HADELAND Scarce Lg. 11. 10 " WILLY JOHANSSON 1957 Bottle Green TORPEDO VASE - Signed
Item History & Price
DESCRIPTION: for reference please see Smoke and Ice -Scandinavian Glass 1930 -2000 Vigier & Pina - Pages 17, 55, 61, 69-70, 110 and 139 for more superb, innovative and scarce Willy Johansson designs.Absolutely stunning, slender and very scarce 1957 Minimalist Torpedovase from the world renowned Norwegian glass master - Willy Johansson in astriking, superlative, restrained and sophisticated Bottle or British racing Green colouration. Willy Johnasson was born in 1921 and ...was workingfor Hadeland in 1936 at the glass workshop - from the age of fifteen !! He wentonto study at The State School of Applied Art and Crafts in Oslo.He re-commenced his association with Hadeland in 1946 and stayed till 1988. Hewas, notably, awarded a gold medal at The Milan Triennale of 1957, whereby hismuch acclaimed pieces are represented in many Scandinavian museums and in Americaat The Corning Museum of Glass. His notable contemporaries include HermannBongard and Benny Mottzfeld, to name but a very few - whose pieces are alsoextremely thin on the ground. The truly exceptional and stunning elongated vase starts with a broad circular baserim to which the piece rests. The latter surrounds a large and equally pristine sunken pontil - please seebelow or the last photo. The vase ascends upwards in imposing and impressivefashion to form a gently tapering cylindrical main body which soon starts to taper inwards. The vases taperingperimeter walls display a steep gradient and result in a very elegant and sophisticated shape that resembles an elongated Torpedo. The piece is simplistic and yet striking in it's concept and execution which to my mind is very reminiscent of one of my other favourite Scandinavian design glass master - Sweden's Gunnar Nylund. The piece realises asupreme and very impressive height and is beautifully balanced and proportioned. It's very slender and lean elongated body is eventually surmounted with a small, reduced mouth. The mouth itself reveals no external or internal lip of mouthrim which serves to accentuate and indeed heighten the vase's very simplistic, clean and uncluttered modernist and minimalist lines. The vase's sublime reduced mouth seemingly surveys the vase's subtle colouration from it's exalted height. The vase's colouration is truly stunning and very masculine whereby it's restrained, subtle and sophisticated colour can be described as Bottle or indeed as Bristish Racing Green. The shade of green is unlike any of the other greens used at a multitude of Scandinavian factories such as Kosta, Orrofors, Stromberg, Holegaard or Riihimaki to name but just a few. The piece epitomises Willy Johnasson's exceptional talents for impressive modernist and minimalist art glass of an outstanding quality and technical excellence. The piece has been conceived, designed and blown to a level that takes it onto a completely higher level of modernism and contemporary minimalism. The piece was so very ahead of it's time whereby simplistic, modernist designs are now admired and sought after the world over. Willy Johansson pieces are extremely scarce and thin on the ground asindeed are pieces from Hadeland's equally respected and acclaimed artist - BennyMotzfeld. The piece has a certain impressive height, a slender elegant form and a confident, assured stature that I personally rate extremely highly. The vase represnts aperfect example of the exemplary and innovative output of one of Norway'smost celebrated design artists and glass masters.....a certain... Willy Johansson.CONDITION – SIZE –WEIGHT – MARKSThe condition of the elegant Torpedo Vase is A1 perfect with nochips, dents, cracks, abrasions, nibbles, water or scratches at all . The vasehas a circular broad outer basal rim, to which the piece rests - which has several small, minute and light surface scratches commensurate with it's age and limited, display only usage. The latter surrounds an unblemished sunken base pontil which in turn houses anengraved signature of company and artist - Hadeland - 57 -W.J. The impressive piece measures 11.10 " ( 29.8 cms. ) inheight and weighs in at 674 gms exactly.NB:Please see my other listings of Scandinavian, English, American & Europeansigned and unsigned art glass and a vast collection of unlimited & limitededition paperweights from Italy, Scotland and Englandlisted and to be listed – with much more to come each month & watch forliterally 100’s of other glass & china items over the next few months/years!! - which represents 38 odd years of avid collecting from around the world& far too many fairs & auctions etc. We’ve added 2 generations of thefamilies ‘treasures’ making 19 very, very large boxes/containers to wadethrough. The glass to come will include many pieces from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Russia, Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, The Czech Republic, Bavaria, Bohemia, The Isle of Wight, England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Malta & The United States to name but a few !Mostly all in pristine condition; we have a passion for glass above all of ourother collections. Each piece is either handeddown or bought with design & beauty in mind – the collection encompassingboth clear & coloured glass. Also, to keep all collectors & our regularbuyers happy, I can only list a few pieces of Mdina, Murano, Caithness Limited Edition& Whitefriars etc a month – restraints being time, tiredness, a heartcondition, stamina & the need to sleep ! As we are getting on in years wesincerely hope that our vast collection will reach new families who canappreciate the beauty & infinite variety of contemporary, minimalist andcontemporary 20th Century art glass. IAM MORE THAN WILLING TO HOLD ITEMS ie TO COMBINE – AND HELP YOU WITH THE NEVERENDING POSTAGE INCREMENTS. JUSTAN EMAIL IS SUFFICIENT WHEN THE FIRST ITEM IS SOLD & YOU INTEND BIDDING ONFURTHER ITEMS.Glenn
