{{Short description|Swedish glassmaking company}} [[File:Sofiero glasskål formgiven av Gunnar Cyrén - OF 5305.jpg|thumb|''Sofiero'' cut crystal glass bowl designed by Gunnar Cyrén,1960]] '''Orrefors Glassworks''' (also known as just '''Orrefors''') was a glassworks in the Swedish village of Orrefors in Småland. Orrefors manufactured crystal glassware and art glass. The range consisted of crystal stemware, barware, vases, and sculptures and lighting products in crystal.
In 1990 Orrefors bought Kosta Boda.<ref>{{cite web |title=Orrefors Kosta Boda |url=https://libris.kb.se/20dhl6cl4x5p8rn#it |website=LIBRIS |publisher=National Library of Sweden |access-date=2 November 2024}}</ref> The glassworks in Orrefors closed in 2012.<ref name="svd">Bränström, Sara L. "Glasriket går i kras". Svenska Dagbladet, 3 October 2012. Retrieved 19 september 2018.</ref>
==History== thumb|Knut Bergqvist, ca 1940–41 Orrefors glassworks was founded in 1898 on the site of an older iron works. Until 1913, the company produced mainly window glass and bottles. When Consul Johan Ekman bought the factory in 1913, Orrefors started to produce drinking glasses, vases, and other house-ware items. Ekman hired Knut Bergkvist and his nephew Eugen, who had worked at Kosta Glasbruk, as well as Fritz Blomqvist and Heinrich Wollman. Wollman came from Bohemia, which has a long tradition in glassmaking. The first attempts at art glass making were in the style at the time of famous French glassworks including Daum and Gallé.<ref>"A Short History of Orrefors", [https://swedishglass.com/a-short-history-of-orrefors/ www.swedishglass.com : A Short History of Orrefors]</ref>
A similar technique was devised in 1936 which trapped air within the walls of the glass. It is known as Ariel, a name of a character in Shakespeare's play ''The Tempest''.<ref>Plath, Iona (June 1, 1966). ''Decorative Arts of Sweden''. Courier Dover Publications. {{ISBN|0-486-21478-8}}. p.107.</ref> A major influence of theirs was the Art Nouveau work of the French artist Émile Gallé.<ref>Chambers, Karen S (March 1, 1999). ''Clearly Inspired: Contemporary Glass and Its Origins''. Pomegranate. {{ISBN|0-7649-0932-0}}. pps. 40, 132.</ref> Their designs use characteristic clean lines of brilliant crystal that suggest a frozen liquid. Their work was greatly admired when it was displayed to a wide audience at the 1925 Paris Exhibition in Paris.
In addition to individual pieces of crystal, the company made crystal stemware. The glass house came to be a leading producer during the interwar period (1918 to 1939).<ref>Arwas, Victor (September 1, 1999). ''The Art of Glass: Art Nouveau to Art Deco''. Papadakis Publisher. {{ISBN|1-901092-00-3}}. p.105.</ref> In more recent times the factory has also become noted for making chandeliers. Many of the older designs are still produced in the 21st century.<ref name=wr>Bray, Charles (June 19, 2001). ''Dictionary of Glass''. University of Pennsylvania Press. {{ISBN|0-8122-3619-X}}. pps. 75, 135.</ref><ref>"Orrefors glass." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006.</ref> Since 2013, the building has been home to the "Per Ekström Museet", an art museum.<ref>*[http://www.perekstrommuseet.se/ Per Ekström museet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805004443/http://www.perekstrommuseet.se/ |date=2021-08-05 }}, Homepage</ref>
