The Swedish design philosophy of “beautiful things for everyday life” is actualized in the vintage glassware of Orrefors. Founded in 1898, this glass manufacturer was one of the leading companies in the Scandinavian modernism movement and is revered by collectors for the fine craftsmanship and innovation of its superlative art glass.
Orrefors began making art glass — works that, distinct from mass-production pieces, are made in small numbers to showcase the skills and talents of artists and artisans — in 1913. Two of the first artists hired by the firm were Simon Gate and Edward Hald, who worked initially in the organic Art Nouveau style, and later proved adept with the geometric imagery of the Art Deco period.
Hald and Gate worked closely with glassblowers to refine traditional glassmaking methods, creating new materials such as "graal" glass. In the graal technique a design made with colored glass is encased in layers of transparent glass, preserving the image while the overall glass form is worked and shaped. Orrefors won an international following when it presented such pieces in Paris in 1925 at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes — the design fair whose name gave rise to the term Art Deco.
In the years following that success, Orrefors attracted more dynamic and experimental artists such as Vicke Lindstrand and Edvin Ohrström, who joined the company in the 1930s. Lindstrand and Ohstrom worked with glassblowers to create the "ariel" glass technique, an innovation that produces deeper, richer imagery that seems to morph and flow as light is refracted by the glass.
As you will see from the items offered on 1stDibs, there is a special aesthetic quality to vintage Orrefors glass. Whether a vase or a set of wine goblets, the work of this premier Swedish company represents the apex of functional artistry.
Orrefors More Spirits 4-Pack
Located in Wilkes Barre, PA
More Spirits from Orrefors, which holds 7 oz, is well-suited for barrel-aged spirits of all kinds. The fine tulip-shaped bowl brings out aromas and flavors of fruitiness and barrel a...
Crystal
Orrefors Sense Sparkling 6-Pack
By Orrefors
Located in Wilkes Barre, PA
Sense Sparkling by Orrefors Designs, which holds 8.6 oz, is intended for sparkling beverages like Prosecco, Cava, Spumante, or Champagne. The tulip-shaped bowl allows the aromas in t...
Crystal
Orrefors More Wine 4-Pack
Located in Wilkes Barre, PA
More Wine from Orrefors, which holds 13 oz, draws out the aromas and flavors of red, white, and rosé wines. The tulip-shaped bowl captures the fragrance of the wine and allows it to ...
Crystal
Orrefors Sense Universal 6 P-Pack
By Orrefors
Located in Wilkes Barre, PA
Sense Universal by Orrefors Designs, which holds 9.3 oz, is an all-purpose glass for all beverages, such as beer, wine, and non-alcoholic drinks.
Crystal
Orrefors More Wine Xl 4-Pack
Located in Wilkes Barre, PA
More XL from Orrefors, which holds 20 oz, is excellent for flavorful red wines. The large, tulip-shaped bowl allows the wine to breathe and develop in the glass, bringing out its aro...
Crystal
Orrefors More Mature 4-Pack
Located in Wilkes Barre, PA
More Mature from Orrefors, which holds 16 oz, enhances the round, full aromas of red wine. Therefore, the stemware glass is intended for red wines with mature notes, whose fragrance ...
Crystal
Caos Set of 6 Wine Glasses
By Cristalleria ColleVilca
Located in Milan, IT
Masterfully mouth-blown of prized, clear crystal, this exclusive set of six wine glasses will add a subtle and sophisticated accent to any refined table. Their seemingly simple shape...
Crystal
Kosta Boda Viva All Purpose Glass Large 2-Pack
By Matti Klenell
Located in Wilkes Barre, PA
Viva from Kosta Boda is a versatile collection of informal stemware glasses for everyday use. The large glass with a wide bowl is great for red wine, but also for beer or cider. The ...
Crystal
Kosta Boda Viva All Purpose Glass Medium 2-Pack
By Matti Klenell
Located in Wilkes Barre, PA
Viva from Kosta Boda is a versatile collection of informal stemware glasses for everyday use. You can serve white wine in the tall, narrow glass, but it also works for a red Bordeaux...
Crystal
Casarialto Set of 4 Canal Grande Wine Glasses
By Casarialto
Located in Milan, IT
Set of 4 Canal Grande wine glasses showcasing a smooth, transparent surface and a generously sized 21 cm goblet. Each piece features a classic Venetian glass foot, reinterpreting 18t...
Glass
Set of 6 Wine Glass, Bubble XL, Mouth-Blown, Trasparent, Kanz
By kanz
Located in Venezia, Veneto
The materiality, in the case of a standardized object such as a wine glass, becomes a significant challenge. Precisely for this reason the Kanz wanted to work denying the typical industrial processing of borosilicate glass, choosing to pursue the principle of randomness. The result is the chalice Bubble, whose bowl seems a breath, a real bubble always different in shape and size, but which still maintains the characteristics of the classic wine glass. The foot, large and thin, together with the stem, light and irregular, wait the moment when the bubble, in a precarious balance, leaves the matter which it took shape from, becoming unique in the air. Bubble is their meeting point, the frame of an instant. The products are hand made and variations will occur. Colour may change over time due to the character of the material. Minimal variations in shape, size and color are to be considered an exclusive feature, a sign of quality and non-serial production. The set consists of 6 wine glasses...
Glass
Kosta Boda Limelight Wine Clear 2-Pack
By Göran Wärff
Located in Wilkes Barre, PA
Like all the items in the Limelight collection, this glass has the distinctive, textured base that optically reflects light. The small wine glass is g...
Crystal
