Kosta Boda

A short history

Kosta was founded in 1742 in the forests of Småland, in southern Sweden, by two officers of King Charles XII, Anders Koskull and Georg Bogislaus Staël von Holstein — the name combines theirs. It is the oldest Swedish glassworks still operating.

Through the 20th century Kosta hired artists as designers, starting with Gunnar Wennerberg in 1898. Elis Bergh led the studio from 1928, and Vicke Lindstrand from 1950 into the early 1970s, setting the tone of Swedish modern glass. In the 1960s and 70s the neighboring Boda and Åfors works joined Kosta, and the company traded as Kosta Boda from 1976. It merged with Orrefors in 1990 and still makes glass in Kosta today.

The artists

1. Vicke Lindstrand 1950–1973 Artistic director; elegant mid-century forms and engraved crystal.
2. Erik Höglund Boda, 1950s–60s Heavy, irregular glass with deliberate bubbles and stamped figures.
3. Bertil Vallien from 1963 Sand-cast sculpture, heads and boats, plus series like Satellite, Rainbow and Antikva.
4. Ulrica Hydman Vallien from the 1970s Hand-painted faces, snakes and flowers in black, white and bright color.
5. Kjell Engman from the 1970s Playful, colorful pieces: Filippa candlesticks, Bon Bon, the Catwalk shoes.
6. Anna Ehrner, Monica Backström, Göran Wärff, Gunnel Sahlin various Other key Kosta Boda designers you'll see in our shop.

Identifying Kosta Boda

• Signatures. Art pieces are usually engraved on the base with the factory name, the artist's name or initials, and a model number — for example "Kosta Boda Artist Collection B. Vallien 48176".
• Labels. Paper, foil or plastic labels read "Kosta", "Boda", "Kosta Boda" or "Since 1742", depending on the era.
• Series names. Artist Collection, Rainbow, Zoo and Artist's Choice pieces were often sold with boxes and certificates, which add value when present.
• Weight and casting. Vallien's sand-cast pieces are heavy and matte-textured where they met the mold; that surface is intentional.

Further reading

• Kosta Boda — the official site
• Kosta Glasbruk on Wikipedia — company history
• Kosta Boda identification guide — labels, marks and designers