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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Scandinavian Glass => Topic started by: Pip on June 09, 2006, 04:12:17 PM

Title: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Pip on June 09, 2006, 04:12:17 PM
Hiya,

I have a Swedish (I think) glass viking figure that I'd like an ID on the company please.  It's virtually identical in design to a ceramic viking I once owned that was designed by Taisto Kaasinen for Upsala-Ekeby however as far as I know Upsala-Ekeby only manufactured ceramic items.  I also have a glass viking figure by Pukeberg and a glass viking longboat by Lindshammer.  I've given a link to my unknown Swedish viking below and underneath it the Pukeberg and Lindshammer purely for comparative purposes.  Any help would be great.  Cheers, Pip.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/pips-trip/viking0001.jpg
(Swedish glass viking – maker unknown)

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/pips-trip/pukebergviking0001.jpg
(Pukeberg glass viking)

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/pips-trip/lindshammer0001.jpg
(Lindshammer glass Viking Longboat)
Title: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Ivo on June 09, 2006, 04:17:15 PM
Awwwww you must have missed the fab thread on Pukeberg vikings, then

Okay I know the one on the left is a troll.
Title: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Pip on June 09, 2006, 04:22:08 PM
:D Yes I certainly did miss that one Ivo (think it was before my time here!) ahh - it's Pukeberg then and I'm certain is from the same design by Taisto Kaasinen that Upsala-Ekeby used for their ceramic one.  I must say, I particularly like the funny looking little one to the left ....

Thanks Ivo - you answered that one quickly for me!
Title: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Anne on June 09, 2006, 06:54:49 PM
Pip, there's another Viking ship as well... by Lindshammar
http://yobunny.org.uk/gallery1/displayimage.php?pos=-649 (http://yobunny.org.uk/gallery1/displayimage.php?pos=-649)

I love these models! I have the tallest of Ivo's Vikings and a polar bear (both Pukeberg) as well.
Title: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Pip on June 09, 2006, 07:33:30 PM
Quote from: "Anne"
Pip, there's another Viking ship as well...
http://yobunny.org.uk/gallery1/displayimage.php?pos=-649

I love these models! I have the tallest of Ivo's Vikings and a polar bear (both Pukeberg) as well.


Oooooh that's nice Anne - it looks a lot bigger than my wee little one - it's only 2.5 inches tall.  I agree they're all fab :-)  My ceramic Upsala-Ekeby viking was the first one I had - he's now living with his new owner in America.
Title: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Anne on June 09, 2006, 10:23:10 PM
It's not much bigger than yours Pip... from memory (as it's tucked away in the cupboard whilst I'm decorating) it's probably about 3" high and 4" wide.
Title: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Ivo on June 10, 2006, 06:59:38 AM
Quote from: "Anne"
I have the tallest of Ivo's Vikings and a polar bear


Some time ago I found the tallest one in about 12" (!) on a market. It weighed 6 pounds the asking price was a bit steep so I didn't get it. :shock:  :shock:
Title: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Pip on June 10, 2006, 12:42:27 PM
Crikey!!! A 12 in tall glass viking weighing 6 pounds - can't be many of them about, where on earth would you put the blimmin' thing?
Title: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Anne on June 10, 2006, 01:00:21 PM
Quote from: "Pip"
Crikey!!! A 12 in tall glass viking weighing 6 pounds - can't be many of them about, where on earth would you put the blimmin' thing?


I'd give it a home on a windowsill here.  12" wow!    8)
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Anne on February 27, 2007, 01:31:10 PM
Thought it may be useful to add my latest Viking to this thread... he's a Holmegaard one, and at 7½" towers over the others - middle one (6") is Pukeberg (labelled), smallest one (2¾") is also Pukeberg I think? Can someone confirm the latter please as mine's not labelled and he's languishing in the unknown section of the Glass Zoo at the moment as the Zookeeper won't let him join his pal unless he's positively identified as Pukeberg! ;)

Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Pip on February 27, 2007, 02:35:06 PM
Hi Anne, I have one of these tiny wee ones also and yes, it's Pukeberg - it's the Taisto Kaasinen design again that I was querying originally in this thread.  I first encountered this design as a stoneware figure from Upsala-Ekeby, then I got the matching glass one which was ID'd on here as Pukeberg.  This little one is an exact replica of the larger one - I've compared them side by side.  By coincidence my larger one sold yesterday but I'll take a photo of it next to the small one before I post it off.
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Anne on February 27, 2007, 03:14:17 PM
That's brilliant, thanks Pip! :) I was almost certain it was Pukeberg but couldn't find a labelled one anywhere to prove to the Zookeeper.   Now maybe he'll be allowed to join his bigger pal? ;D
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Frank on February 27, 2007, 05:02:11 PM
Zoo updated, thanks folks
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Craigyboy on February 27, 2007, 10:04:47 PM
Awwwww you must have missed the fab thread on Pukeberg vikings, then
(http://i6.tinypic.com/125honm.jpg)

Okay I know the one on the left is a troll.
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,1982.0.html

The Viking in the middle is not by Pukeberg. It is by Lindshammar Glasbruk. It is shown on their website;

http://www.lindshammarglasbruk.se/Produktbilder/Souv.jpg  <--- Mod: Dead Link

They were designed by Christer Sjögren. I have seen them in their boxes which have a print of the design. They come in two sizes, 70mm and 110mm.

