Players (Fire)

Artist: Micke Johansson
Height: 24 cm
Width: 15
Technology: Ariel
Edition: 30

The grail technique is a development of the overcapture glass technique, when the object is etched, engraved, sanded or blown, to finally add a layer of clear glass and then shaped into the desired shape. It makes the subject appear as if it is floating inside the art object.
The grail technique was developed by Knut Bergqvist around 1916, when he worked at Orrefors Glasbruk. It is a further development of the over-catch glass, which means that the glassblower tilts several layers of colored glass on top of each other. After cooling, patterns are engraved, sanded or blasted at different depths through the paint layers.
Micke Johansson is one of the foremost in mastering Graal and Ariel, and has today further developed his own Ariel technique, called MJT (the Micke Johan Johansson technique) which he is now the only master in the world to master.
What is very unusual about Micke Johansson is that he himself both blows, manufactures and designs the art glass and all this in world class, where everything is done to perfection.
Grail, which is the predecessor of Ariel and was developed at Orrefors and for a long time was only made there, got its name from Gustaf Fröding's poem The Grail Tale.