Gunnar Nylund ‘Birka’ Vase

 A tall, torpedo shaped ‘Birka’ vase by Gunnar Nylund for the Swedish ceramic factory Rörstrand.

The name ‘Birka’ refers to the glaze on this vase. The shape, which is model number 5, was also used for the ‘Alpina’ (gray/blue glaze) and ‘Rubus’ (blue/brown glaze) series. These 3 series of glazes share the same forms and were all designed in 1965. 

The ‘Birka’ glaze itself is visually very detailed, and features hundreds of organic lines in many hues of yellow and brown. The surface is predominately matte but particular areas do have lustre. Some refer to the ‘Birka’ glaze as “owl’s feathers”, and although smooth to the touch, the glaze appears highly textural.