Ice Bucket by Gunnar Ander for Ystad-Metall, 1950s

A cylindrical vessel made of polished copper, with a transparent glass insert set inside. The body is complemented by a movable handle made of brass rods, the upper part of which is covered with natural rattan braiding. Another distinctive detail is the small spherical finials at the handle’s attachment points. The set includes brass tongs with a handle finished in rattan weave, stylistically matching the vessel’s handle. The set was designed by Gunnar Ander for Ystad-Metall and belongs to a group of Swedish functional objects from the mid-20th century in which the designer combined metals with natural materials and glass. Auction sources identify this specific model as an ice bucket with a glass liner, a copper body, and tongs.  The simple, cylindrical form, combined with the sheen of copper, the transparency of glass, and the texture of rattan, clearly illustrates the characteristic Scandinavian modernist approach of blending functionality with understated yet expressive material details. The vessel was intended for serving and storing ice; due to its form, it could also serve as a bar or serving vessel.