Värends Konstglas, Emil Weidlich, Girl with Butterfly, 1950s Swedish Crystal Vase, Copper-Wheel Engraved

Swedish artist Emil Weidlich, 1895-1986, engraved this handblown crystal vase with a charming figure of a girl, sitting on a branch and watching a butterfly. The base is signed Värends Konstglas (which means "art glass"), E.W., for Emil Weidlich, and a style number. It is a small piece, 4" in diameter and 5" tall, and it weighs almost 2 pounds. It has expected wear to its base but it is in truly remarkable condition for its age.

Weidlich was educated as a glass "carver" at the Steinschönau Glass School (Kamenický Šenov), founded in the 16th century in the current Czech Republic. He was recruited by the pioneering Swedish designer, Simon Gate, in 1922, to work at the Orrefors glass mill. There he worked closely with Gate for almost a decade. In 1931 he joined Elme Glasbruk as a leader of an engraving workshop and remained there until 1942. He executed his own engravings on his own models, but also engravings of former designers, such as Edvin Ollers. In 1942, he started his own company, Värends Konstglas, at which he worked until the age of 85. The business was located in Älmhult, Sweden (home to the first IKEA store!).