Glass Message Board

Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Scandinavian Glass => Topic started by: MarkHill on May 31, 2007, 09:54:01 AM

Title: Swards & Gullaskruv - Oddly Appealing Vase
Post by: MarkHill on May 31, 2007, 09:54:01 AM
Hi,
I'm hoping someone can help with me a rather odd vase I have just bought - I couldn't resist it as it is so weird! I don't have access to my digital camera right now, but will post a pic as soon as I can.
Until then, it's an almost teardrop form, with an asymmetric organic-feel pulled rim a little like Per Lutken's Naebvase, but less regular. The colourless clear glass body is decorated with alternate bands of thick gilt edged with black 'paint', and white 'painted' bands with a similar central thin black band. Looking closely, it looks like this 'paint' was applied as the piece was spinning slowly on something akin to a potter's wheel due to the varying levels of thickness. The unsigned base has a roughly circular concave polished pontil mark.
When I saw it first, I thought it was Czech, due to the gold bands, but was amazed to see it had a blue and silver foil shield-shaped label reading SWARDS GULLASKRUV, with a central motif made up of a goblet with two blowing rods or irons crossed over it, and a star beneath.
I've hunted around for Swards, even on gullaskruv.se, but found nothing. Whilst the form is very 1950s Scandi, the decoration is not - I've never seen such postwar, Modern central European decoration on a Scandi piece.
I'd be most grateful for any information!
All the best,
Mark
www.markhillpublishing.com
Title: Re: Swards & Gullaskruv - Oddly Appealing Vase
Post by: Sue C on May 31, 2007, 01:02:17 PM
Hi Mark, i think gullaskruf may be a place see here www.gullaskruv.se/carlos/texteng.htm hope this helps.
What a dope ::) you already mentioned gullaskruv.se DOH! :-[
Title: Re: Swards & Gullaskruv - Oddly Appealing Vase
Post by: cjf on June 08, 2007, 03:37:05 PM
Edvin and Frida Swärd were originally glass painters at Gullaskruf glassworks, but later started their own company in nearby, where they mostly bought glassware from the glassworks, decorated it and then sold it. If you could post a picture, I could perhaps say some more about it...
Title: Re: Swards & Gullaskruv - Oddly Appealing Vase
Post by: Sklounion on June 09, 2007, 06:43:12 AM
Hi Mark,
Try this, http://www.precisensan.com/antikforum/showthread.php?t=897
and then possibly contact Raoul Karlsson, who is a member of this board.
Regards,
Marcus
Title: Re: Swards & Gullaskruv - Oddly Appealing Vase
Post by: MarkHill on June 10, 2007, 07:00:11 PM
Hi cjf & Marcus,
Thanks for your help - I'll certainly pursue the web link you give Marcus - thank you!

Here are pics of the vase and label cjf:

http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-7395

http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-7396

It's 28cm high, rather heavy - and more fully described above! I'm tajking a wild guess that the form may have been designed by Hugo Gehlin, but that's only based on an organic, leaf-shaped dish I have engraved with his name and the factory name - so not much.
Thank you in advance for any information.
Best wishes,
Mark
www.markhillpublishing.com
Title: Re: Swards & Gullaskruv - Oddly Appealing Vase
Post by: Sklounion on June 10, 2007, 07:48:10 PM
Hi Mark,
No need to thank me, it was merely professional courtesy to let you know.
A pleasure as always,
regards,
Marcus
Title: Re: Swards & Gullaskruv - Oddly Appealing Vase
Post by: cjf on June 16, 2007, 06:34:27 PM
Hi Mark,

I actually haven't seen this model at all before, at least not from Gullaskruf, and it would surprise me a lot if it turned out to be a model by Hugo Gehlin. If anything, the form reminds me of the striped vases designed by Sixten Wennerstrand for Johansfors (but without the stripes)...  ???

I'll drop Raoul an e-mail and ask him to have a look.
Title: Re: Swards & Gullaskruv - Oddly Appealing Vase
Post by: cjf on June 16, 2007, 06:40:07 PM
By the way Mark, that leaf shaped dish you mention seems interesting, would it be possible to post a picture of that one?

BR
/Fredrik
Title: Re: Swards & Gullaskruv - Oddly Appealing Vase
Post by: Raoul Karlsson on June 17, 2007, 10:00:16 AM
The vase is probably from Lindshammar, but don´t know for sure. Swärds bought a lot of pieces from Lindshammar, but it can also be cjf:s guess. It´s not Hugo Gehlin and not from Gullaskrufs glasbruk.

