Orrefors Crystal Glassworks | |||
 A Brief History of Orrefors Orrefors' history dates back to 1726, when an ironworks was founded on the site of the later glassworks. By the late 19th century, the manufacture of iron had become unprofitable, and the owners concentrated instead on running the sawmills that stood in and around the village. Glass was first manufactured at Orrefors in 1898, waste wood from the company sawmills being used to fire the furnaces. Right up to 1962 the natural resources of wood provided fuel for the ovens. Later, the furnaces would be converted for oil, and even later for electricity. The earliest pieces produced at Orrefors were simple jars, ink vessels and bottles. Eau-de-cologne bottles and inkhorns were particularly in demand. Starting in 1899, handblown window glass was made in a special blowing room. The first production of cut services and bowls of full lead crystal dates from about 1913. The employment of skilled craftsmen and artists soon set Orrefors apart from the other glasshouses. Simon Gate (1883-1945) and Edward Hald (1883-1980) were taken on as artistic directors in 1916 and 1917 respectively. Orrefors then went on, in less than ten years, to lay the foundation for its international breakthrough at the 1925 Paris International Exposition. Gate, Hald and the foremost of the skilled craftsmen in the glasshouse were awarded Grands Prix and gold medals, and the fame of the Småland Glasshouse quickly spread all over the world. In 1918, the Sandvik Glasshouse in Hovmantorp was merged with Orrefors. Since then, Sandvik has specialized in glass tableware, jugs and other items for the well-set table. During the 100 years since the foundation of the glassworks, the emphasis has always been on cooperation between creative designers and skilled craftsmen. Orrefors has also carried out a number of special commissions for lighting fixtures for public institutions, hotels and corporations, both in Sweden and abroad. Some of these are very impressive indeed. For example, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., is embellished with 18 chandeliers and 22 bracket lamps of cut crystal; while in New York, General Motors boasts the largest crystal chandelier ever manufactured at Orrefors: it weighs two metric tons, measures 3.30 meters in diameter and has as many as 372 lights with an overall output of 12,000 watts. Today, the designers associated with Orrefors are charged with providing innovative new designs for each of the two glassworks. The designers' collections, which are exhibited each year at prestigious stores the world over, are an important element in the marketing of Orrefors crystal. Manufacture Orrefors glass is manufactured at the two glasshouses of Orrefors and Sandvik. To produce glass of the finest possible brilliance and clarity, the raw materials must be of the highest quality available. All ingredients are imported from abroad. The molten glass consists mainly of sand, which must be entirely free from impurities. The sand is either mixed with sodium carbonate and metal oxides like zinc and barium, which gives crystal, or with potash and lead oxide (24-30%) which gives full lead crystal. Lead oxide is what gives crystal its characteristic weight, ring and luster. Other metal oxides are added to the batch to produce color. Cobalt oxide, for example, colors the glass blue. The ready-mixed materials, known as the batch, are delivered from the factory to the glasshouse in the form of pellets. In the early days, each glasshouse had its own batch room in which the raw materials were mixed by hand. Pot furnaces The batch is melted in a pot, i.e., a clay container placed in the furnace. Orrefors manufactures the pots for all the glassworks within the company. A pot for crystal lasts approximately 6-8 weeks. Today the furnaces are fired by diesel oil (environmentally friendly) or electricity. Melting requires about 12 hours and takes place at night at a temperature of about 1420 degrees Celsius. In the morning, to make the molten glass more easily workable, the temperature is lowered to about 1150 degrees Celsius. Work at the pot furnaces is done during the day, usually between 6:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Continuous or tank furnaces Continuous-type furnaces are known as tank furnaces and incorporate automatic intake and output for the molten glass. They have a container for the hot glass with a capacity of approximately 17,000 kg and are capable of handling about 7,000 kg per day. Work is carried out in two or three shifts. Orrefors has two tank furnaces. Cooling After manufacture, all glass is placed in an annealing lehr, which is essentially a kiln in which the temperature is gradually reduced from about 400 degrees Celsius to about 50 degrees Celsius. This reduces the residual stress to an acceptable level. An inspector, or sorter, checks each piece as it leaves the lehr and rejects any that is not up to standard. Broken glass, or cullet, can be melted and used again. Method The glassworkers in the blowing room are formed into teams known as shops, each of which may comprise between three and seven persons. To make a wine glass, a chair of seven glassworkers is needed. Each team is headed by a gaffer, who will almost always carry out the most difficult work. Decoration Cutting The glass is first marked with the pattern with which it is to be decorated. The actual cutting, which is carried out in two stages, is effected by pressing the glass up against a rotating diamond wheel. The glass is then polished in an acid bath in order to bring out its luster. Engraving Orrefors began developing its unique style of copper wheel engraving as early as 1916-1917. This form of engraving is carried out by bringing the glass up against a rotating wheel coated in emery and oil. The motif to be engraved, which is often highly detailed, is first drawn in outline on the surface of the glass and demands the utmost skill of the engraver. Today, diamond point engraving is also practiced. In this, the pattern is engraved using a hand-held diamond-tipped tool. Painting All glass is handpainted with squirrel-hair brushes. The patterns are not drawn on the glass prior to painting. After painting, the pieces are fired at a temperature of 520 degrees Celsius. Each piece is thus unique. Handpainted glass should not be machine washed. View Orrefors glassware View Orrefors Intermezzo stemware collection Read about the designer Erika Lagerbielke Read about the designer Ingegerd Råman Back to the main page Orrefors Homepage | |||
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We carry a large selection of Orrefors glass, like bowls, vases, sculptures and stemware. We do crystal
corporate gifts from Orrefors. | |||