Erik Höglund Green Bulb Vase

A vibrant green bulb-shaped vase with impressed seal, designed by Erik Höglund for Boda, Sweden, 1960's. 

The popularity of Erik Höglund's glass reached a sensational peak during the 1960's when his individual style became hugely sought-after in Sweden. This vase is from this period, and combines many signature elements of Höglund's work.

Erik Höglund was often inspired by ancient artefacts or antique bottles, creating many vases with a loose or irregular form, and sometimes adorning them with a stamped seal. Höglund's seals often depict  stylised animals or human faces, with each design conveying the artist's personality and unique aesthetic. This seal depicts a comedic face, and has been casually pressed into a long strand of thick glass.

The vibrant green vase also features Höglunds signature bubbles. He developed a technique in the mid-1950's in which potatoes were thrown into the furnace to oxygenise the molten glass. At first, this process was perceived as completely anarchic, disregarding years of tradition in fine glassmaking. This sense of rebelliousness, however, along with the organic & earthy nature of the technique greatly resonated with the public during the 1960's.

Many designs from this period, along with the designer himself, have been enduring icons of Swedish modernism. Höglund is best known for figural decanters, brightly coloured 'bubbly' vases, and a vast array of illustrative trays, each stamped with a face or stylised animal.