1984 Orrefors Olle Alberius Astrakan ARIEL vase

You should be able to see from the photos that this piece is made in layers. Where you can see the yellow for example, you're looking through the clear glass to where the blue has been carved away to expose the yellow layer. It's a hard piece to photograph.  The 4th picture is taken with flash and picks up some brown from the table which isn't in the glass.

This particular piece was designed by Olle Alberius in the late 1970s. In 1984 they produced more of these as a part of their "Gallery" limited production of pieces. This one was made in 1984. This has the Orrefors label and is engraved on the base, "Orrefors 9059490 Olle Alberius Ariel Gallery 33 - 84". Gallery was the name given by Orrefors to limited edition art glass. This was number 33 of this design. Swedish art glass expert, Daniel Schoenbeck tells us that there were 50 made.

The ariel technique was developed at Orrefors and was used to make this vase. I think of ariel as being just about the most complex and difficult glassmaking there is.

The glassmakers have to make a multi-layered core (yellow, blue, and clear glass here), then cool it down, carve it by sandblasting the pattern, then reheat and case it in many more layers of clear glass. The name, ariel, comes from Ariel, the spirit of air, in Shakespeare's "The Tempest". The ariel technique traps bubbles of air under the clear layers of glass. You can see this in some of the close-ups.

So this is, if not the most difficult technique, certainly one of the hardest.

It's signed on the base and it's in near perfect condition. I understand these were US$600 when new in 1984 so it was an expensive piece. Its increased current value is an indication of the fact that quality art glass appreciates.  Now, a new Orrefors vase of this sort of quality would cost many thousands of dollars and a vintage piece like this is a bargain at USD 1940.00.

Height: 18cm (7 inches)
Width: 12.5cm
Weight: 4.7kg (i.e. massive)
Condition: Immaculate. Minor wear to the base, a light 7mm scratch on one side.

Our Reference: 1283

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