Craig
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Pip on February 27, 2007, 11:00:48 PM
Thanks for that Craig but I understood (from a discussion on here) that Pukeberg and Lindshammer were one and the same thing.  I have an identical ceramic viking by Upsala-Ekeby which is signed by Taisto Kaasinen and dates from 1960 - do you know the date of the Christer Sjogren ones you mention because to compare the Taisto Kaasinen ceramic viking to the glass one I have there is no discernible difference other than one is stoneware and the other is glass.
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Craigyboy on February 28, 2007, 01:45:27 AM
Pukeberg and Lindshammar are not related. Pukeberg is in the hands of two Swedish families and Lindshammar is owned by a Norwegian group that also owns Hadeland Glassworks amongst others, there was talk of Lindshammar closing down last year.

I don't know when Christer Sjögren "designed" the glass figure but that doesn't really matter in this case as it wasn't made by Pukeberg. I wouldn't be surprised if both designers copied something else. I would have thought that one or the other would have complained about their design being copied if it was original. They are both remarkably alike as you say.

Craig

Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: a40ty on February 28, 2007, 07:02:45 AM
Thought it may be useful to add my latest Viking to this thread... he's a Holmegaard one, and at 7½" towers over the others - middle one (6") is Pukeberg (labelled), smallest one (2¾") is also Pukeberg I think? Can someone confirm the latter please as mine's not labelled and he's languishing in the unknown section of the Glass Zoo at the moment as the Zookeeper won't let him join his pal unless he's positively identified as Pukeberg! ;)  http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-5361




Anne, I suspect your Holmegaard Viking is not actually a Viking but the Danish equivalent of King Arthur. He is called Holger Dansk and sleeps for all eternity, only to wake up if the country is in dire peril when he will rush out ( from Elsinore Castle ) with his sword and rescue us all.  I can't remember the full story but will look it up this evening if you are interested. :)
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: vidrioguapo on February 28, 2007, 09:37:13 AM
Ivo's book says Christer Sjogren was at Lindshammar 1966 - 67,  Emmi
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Pip on February 28, 2007, 10:03:51 AM
Ivo's book says Christer Sjogren was at Lindshammar 1966 - 67,  Emmi

Thanks for that Emmi - there's very little in it datewise between the Taisto Kaasinen stoneware viking and the Christer Sjogren glass one.  Not that it matters I was just curious to know who may have been the original designer of that particular Viking form - they're not just similar, they're identical.  As Craig suggests maybe both designers were copying something else.
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Anne on February 28, 2007, 09:46:01 PM
Craig, thanks for the link to the Lindshammar site - that was a surprise!  A nice one though, as I already have the Lindshammar Viking Ship, so he has transport and companions there.  ;D

Pip, thanks for the extra info re the Vikings... isn't it confusing?  :o

Aine, wow! thank you, and yes please I'm interested in the whole story. :)   I wonder if the 12" tall one Glen mentioned may be a similar figure then?  He  looked even more regal than my Holmegaard one does!  ;D
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: a40ty on March 01, 2007, 07:29:54 AM
Good morning, Anne. Found a translation of "The ballad of Holger Danske", here it is:

http://hca.gilead.org.il/holger_d.html

If you clusty or google image "Holger Danske" you can see the actual sculpture that is in Elsinore.
best wishes,
Aine
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Anne on March 01, 2007, 02:27:37 PM
Aine, thank you for that. I've just read through it - fascinating!  I found images of the statue as well - and I can see why you are suggesting my Viking is Holger Danske. I rather hope he is - it'd be nice to think I have a Danish guardian on my mantleshelf. Being a northerner with many red-haired relations I suspect we have Scandinavian blood in our ancestry somewhere, which may explain why I find these figures so appealing!  ;D
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: a40ty on March 02, 2007, 06:54:20 AM
Can't find Glen's 12" Viking anywhere, would love to see it..

Anne, if you also like:
 Raw fish, black pudding with cinnamon on it  :o , pork crackling minus the pork (smells like old f*rts but tastes wonderful) and smoked eel then you definitely have Viking blood!  ;D

Hope your guardian watches over you!
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Anne on May 20, 2008, 01:15:33 AM
http://www.midnightsun-designs.com/default.asp?page=designer16.asp shows the disputed Viking as a Lindshammar design as well.  Added for reference.
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: johnphilip on May 20, 2008, 08:20:24 AM
Hi Pip i have the Pukeberg Viking like yours with a label under the back of his skirt it says
formgiven av uno westerberg for ab rodem and on the front has part of the pukeberg label .jp
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Anne on May 20, 2008, 04:13:40 PM
Uno Westerberg was the designer of that Viking JP - mine has the same label, although he's been sunbathing as he's gone a nice shade of (sun) purple!  ::)
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Bill G on May 21, 2008, 07:14:42 AM
Good morning:

Lindshammar Glasbruk is now officially closed.

Christer Sjogren was still at Lindshammar in the 1990's when I spent time at the glass works doing research on Edvin Ohrstrom. They were friends and shared ideas about glass design.

Olle Alberius designed a Viking figure for Orrefors. It was hand cut and polished and available in the late 1980's early 1990's. The form was not large.

Bill Geary
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Martyn K on May 21, 2008, 05:59:12 PM
Is this the Olle Alberius one Bill? 7.2cm high
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Bill G on May 23, 2008, 07:32:31 AM
Hi.
Yes that looks like the Viking by Olle.

Bill Geary
Title: Re: Swedish Glass Viking figure
Post by: Martyn K on May 23, 2008, 08:40:51 AM
Thanks Bill,

we had 17 of these little chaps originally and searched all over for a designer without any luck...

much appreciated,

Martyn.