only (eight were mentioned by the Swedish Arts and Crafts Society), and applies to quite a small proportion of the total output, 90 per cent. of which is said to be of bread and butter lines of simple, more-or-less functional design. The outstanding factory for design employs three of the eight designers named, but not full time, since it is considered important for them to have other interests, and they are also painters and sculptors. Before the war, despite the artistic merit of its products, this factory does not seem to have been able to make a financial success of them.
Modern Swedish glass design depends for the most part on simplicity of shape and an elegant restraint of decoration. Engraving has largely replaced cutting. There are, however, signs of a movement towards more decoration, but the change to austerity in design from 1920 onwards led to the dismissal of most of the decorators, particularly the cutters, and the poor record which their trade has had for employment is making it very difficult to build up decorating staffs again to meet a certain renewed demand for cut ware. This experience should, we think, be noted by those who urge the home industry to concentrate on austere modern designs involving little or no decoration.
The prevailing fashion in present Swedish designs seems to be for very heavy ware, often fluted, which may have a small amount of engraving. The fluting is an advantage technically, since it lends itself to mechanical polishing ; the glass, being generally a non-lead glass, cannot be acid polished. Very little cutting to traditional designs is to be seen, though there is some intaglio. The cost of hand-polishing mitre cutting would be prohibitive. Engraved designs of fishes and human figures seem very popular. Delicately coloured ware and ware with coloured threads is also being made.
Excellent work is being done to advance good design in Swedish industrial products, and in glass particularly, by the Society of Arts and Crafts. The Society has 12,500 ordinary members besides industrial and other organisations which pay larger subscriptions. The Society arranges exhibitions, especially travelling ones, in Sweden and abroad, organises competitions in design, holds courses in design for people attached to industry, and publishes a monthly review for members as well as pamphlets for internal or wider circulation. The Society also sells books of designs to firms who can use them; the designer, having been paid by the Society, has no monetary interest in the transaction apart from being entitled to a small royalty.
2. United States of America. In the United States, as in Sweden, one factory stands out in design, but whilst the Swedish factory has a number of close rivals, the American factory is far ahead of all the others. This American factory maintains its position by providing a lead crystal glass of superb quality worked by craftsmen in the best European tradition, and by careful choice and training of its designers. Students with suitable backgrounds and good education and knowledge of the arts having been chosen, they are first set to work under an architect, then to study glass design and finally to work in close touch with the glassmakers at the furnace. A group of designers has thus been built up and developed who work closely together, with results that have proved remarkable. But apart from this one factory, American glass design has no special distinction, although in the better class table-ware factories it is generally of a fairly high order. One such factory had a qualified industrial designer with two assistants, all with a sound knowledge of glass making. A design committee consisting of
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