Modern Art + Design presents: Ferdinand Boberg

Ferdinand Boberg

Vase, Marqueterie sur verre

Probably executed by Fredric Kessmeier and Carl Reimers at Rejmyre glass factory, and probably designed by Betzy Ählström.

Bukowskis presents Ferdinand Boberg at Modern Art + Design. Viewing the 12th to the 16th of May, Auction the 17th and 18th of May.

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Decorated with a crab and a sea shell in pink among green seaweed against a background in blue, green and pink hues, polished bubbles to body and signed in gold 'Till Frans Berglund Minne från Reijmyre'.

Betzy Ählström was probably the designer of this vase and others much related vases but this model has as a matter of fact been signed by the architect Ferdinand Boberg. One might consider that Ählström probably designed this model but since Ferdinand (and his wife Anna) Boberg were the major names in Sweden around 1900, Boberg sometimes signed the pieces for commercial reasons.

Art historian Dag Widman writes:

'The artists behind Reijmyre's collection of glass for the exhibition were Anna and Ferdinand Boberg and Betzy Ählström. In contrast to Kosta, they now worked at Reijmyre with a technique where the glass got its decor in the workshop through rolling and cutting. Also here at Reijmyre the artist's inspiration was much taken from the works by Emile Gallé and his works executed in a technique called "marqueterie sur verre".

Signed in gold: "To Frans Berglund Memory från Reijmyre" <

In Reijmyre glassworks' production book from the years 1901-02 you can follow the entire production of these so called 'Gallé glasses' which were made from December 1901 to August 1902. However it has later been discovered that some of the models continued to be made until the year 1905.

The complicated technology was not suitable for series production and the glassworks returned to producing more commercial glass.