Multicolour Cased Glass “Coquille” Vase by Paul Kedelv for Flygsfors, 1956

A celebrated example of mid-century Scandinavian art glass, this “Coquille” vase was designed by the French-born artist Paul Kedelv (1912–1981) for the Swedish glassworks Flygsfors Glasbruk, where he worked as artistic director from 1949. The “Coquille” series — named for the French word for shell, which perfectly describes its flared, winged form — was first introduced in the early 1950s and quickly became one of the most admired and sought-after designs of the postwar Scandinavian glass movement. This example, dated 1956, is signed on the base.

The form is arresting: two broad, curved “wings” of glass rise and flare outward from a narrow base in a composition that simultaneously evokes a seashell opening, a tulip in full bloom, and an abstract sculptural monument. The glass is produced by a complex casing technique in which multiple layers of coloured and opaline glass are blown together, then manipulated while molten to achieve the characteristic sweep of the profile. The result here — deep teal-green on the outer surfaces shading to intense rose-pink on the inner faces, with a white opaline layer sandwiched between — is a colour palette of extraordinary richness and depth that changes entirely depending on the angle and quality of light.

Flygsfors under Kedelv’s direction occupied a distinctive place in the Scandinavian glass landscape of the 1950s: where other glassworks pursued the cool, restrained functionalism of Swedish Modern, Kedelv championed an exuberant, almost baroque sculptural expressionism rooted in his French training. The “Coquille” pieces in particular have lost none of their freshness — they remain objects of pure visual pleasure, combining technical mastery with an instinct for organic beauty that continues to fascinate collectors worldwide.

Flygsfors Glasbruk, Sweden. Designed by Paul Kedelv. Dated 1956. Signed on base. W. 28.5 × D. 11.5 × H. 26.5 cm.