Orrefors Palmqvist Engraved Semi Nude (Topless) Woman Reaching Flowers Swedish Crystal Vase

Designed by Sven Palmqvist and copper-wheel engraved, this crystal vase is a striking example of Swedish craft in the mid 20th century. The vase is 4.5 inches wide and nearly 11 inches high, and it weighs about 6.5 pounds. The design number 3675 tells us that the vase was designed in 1957, and the date code C8 means that this vse was produced in 1960. The engraver's initials, SP, stand for Sten Petersson, who had a 75-year career at Orrefors. (Wow.) The vase has a small chip on the rim, about 2 mm x 5mm. Fortunately, it is on the side, so it doesn't interfere with the image. (The piece is priced accordingly.)

Orrefors employed master artists and craftsmen, some of whom worked their whole careers of 40, 50, or more years with the company. Sven Palmqvist (1906-1984) was born in the glass district of southern Sweden and started his career with Orrefors in 1928, where he remained until 1972. In those years, he designed hundreds of engraved glass motifs. Palmqvist had a particular fondness for portraying people and animals.