graal The graal technique was invented at the Orrefors glass plant in Sweden in 1916. It was the collaboration between Simon Gate the first glass "designer" at the plant, the glass blower Knut Bergkvist and the glass engraver and cutter Gustaf Abels. The name graal stems from the Swedish writer, Froding's tale of "den heliga Graal" (the Holy Grail). The intricacy of the Graal technique often eludes the untrained eye. A single Graal piece can take more than 40 hours to complete. Artistic sensitivity, intuition and great skill are required throughout the long, complicated and risky process. The Graal technique holds the vivid colours and striking decorations at the centre of each piece, suspended in thick crystal glass. Very few glass artists in the world have accomplished this difficult technique. The Steps: Making a Graal vessel involves blowing the first, small, clear bubble, often no larger than the size of an egg, and overlaying this with several layers of hot coloured, lead-free crystal. A few days later, when annealed and cooled, the blank is either cut, engraved or etched through the various layers of colour, creating patterns and images on the blank just as in cameo work. The blank is reheated and re-attached to the blowpipe, overlaid with more layers of clear glass (this is where the air bubbles are trapped). The vessel is than blown into its final and enlarged size. Great skill and artistic sensitivity are required throughout this operation. The process is long, complicated and risky, as each stage of the heating and annealing cycle generates pressures and stress within the different layers of the lead-free crystal. A complex Graal vessel with several layers can take many days to create. Working with Graal pieces of this size and of this weight is fairly unique worldwide. It can seem ironic that the complexity of the Graal technique often eludes the uninitiated eye. In the distortion and enlargement of the original design, a completed Graal piece can quite often appear at first glance as rather uncomplicated. The beauty of the Graal technique is that while the vessel is “decorated” - so becoming a three-dimensional piece of artwork, it still reflects and plays with the game of light, which is one of the many mesmerising aspects of glass. Each Graal Vessel is an individual, one-of-a-kind work of art. A Graal Vessel is an investment that will appreciate in value. Each individual Höglund Art Glass Graal is engraved with its title, numbered and signed by the artists and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. It is truly a collector’s treasure.