And yes, do take a picture of that leaf...

/Raoul
Title: Re: Swards & Gullaskruv - Oddly Appealing Vase
Post by: MarkHill on June 19, 2007, 09:14:29 PM
FANTASTIC!
Thank you both, cjf and Raoul. So you think Johanfors or (possibly more likely) Lindshammar for the form, and the decoration by Swards. So it looks a little like a label may have gone astray after decorating! Shame, it's a nice label and I don't think I'll remove it, slightly misleading as it is. I naturally never remove labels anyway, and at least this seems to be half right.
Here's the Gullaskruv bowl and mark you wished to see. It's a little hard to see the shape - the 'thicker' side rises curvaceously higher than the 'thinner' side, with the whole form being extremely 'fluid'. It's about 18.5cm at its widest, and the signature is executed with a diamond point. I hope it's what you expected and I haven't 'over sold' it. I don't usually buy Scandinavian glass as it's not really my thing, but it seemed too good to pass up and came up well after a jolly good soak. I'd be interested to know your thoughts.
All the best,
Mark
www.markhillpublishing.com

Bowl
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-7553

Signature
http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-7552

Title: Re: Swards & Gullaskruv - Oddly Appealing Vase
Post by: cjf on June 20, 2007, 05:39:42 PM
Hi again Mark. I wouldn't say that the label is misleading, since it is Swärds' own label. It was not at all uncommon that different firms bought "raw materials" (i.e. vases, glasses etc) from other factories and decorated them in various ways. The label on such a product is almost always that of the decorating firm, rather than the glassworks that produced the actual glassware.

Thank you for the pictures! These are called "Double-walled coiled bowls" in one of my books, and is one of Hugo Gehlin's most famous models. It is also the one single model by Gehlin where the likelihood of it being signed is highest (I have three of these myself, and two of them are signed). Otherwise, signatures are generally very rare on glass from Gullaskruf...
Title: Re: Swards & Gullaskruv - Oddly Appealing Vase
Post by: MarkHill on June 20, 2007, 10:40:03 PM
Thank you so much cjf, this is extremely useful information. What is also useful information is that you have books! What are they and how can I get hold of them? If there's a collective groan at my ignorance as to the identity behind your username, I apologise.
Many thanks for spending the time to help me out,
Mark
www.markhillpublishing.com
Title: Re: Swards & Gullaskruv - Oddly Appealing Vase
Post by: cjf on June 21, 2007, 05:06:43 PM
If there's a collective groan at my ignorance as to the identity behind your username, I apologise.

Not to worry, I may be known by Raoul and perhaps one or two more on this forum, but I am by no means a glass celebrity...  ;)

Anyway, the book I was referring to was published in connection with the 25th anniversary of Gullaskrufs glasbruk in 1952. It is in Swedish, but has a summary in English. It is not easy to find nowadays, but there appears to be one on sale here (Swedish used books dealer):

http://www.antikvariat.net/search.cgi?id=umkoievcuapc,1,0,5&qe=ROD51024 (http://www.antikvariat.net/search.cgi?id=umkoievcuapc,1,0,5&qe=ROD51024)

Otherwise there is not much written about Gullaskruf glassworks (unless you count catalogues etc., but they are even harder to find), but give me a couple of years and I will see if I can perhaps add to the currently very short list of Gullaskruf literature...  ;)
Title: Re: Swards & Gullaskruv - Oddly Appealing Vase
Post by: Anne on June 21, 2007, 07:26:36 PM
Is this perhaps a topic we should move over to our snazzy new Scandinavian Glass board?  8)
Title: Re: Swards & Gullaskruv - Oddly Appealing Vase
Post by: cjf on June 21, 2007, 09:27:22 PM
Please do, and thank you for letting us know! I hadn't noticed that there was one yet...   :-[
Title: Re: Swards & Gullaskruv - Oddly Appealing Vase
Post by: Anne on June 21, 2007, 09:33:21 PM
Don't worry, I suspect others haven't yet either. :)  It's very new and still squeaky clean and dust free, so we're populating it with Scandi glass discussions from the Glass forum.

If anyone spots anything that may need moving over please flag it up and one of the Mod team will take a look.