Strömbergshyttan Ice Blue Glass Vase with Engraved Ballerina, Handmade in Sweden

This large, beautiful, vintage vase is made from an impressive mass of ice-blue Swedish crystal. The engraving depicts a young ballerina, caught in a quiet moment. It is about 8.25" high, 6" wide, 3" deep, and it weighs just under 6 pounds. It is in excellent condition, clear and sparkling, with just a few bubbles and a tiny dark inclusion to the lower left of the image. The vase was designed by Asta Strömberg, the motif was designed by Rune Strand (1963-1968 at S-hyttan), and the engraving was done by Leif Swan.

The story of Strömbergshyttan begins in 1876, when a glassworks called Lindfors ("winding falls") opened about 50 km west of Orrefors. In 1933, Edward Strömberg, who was a former head at Orrefors, and his wife Gerda, who was a designer at Eda, leased the company and changed the name to Strömbergshyttan ("Strömberg's hut"). Edward and his son Eric devised a way to produce a glass that had a bluish-silver hue, which became characteristic for Strömbergshyttan. Eric Strömberg and his wife, Asta, bought the company in 1945, and they invested heavily to modernize it. The Strömberg family further upgraded the mill in 1960. For most of the 40+ years that the family controlled the glass mill, Gerda and Asta Strömberg designed the glass. A fire in 1973 left the glassworks in financial difficulties, and it was sold to Orrefors in 1976. Orrefors closed the Strömbergshyttan glassworks just three years later. (Adapted from Nils Bergqvist)