale Powdered blue tone, very similar to the tone used in Vallien's Starlight series. The piece is finished with a clear curl finial on the lid.

Both pieces carry labels that display the parent company of Kosta Boda AB, this name came into use in 1976 before changing to Orrefors Kosta Boda AB in 1989.

CONDITION
Excellent. No chips, cracks, or repairs, please see photos as they form part of the condition report.
- Blue Rainbow Vase - the piece is inscribed with "BODA, ARTIST COL, B VALLIEN, 48282"
- Starlight Blue Lidded pot - the piece is inscribed with "Kosta Boda, B Vallien"

MEASUREMENTS
- Blue Rainbow Vase: Height: c. 2.5" / 6.3 cm x c. 1.8" / 4.6 cm rim diameter. Base diameter: c. 1.3" / 3.2 cm.
- Starlight Blue Lidded pot: Height: c. 4.1" / 10.5 cm (including lid). Diameter: c. 2.3" / 5.9 cm.
Unpackaged weight [all pieces]: c. 0.2 kg / 225 g

NOTES
Duo will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

A BIT OF HISTORY
Born 1938, Bertil Vallien was only 15 when he left home, drawn by the allure of the big city. After a series of occasional jobs, as a window-dresser at one of the main department stores in Stockholm, and as an apprentice in his father's decorating firm, Vallien would eventually decide to become an artist which would lead him into the world of ceramics. The guidance he received in his early career included that of Stig Lindberg - one of Sweden's foremost designers of ceramic art and one of the leading designers for Rörstrand in the 1970's.

Today, Vallien is one of the most well-known representatives of 20th century Swedish ceramic and art glass design and is represented at the Swedish National Museum of Art and Design as well as abroad in the Everson Museum of Art of New York. Vallien's works have only become more collectable over the years with sculptures from his Head and Journey (Boat) series fetching up to $20,000 USD.

This elegant trio of handblown Swedish art glass miniatures is by three of Kosta Boda's famously celebrated glass artists: Bertil Vallien, Ulrica Hyd-Vallien and Monika (Monica) Backstrom.

In this trio:
- The charming white frit glass and hand-painted bowl is by Ulrica Hyd-Vallien from her 1979 series 'Butterfly'.
- The white frit glass, abstract flask-form vase, with delicate and tactile netted surface pattern is by Bertil Vallien from his 1978 series 'Network'.
- The elegant abstract bottle vase in tactile grey scavo and smooth, clear crystal casing is by Monika Backstrom attributed to her 1989 series Sunny. This piece is trimmed in Cerulean blue as opposed to the usual Scarlet red.

Both the Butterfly bowl and Network vase is from The Artist Collection, a concept was introduced by Vallien to give glass artists the freedom for personal, creative expression and to remove the 'mass produced' feeling. The final piece is from Kosta Boda Atelier collections. Whether pieces were created as part of The Artist Collection or Atelier, they are limited edition studio works and individual to the artist that created them. As each piece is handblown, this also makes the final décor of each piece unique.

Those familiar with the process of hand-blowing or hot working glass will know that glass needs to reach 1,320 °C (2,400 °F) to melt and even the working temperature is 1,090 °C (2,000 °F). This knowledge alone is enough to appreciate the care, effort and skill required to create these miniature works of art glass.

CONDITION
Excellent. No chips, cracks or repairs, please see photos as they form part of the condition report.
- Network White Flask - piece is inscribed with "BODA, ARTIST COL, B VALLIEN, 48012"
- Sunny Grey Bottle - piece is bears label with "KOSTA BODA SWEDEN, ATELIER BY MONIKA BACKSTROM"
- Butterfly White Bowl - piece is signed with "Ulrica H.V" and further inscribed with "Boda, Artist Col. 58236"

MEASUREMENTS
- Network White Flask: Height: c. 3.8" / 9.7 cm x c. 0.8" / 2 cm rim diameter. Base measurements: c. 2" / 5 cm x c. 1" / 2.5 cm.
- Sunny Grey Bottle : Height: c. 3.3" / 8.3 cm x c. 0.7" / 1.7 cm rim diameter. Diameter: c. 1.6" / 4 cm. Base diameter: c. 0.8" / 2 cm.
- Butterfly White Bowl: Height: c. " / 4.7 cm x c. " / cm rim diameter. Diameter: c. 2.4" / 6.2 cm. Base diameter: c. 1" / 2.6 cm.

