Data: Diameter; 16cm. Motif; A portrait of an unknown gentleman. Signed; “Simon Gate”.
Exhibited: (i) Orrefors Showrooms in Malmö, 1985; (ii) full page photo in “Svenskt Konstglas,” 1991, pp. 164; (iii) depicted in "Orrefors Presents The Andre Laszlo Jr. Collection," exhibition catalog.
Provenance: This piece was acquired through an exchange in the early to mid-1980s. The name of the original seller will be provided to the buyer; he may or may not be able to offer further information.
The piece. This portrait of an unknown man was created from a drawing by Simon Gate. Both Simon Gate and Edward Hald are known to have produced such portraits, although their numbers are extremely limited (try to enter Orrefors, Gate, engraved, portrait on Google). Their primary use was as exclusive gifts, given by Orrefors, the Swedish government, or by the artists themselves. An engraving like this provides the engraver an excellent opportunity, quite possibly the best, to showcase their skill. Gösta Elgström—Simon Gate's favourite engraver—upon seeing this portrait—claimed responsibility for the engraving; a portrait like this tests the engraver's skill like nothing else, be it a “Heaven and Hell”, “The Paris Goblet”, or “The Bacchus Bowl”, said Gösta Elgström to me. However, although Gösta Elgström remembered having made the engraving, he did not recall who the man depicted was. When this piece was exhibited at Orrefors' showrooms in Malmö, much effort was devoted to identifying this man, and although none succeeded, there were several suggestions, ranging from a Norwegian king to a taxi driver with whom Gate ran up a big tab.