Kjellander Swedish Crystal Vase Engraved With a Naked Man Playing a Harp, Probably Orpheus, Art Deco Nude

This beautiful vase, engraved with incomparable skill, is an exemplar for motifs depicting Greek mythology, with which Swedish glass artists were enchanted, and which seem never to go out of style. Note how masterfully the artist gave Orpheus such well-defined musculature and his harp such fine, straight strings. The vase is medium-sized, 5 in x 4 in x 8 in, and it weighs 4.5 pounds. It is a stunning show piece, worthy of a museum, certain to add drama and sparkle to a special spot in your home.

Legend tells the tale of Orpheus, the son of Apollo, whose “rich clear words and the silvery notes from his harp were so enchanting that they … had a magical effect on everything around him. His songs could charm even rocks and rivers as well as humans and animals."

This magnificent vase of engraved vintage crystal comes from the Kjellander Workshop of Sweden. The Kjellander brothers, Nils and Åke, were fourth generation engravers. Their father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all began as engravers at Kosta Glassworks, long before the Boda merger. The Kjellanders did not make glass, but they could sure engrave it. The brothers, along with their father, Lars Johan, opened up their own shop in 1924 and stayed in business until 1983.