"Graal
is technique which was developed in order to create more
precise decoration than was previously possible at the glassmaker’s
chair. It is reputed to result from the decision of the
orrefors factory to employ Simon Gate and Edward Hald to
design new glass. The factory wished to improve its production
of cased glass which was made in the style of Galle. Simon
Gate together with the factory manager and the master glassblower
devised their own method which they called ‘Graal’.
A gather of clear glass was cased with the layer of colored
glass or, alternatively, a gather of colored glass was cased
with the layer of clear glass. It was the blown out into
a bubble. Sometimes it was left as a bubble or opened out
into a bowl. It was then annealed and allowed to cool. The
layer of color was cut, abraded by sandblasting or etched
with acid to produce the required decoration. The bubble
or bowl was then heated and picked up on either a punty
or a blowing iron to be worked at the chair to the final
form. This progressed from Galle’s method of cuing
through the layers of colored glass by working the glass
further in the furnace to give more fluid effects. Simon
Gate and Edward Hald had both trained as artist and came
into the glass scene without any knowledge of the medium.
They had a considerable effect on orrefors and in the subsequent
decade gave class a completely new artistic integrity and
established a tradition of employing excellent artist which
has stayed with Orrefors to the present day. The name ‘Graal’
refers to the legendary bowl in which the blood of Christ
was collected as he hung on the cross."
Taken from Dictionary of Glass
by Charles Bray |