Unpackaged weight [all pieces]: c. 0.2 kg / 230 g

NOTES
Trio will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

A BIT OF HISTORY
Kosta Boda, Sweden’s oldest glass company, was founded as 'Kosta' in 1742 and began making art glass — that is, unique and limited edition pieces — with the hiring of the painter Gunnar Wennerberg in 1898. Kosta has a strong history for many well-known glass artists such as Ewald Dahlskog, Vicke Lindstrand, Erik Höglund, Bertil Vallien and many many more.

Kosta Boda was formed in 1976 when the merger of Kosta, Boda and Åfors glass communities took place. Kosta Boda enjoys a reputation as Sweden's most artistic and experimental glassworks, featuring artists and sculptors.

This exquisitely simple yet detailed work of Modernist art glass is by renowned glass artist and designer Sven Palmqvist (b. 1906 - d. 1984), one of the great innovators of Swedish glass.

This sculpted piece features Palmvist's famous Kraka technique developed in 1944; which creates the illusion of a net and the controlled cascade of bubbles within the intersections of the netted glass. These beautifully patterned pieces were created by hand and the technique uses copper wire to trap air bubbles when the outer encasing of glass is applied. This piece is particularly rare as the Kraka technique is replicated in a much smaller form. 

The Kraka series was produced from 1944 until 1986 and the colour palette of this particular piece is the well-known, with it's popular spectrum of oceanic blues cradled in an edging of yellow. The name “Kraka” was inspired by the old Nordic Legend of Kraka from when she appeared before Ragnar Lothbrok to answer his riddle of how you could be “neither dressed, not undressed”, Kraka solved the riddle by appearing wrapped in a fishnet.

CONDITION
Excellent. No chips, cracks or repairs. There is mild wear o the underside of the base that is commensurate with the age of the piece, please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report. The base is inscribed with 'ORREFORS, Kraka, N. 349' and Palmqvist's 'Sven Palmqvist' signature. The number 349 dates this piece to production in 1955.

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 4.7" / 12 cm tall (from base to rim) x c. 3.3" / 8.3 cm width (across widest point. Rim diameter: c. 0.8" / 2 cm x c. 0.4" / 1 cm. Base diameter: c. 1.2" / 3 cm x c. 1.4" / 3.6 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 0.9 kg / 850 g

NOTES
Vase will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

A BIT OF HISTORY
Sven Palmqvist (b. 1906 - d. 1984) is best known for his collaboration with the famous glassworks Orrefors where he developed a number of new art glass techniques. He developed the Kraka technique in 1944 before the Ravenna technique was brought forth in 1948. Another notable success was Fuga, which involved centrifuging the glass in a scaled and rapidly rotating form, instead of blowing the glass.

Palmqvist’s distinguished career with Orrefors spanned over four decades, the creative and versatile designer also created a number of commissioned pieces for public spaces including glass sculptures that can be seen in churches in Sweden, the entrance to the SVT television studio in Stockholm, the National Museum of Sweden, the Kalmar Art Museum as well as in the decoration of a ministerial palace in Dubai.

Orrefors Glassworks (1898 - 1989)
Orrefors was a glassworks in the Swedish village Orrefors in Småland. Founded in 1898 on the site of an older ironworks, Orrefors originally produced mainly window glass and bottles and it would be 1913 before their range began to expand to drinking glasses and vases. Orrefors first attempts at art glass making were in the style of the famous French glassworks such as Daum and Gallé.

During its long history, Orrefors was host to a vast number of glass artists and designers including the likes Edward Hald, Vicke Lindstrand, Edvin Öhrström, Anne Nilsson and Sven Palmqvist. The original Orrefors glassworks became part of the Kosta Boda group in 1976.

