Strömbergshyttan Blue Glass Vase, Wheel Engraved With Two Fish, Swedish 1950s, Perfect Gift

This is a great little vase, hand blown and copper-wheel engraved at Strömbergshyttan in Sweden, in the 50s. It depicts a pair of fish swimming in the lake grasses. The vase is 4" high and 2.5" wide, and it is in good condition, with only a few light scratches as expected for its age. It was most likely designed by artist, designer, and company owner, Gerda Strömberg.

The story of Strömbergshyttan begins in 1876, when a glassworks called Lindfors ("winding falls") opened about 50 km west of Orrefors. In 1933, Edward Strömberg, who was a former head at Orrefors, and his wife Gerda, who was a designer at Eda, leased the company and changed the name to Strömbergshyttan ("Strömberg's hut"). Edward and his son Eric devised a way to produce a glass that had a bluish-silver hue, which became characteristic for Strömbergshyttan. Eric Strömberg and his wife, Asta, bought the company in 1945, and they invested heavily to modernize it. The Strömberg family further upgraded the mill in 1960. For most of the 40+ years that the family controlled the glass mill, Gerda and Asta Strömberg designed the glass. A fire in 1973 left the glassworks in financial difficulties, and it was sold to Orrefors in 1976. Orrefors closed the Strömbergshyttan glassworks just three years later. (Adapted from Nils Bergqvist)