Modern Art & Design Presents Andres Laszlo Jr. Collection
Bukowskis presents a private collection of art glass at this season’s live auction Modern Art & Design – The leading live auction for modern art and design in the Nordics.
The collection, acquired during the 1980s and 1990s, consists of a number of carefully selected pieces by Orrefors’ foremost glass designers, created during the 1930s–1950s: Simon Gate, Edward Hald, Edvin Öhrström, and Sven Palmqvist, with an emphasis on early and rare examples of Graal, Ariel, and Ravenna.
Edvin Öhrström
An ariel glass vase, Orrefors 1938, provenance Gustaf Bergqvist.
Ariel was primarily developed by Edvin Öhrström and Vicke Lindstrand, together with Gustaf Bergqvist. It is a further development of the earlier work on Graal. The new method, in which air is trapped within the glass mass, attracted attention at the Paris Exhibition in 1937 and later at the World’s Fair in New York in 1939. Gustaf Näsström reviewed it in Form 1940 and called the technique “color mysticism and air spirits.” The name Ariel is taken from the air spirit in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The glass blank is covered with a rubber cap where the motif is cut out; the uncovered areas are then sandblasted. Air bubbles form when the glass casing is placed over the blank, and finally, the vase is reheated, bringing out the Ariel effect. The auction’s early example from 1938 comes from Gustaf Bergqvist’s private collection and was acquired in 1987 directly from Bergqvist’s grandchildren for the Andres Laszlo Jr. Collection.
Edward Hald
A graal glass vase, Orrefors 1937, no 96.
In preparation for the Paris Exhibition of 1937, Orrefors revived the old Graal technique, created in 1916 by Knut Bergqvist. With the help of master glassblower Gustaf Bergqvist, new experiments were carried out in 1936 using a thicker glass mass. In Form 1936, Orrefors’ exhibition in NK’s light halls was reviewed by Åke Stavenow, who wrote: “To everyone’s delight, he has now taken an interest in renewing the factory’s old specialty, Graal glass, and created some brilliant pieces that will likely mark the beginning of a new production of exclusive art glass.” The thick-walled pieces with fish motifs designed by Edward Hald became very popular over time and were produced for many years. The first examples from the early years differ significantly from later ones in both size and quality, and today they are considered rare collector’s items.
Sven Palmqvist
A ravenna glass bowl, Orrefors 1953, nr 530.
The Ravenna glass is a technique developed by Sven Palmqvist and presented in 1948. During a visit to the Italian city of Ravenna, Palmqvist was captivated by the magnificent Byzantine mosaics, which are found in large numbers throughout the city. The technique involves grinding a mosaic pattern into a colored glass plate. Crushed glass or glass powder is then applied on top, and finally, a thin layer of clear glass is blown over it. The collection features a total of four early works from the 1950s.
The collection is being sold at Modern Art & Design
Catalogue online November 4
Viewing November 12–17, Berzelii Park 1, Stockholm
Live auction November 18–19, Arsenalsgatan 2, Stockholm
Read more about Modern Art & Design
Andres Laszlo Jr. Collection at Modern Art & Design
Estimate
300 000 - 400 000 SEK
Estimate
20 000 - 30 000 SEK
Estimate
30 000 - 40 000 SEK
Estimate
15 000 - 20 000 SEK
Requests & condition reports
Stockholm
Camilla Behrer
Head of Design/ Specialist Modern & Contemporary Decorative Art & Design
+46 (0)708 92 19 77
Stockholm
Eva Seeman
Chief Specialist Modern and Contemporary Decorative art and design
+46 (0)708 92 19 69
Stockholm
Karl Green
Specialist Modern and Contemporary Decorative Art & Design
+46 (0)700 07 94 25