This sleek, handblown work of iconic Scandinavian Modern design is by Vicke Lindstrand (b. 1904 - d. 1983) for Kosta (Boda) of Sweden. Lindstrand is considered as one of the most influential 20th-century glass artists and a pioneer of glass art. Lindstrand's prolific career included many design highlights, including his ability to excel at a technique called Cased Glass (known to many glass collectors as 'Sommerso'), in which a vividly coloured or patterned section of glass is surrounded by and seems to float within a clear crystal body.

This particular piece is a rare work from the Zebra series, with the encased ribbons of white glass delicately cradling the vibrant red core very much embodying Lindstrand's expertise in the Sommerso technique. The careful separation of layers between the white ribbons and the Cherry Red colour is evident towards the base of the dish and gives a 'deconstructed striped candy' effect. This effect is captured and suspended in the thick-walled, curved, and clear crystal glass form that is characteristic of Scandinavian art glass.

The mesmerising nature of this crystal art glass piece is further amplified by the stunning striped refractions that are brought forth when the piece is placed in the path of sunlight or a direct light source.

CONDITION
Excellent. No chips, cracks, or repair. There are negligible surface wear and movement marks on the underside of the base that is commensurable with the age of the piece - please see photos as they form part of the condition report. The underside of the base is signed with Lindstrand's Kosta initials of 'LH ['Lindstrand Hyttarbete'] 1058' as well as the acid stamp denoting 'LIND-STRAND KOSTA''

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 3.3" / 8.5 cm tall (from base to rim) x c. 4.7" / 12 cm in length x c. 3.2" / 8.1 cm width (across widest point). Base diameter: c. 1.3" / 3.2 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 0.6 kg / 645 g

NOTES
Dish will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

A BIT OF HISTORY
Vicke Lindstrand (b. 1904 - d. 1983) is considered as one of the most influential 20th-century glass artists and a pioneer of glass art. Lindstrand along with his peer Edvin Öhström, pioneered a new glass-colouring process called the Ariel technique.

Lindstrand's prolific career began in commercial illustration before finding employment at the glass manufactory Orrefors. He would join Kosta Boda 1950, remaining there until 1973. Beyond his commercial work, he also produced several massive public sculptures around the world. Today, his works are in many museum collections, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Kosta Boda, Sweden’s oldest glass company, was founded as 'Kosta' in 1742 and began making art glass — that is, unique and limited edition pieces — with the hiring of the painter Gunnar Wennerberg in 1898. Kosta has a strong history for many well-known glass artists such as Ewald Dahlskog, Vicke Lindstrand, Erik Höglund, Bertil Vallien and more. 

Kosta Boda was formed in 1976 when the merger of Kosta, Boda and Åfors glass communities took place. Kosta Boda enjoys a reputation as Sweden's most artistic and experimental glassworks, featuring artists and sculptors.

This delicious duo of handblown art glass is by Bertil Vallien (b. 1938 - ), internationally celebrated Swedish glass artist, sculptor, ceramist and designer. The pair are from the collectable 'Antikva' series designed in 1977 and from the 'Artist Collection' for (Kosta) Boda, one of the worlds leading glassworks. The Artist Collection concept was introduced by Vallien to give glass artists the freedom for personal, creative expression and to remove the 'mass produced' feeling. Pieces are limited edition studio works, individual to the artist that created them.

The taller Sea-Green hexagonal bottle vase that is finished with the striated Marigold yellow neck (model 47834) is crafted from a combination of Sea-Green and Lime-Green frit glass. The frit glass technique merges fragments of coloured glass in clear glass to create the closely freckled effect, similar to the drifting within a snow-globe.

The smaller and also hexagonal bottle vase (model 48010) bears the same combination of sea-green and lime-green frit glass, also in the snow-drifting technique similar but is finished with a striated Pale-Blue frit glass neck.

Beautifully Modernist, these pieces are both sculpturally geometric yet organic and unique from their handblown crafting process.

