I thought I would ask a simple question to see if others would talk about their own feelings about collecting Scandinavian glass.
Why do you do it?
I do it because I like the narrative that each piece represents (who is the designer, who is the manufacturer, when and how was it made and what was happening in history and in the glass industry at that time?).
I prefer pieces that have more hand work in them, which usually means pieces made before the 1970’s when glass became thinner and more mechanistic in its production (turning molds and thinner glass). The glass made in Scandinavia from the 1930’s to the mid 60’s (roughly) represents a particular blossoming of an industry which would later entirely fade, witnessing that fact that today almost no glass is made in Scandinavia outside of studio workshops. So it is not an exaggeration to say that these pieces will never be equaled, not in the context of their time. They are historically unique in their interweaving of art and industrial production.
And of course I like the pieces themselves, for their proportions, form, clarity and the details of the work—for how beautiful they are.
Most of the best of this glass is way beyond my ability to afford it, but the search and occasional find is another part of the process which is enjoyable. And this requires learning about the designers, manufacturers and the industrial and design history of the time.
Anyway, why do you collect this glass?
Thanks
Rob Gardner