==Gallery== <gallery> File:Graalvas, formgivning Simon Gate, hyttarbetet utfört av Knut Bergqvist, mönstermakare Heinrich Wollman - OF 3828.jpg|''Graal Orrefors KB - HW No 1''<br />vase in Graal technique designed by Simon Gate and made by Knut Bergqvist, 1916 File:Pokal Slottsglas av konstnär Simon Gate och glasblåsare Knut Bergqvist - M 47752.jpg|''Slotssglas''<br />glass standing cup, designed by Simon Gate and made by Knut Bergqvist for the 1923 Gothenburg Exhibition File:Glasskål i Kraka-teknik av Sven Palmqvist - OF 3431.jpg|''Kraka''<br />glass bowl made in the Kraka technique and designed by Sven Palmqvist, in production from 1941–1959 File:Glasskål i Arielteknik av Edvin Öhrström - OF 3969.jpg|''Ariel nr 606 E''<br />glass bowl made with the ariel technique, designed by Edvin Öhrström, 1950 File:Tulpanvas av Nils Landberg i bärnstensfärgat underfång - OF 0045.jpg|''Tulip vase''<br />designed by Nils Landberg, 1957 File:Edvid öhrström per orrefors, vaso, 1957.jpg|Vase by Edvid Öhrström, 1957 File:Nobelservisen.jpg|Crystal glasses designed for the Nobel Banquet by Gunnar Cyrén File:Statstjänstemannaskålen formgiven av Lisa Bauer - M 67465.jpg|''Statstjänstemannaskålen''<br />crystal bowl designed by Lisa Bauer File:Glaskaraff formgiven av Olle Alberius - OF 1622.jpg|Caraffe by Olle Alberius, 1992 File:Ljuslykta Nimbus formgiven av Berit Johansson - M 68194.jpg|''Nimbus'' candle holder by Berit Johansson, 1981 </gallery>
==Designers at Orrefors== {{Div col}} * {{ill|Knut Bergqvist|sv}} 1914-1929 * Heinrich Wollman 1914-1923 * {{ill|Gustaf Abels|sv}} 1915-1959 * Eva Jancke-Björk 1915-1917 * {{ill|Fritz Blomqvist|sv}} 1915-1917 * Simon Gate 1916-1945 * Edward Hald 1917-1978 * {{ill|Nils Landberg|sv}} 1927-1972 * {{ill|John Selbing|sv}} 1927-1973 * Vicke Lindstrand 1928-1940 * {{ill|Sven Palmqvist|sv}} 1928-1971 * Mats Eilertsen Bårdlund 1789-1867 * {{ill|Flory Gate|sv}} 1904-1998 * Edvin Öhrström 1936-1958 * Fritz Kurz 1940-1946 * {{ill|Carl Fagerlund|sv}} 1946-1980 * {{ill|Ingeborg Lundin|sv}} 1947-1971 * {{ill|Gunnar Cyrén|sv}} 1959-1970, 1976- * Jan Johansson 1969- * {{ill|Börge Lindau|sv}} 1970- * {{ill|Bo Lindekrantz|sv}} 1970- * Peter Mandl 1970- * {{ill|Styrbjörn Leander-Engström|lt=Styrbjörn Engström|sv}} 1970 * {{ill|Olle Alberius|sv}} 1971-1973 * Henning Koppel 1971-1981 * Rolf Nilsson 1971-1972 * {{ill|Lars Hellsten|sv}} 1972- * {{ill|Eva Englund|sv}} 1974-1990 * {{ill|Wiktor Berndt|sv}} 1975-1979 * Owe Elven 1975-1978 * {{ill|Berit Johansson|sv}} 1979-1983 * {{ill|Arne Branzell|sv}} 1980-1982 * Anette Krahner 1980-1981 * {{ill|Erika Lagerbielke|sv}} 1982- * Anne Nilsson 1982-2005 * Klas-Göran Tinbäck 1982-1983 * {{ill|Matz Borgström|sv}} 1984-1990 * Helén Krantz 1988-2005 * Vivianne Karlsson 1989-1993 * Lena Bergström 1994- * Per B Sundberg 1994- * Martti Rytkönen 1994- * {{ill|Ingegerd Råman|sv}} 1999- * Karl Lagerfeld 2010-2019 {{div col end}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.orrefors.com Official Orrefors website]
{{Glass makers and brands}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Glassmaking companies of Sweden Category:Design companies established in 1898 Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1898 Category:Swedish companies established in 1898 Category:Art Nouveau Category:Värend