THE ITEM
This elegant work of handblown Swedish art glass is by Bertil Vallien (b. 1938 - ), celebrated glass artist, sculptor, ceramist and designer.
This bowl is from the collectable 'Minos' series from Boda's 'Artist Collection'. The Artist Collection concept was introduced by Vallien to give glass artists the freedom for personal, creative expression and to remove the 'mass produced' feeling. Pieces are limited edition studio works and individual to the artist that created them. As each piece is handblown, this also makes the final decor of each piece unique.
The pale blue exterior of this piece is pearly-iridescent and textured, embedded in the pale blue are diagonal and gently curving bands of a deeper blue. The deeper blue bands cut across the horizontal ribbons of white, creating the swirling, loosely woven pattern.
CONDITION
Excellent. No chips, cracks or repairs, please see photos as they form part of the condition report. The underside of the base is engraved with 'BODA, ARTIST COL, B VALLIEN' and the number '58434'. The bowl is also labelled with the 'BODA, ARTIST COLLECTION, SWEDEN label.
MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 3.4" / 8.7 cm x c. 4.7" / 12 cm rim diameter. Base diameter: c. 1.2" / 3 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 0.3 kg / 334 g
NOTES
Bowl will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.
A BIT OF HISTORY
Born 1938, Bertil Vallien was only 15 when he left home, drawn by the allure of the big city. After a series of occasional jobs, as a window-dresser at one of the main department stores in Stockholm, and as an apprentice in his father's decorating firm, Vallien would eventually decide to become an artist which would lead him into the world of ceramics. The guidance he received in his early career included that of Stig Lindberg - one of Sweden's foremost designers of ceramic art and one of the leading designers for Rörstrand in the 1970's.
A demonstration of Vallien's sand casting process: https://youtu.be/hjW7qoLvwYw
Today, Vallien is one of the most well-known representatives of 20th century Swedish ceramic and art glass design and is represented at the Swedish National Museum of Art and Design as well as abroad in the Everson Museum of Art of New York.
Valiien's works have only become more collectable over the years with sculptures from his Head and Journey (Boat) series fetching up to $20,000 USD.