Data: Signed; Orrefors, Sweden, Ravenna, Nr 530, Sven Palmqvist. Height; 12 cm, length 23 cm. An early somewhat boat-shaped Ravenna (I believe it is a "double Ravenna).
Exhibited, this Ravenna was showcased as a prime example of Swedish art glass on the programme "Godmorgon Sverige" in 1991.
Provenance: Bought at "Beijers Auktioner" in 1991.
The piece, “The Modernist Ravenna” from 1953, represents a deviation from the traditional Ravenna pattern and form. It is modernistic rather than traditional, and the opaque layer of white glass is, if not unique, very rare. In shape, it is slicker, smoother, and more “internationally modernistic” than what was common at the time, especially in Sweden; it departs significantly from the traditional Swedish "form language" of the early 50s, and it does so in very interesting ways. This boat shape was common among the earliest Ravennas, and it may be in these early boat shapes—semi-figurative motifs, with a clear base and a matching rim—that Ravennas reached their highest level. The opaque outer layer is unusual; note the rim of clear glass that appears orange as it reflects the colour of the background. When I talk about the best Ravennas in my books, combining technique and artistry to read world-class, this is the sort of object I think of.
