Centerpiece bowl with underplate

From an unlikely beginning as an ironworks, Orrefors went on to become one of the foremost glassmaking firms in Sweden, a position assured with such gifted talents as Simon Gate and Edward Hald, who collaborated on unique showpieces that brought the company international fame. Initially a portrait landscape painter, Gate joined Orrefors in 1916 and, along with Hald, became a leader of modernism in Swedish glass design. This bowl and underplate were exhibited in the Swedish pavilion at the famous 1925 Exposition des arts Décoratifs et Industriels Moderne in Paris where Gate received a Grand Prix for his collective work. The classical theme of dancing nudes amidst scrolling foliage is intricately engraved and visually captivating, a clear example of why his elegant and expensive glassworks among the most popular features at the Exposition.