CONDITION
Excellent, no chips, cracks or repairs. There is mild wear in the form of movement marks on the underside of the bases that is commensurate with the age of the pieces - please refer to photos as part of the condition report. The underside of the base on both pieces is engraved with 'BODA, ARTIST COL, B VALLIEN'. The taller bottle is also engraved with the number '47834' and labelled with the 'Boda, Artist Collection, Sweden' label.

MEASUREMENTS
- Taller / Marigold Neck Bottle. height: c. 5.9" / 15 cm x c. 2.2" / 5.5 cm base diameter.
- Smaller / Pale-blue Neck bottle: height: c. 3.9" / 10 cm x c. 1.6" / 4 cm base diameter.
- Unpackaged weight (both pieces): c. 0.3 kg / 335g

NOTES
Vases will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

A BIT OF HISTORY
Born 1938, Bertil Vallien was only 15 when he left home, drawn by the allure of the big city. After a series of occasional jobs, as a window-dresser at one of the main department stores in Stockholm, and as an apprentice in his father's decorating firm, Vallien would eventually decide to become an artist which would lead him into the world of ceramics. The guidance he received in his early career included that of Stig Lindberg - one of Sweden's foremost designers of ceramic art and one of the leading designers for Rörstrand in the 1970's.

Today, Vallien is one of the most well-known representatives of 20th century Swedish ceramic and art glass design and is represented at the Swedish National Museum of Art and Design as well as abroad in the Everson Museum of Art of New York.

Valiien's works have only become more collectable over the years with sculptures from his Head and Journey (Boat) series fetching up to $20,000 USD.

This stunning, sandcasted-by-hand sculpture of Swedish Modern design art glass is by Bertil Vallien (b. 1938 -), considered as one of the most influential 20th-century glass artists and a pioneer of glass art. This particular piece is a rare work (1/1000 pieces) created at Kosta Boda.

The sandcasting of this piece involves hollowing out the shape of the vessel in a compressed bed of sand and any colouring for the external pattern is delicately laid out into the hollow. Molten glass around 14 – 1600 °C is then carefully poured into the hollow in layers. Any additional décor of coloured swirls, glass threads or pieces of sheet metal that can be seen suspended inside the piece is carefully placed into or created within the molten glass.

The exterior décor is a cradling of variegated Pthalo and Prussian blues, interweaving with Sap and Lime greens, creating the effect of the Crimson red swimmer figure gently spearing through warm, Equatorial waves. Suspended beneath the figure is the pointed whirl of Powdered violet intertwined with Lime green frit curling over itself. The minor scattering of air bubbles further elevates the oceanic effect. 

This striking work of art glass makes for an excellent decorative as well as collectable art feature.

CONDITION
Excellent. No chips, cracks or repairs. The sculpture bears Vallien's signature 'B Vallien' and 'KOSTA BODA' on the surface and is inscribed with the model number: 'BBVAAT 949010/9000' on the underside. The side also bears the Kosta Boda label 'KOSTA BODA SINCE 1742'. Please note that the wooden stand is not included with the sculpture. 

MEASUREMENTS
Sculpture Height: c. 1.7" / 4.2 cm tall (from base to rim) x c. 6.7" / 17 cm in length x c. 2.1" / 5.4 cm in width (across widest point). Depth: c. " / cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 0.5 kg / 505 g

NOTES
Sculpture will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items. Please note that the wooden stand is not included with the sculpture. 

A BIT OF HISTORY
Bertil Vallien is one of the most well-known representatives of the illustrious Swedish art glass design and is represented in over 31 museums worldwide, including: The Swedish National Museum of Art, The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Corning Museum of Glass. His pieces have only become more collectable over the years with sculptures from his 'Head' and 'Journey' (Boat) series fetching over $20,000 USD. 

Vallien claimed his own independent studio at Kosta Boda in 1963 and shortly became the leading ceramic designers at Rorstrand from the 1970s. Around this time, Vallien also explored sandcasting, a method traditionally used for industrial purposes to develop his famous method of sandcasting.  

Vallien is internationally acclaimed for his sand-casted sculptural glass boats. These works of art carry infused symbols anchored in ancient myths and legends, representing livelihood, adventure, travel, birth, and death.