Judith Miller on Scandinavian glass

Judith Miller shares her thoughts on the appeal of 20th-century Scandinavian glass.

Scandinavian glass produced post World War II has risen enormously in both popularity and value recently: glass collectors have reappraised its importance to 20th-century design over the past decade. Favourable attention has also been drawn to the area by the increasing amounts of media coverage outside specialist publications: new information is being found each year, widening knowledge.

The 1950s saw an asymmetric style, with curving forms and cool colours inspired by natural forms such as buds and leaves. In the 1960s, this gave way to a clean-lined geometric Modern style that is typically found in bright colours; towards the end of the decade and into the 1970s, textured surfaces became popular. There were also great innovations in terms of technique from the early 20th century onwards, which allowed for more complex internal decorations. The Ariel technique, for example, involved sandblasting a pattern on to a pre-made blank, with the pattern masked out using ‘resists’; the piece is then reheated, blown and cased in colourless glass. With the Graal technique, meanwhile, the pattern is carved using a spinning tool rather than sandblasted.

20th century Scandinavian glass

ABOVE (LEFT - RIGHT): Swedish Strömbergshyttan clear cased brown vase, £80-£100; Riihimäen Lasi Oy ‘Piironki’ vase, by Helena Tynell, 1968, £70-£100; 1950s Orrefors, by Palmqvist, £60-£100.

The most popular factories include Orrefors, Kosta Boda, Iittala, Riihimäen Lasi Oy (known as Riihimäki until 1937) and Holmegaard; stylish pieces by the latter two are currently particularly popular, and look to remain so, for their modern Pop forms and bright colours.

Leading designers who defined the movement and influenced others include Vicke Lindstrand, Simon Gate, Tapio Wirkkala, Sven Palmqvist, Per Lütken, Tamara Aladin and Nanny Still. Some, such as Lindstrand, moved between factories; and factories themselves were frequently merged with others. Names are clearly important in this area; however, it is often the visual appeal of a piece that draws attention.

20th century Scandinavian glass

ABOVE (LEFT - RIGHT): Kosta goblet vase by Elis Bergh, 1934, £120-£180; Boda paperweight by Höglund, £35-£45; Kosta vase by Lindstrand, c1958, £250-£300.

Tips for collectors:

Look on the base for engraved marks to help with identification – the factory and the designer count considerably towards value.

With a little experience, the designer and the maker can also be identified from the style of a piece, colour, and the way it is made.

Keep an eye out for secondary factories, designers or ranges, as now may be the time to buy. These include Strömbergshyttan, John Orwar Lake for Ekenas, and Erik Höglund for Boda.

Always consider how a piece was made, and its colour, as some techniques and colours can be rare. For example, an Orrefors Graal vase will always be worth more than a Riihimäki production-line piece.