Sweden’s oldest glass company, Kosta Boda, also enjoys a reputation as the country’s most artistic and experimental glassmaker. Since the late 19th century, Kosta Boda has hired painters, sculptors and other artists for short stints — generally two or three years — designing glassware, ensuring that the firm’s aesthetic is always lively and fresh.
Two former army officers founded Kosta Boda in 1742 in Sweden’s densely forested Småland province. (Plentiful timber was needed as fuel for the melting furnaces.) The glassworks’ early products consisted of everyday glassware, such as drinking vessels and windowpanes. As the company recruited master craftsmen from Bohemia, it created fine crystal for an aristocratic clientele.
Kosta Boda began making art glass — that is, unique and limited edition pieces — with the hiring of the painter Gunnar Wennerberg in 1898. Wennerberg worked in the Art Nouveau style and brought a lush, organic look to the company’s wares. He was followed to the firm by artists such as Edvin Ollers, who in the early 20th century created rich geometric and abstract floral patterns that were engraved on clear crystal.
Two postwar Kosta Boda designers stand foremost in the minds of collectors. One is Vicke Lindstrand, who excelled at a technique called cased glass, in which a vividly colored or patterned section of glass is surrounded by and seems to float within a clear crystal body. The other is Erik Höglund, who had an almost artisanal eye for glass shapes, and liked to produce glass that had a textured, warped look.
Kosta Boda created works in an astonishing array of styles, with something to suit any taste.
Find vintage Kosta Boda vases, bowls and other furniture and objects for sale on 1stDibs.
Bonbonniere or candy box handblown Art glass by Bertil Vallien, Kosta Sweden.
By Bertil Vallien, Kosta Boda
Located in Skarpnäck, SE
A rare and sculptural lidded glass vessel, known in Swedish as a Godisgömma ("candy hideaway"), designed by Bertil Vallien for Boda Glasbruk in 1966. This striking example belongs t...
Blown Glass, Cork
Pair of Black & Yellow Glass Handkerchief Vases by Ulrica Hydman-Vallien
By Ulrica Hydman-Vallien, Kosta Boda
Located in Barcelona, ES
Pair of "handkerchief" style vases by Ulrica Hydman-Vallien for Kosta Boda, Sweden, 1980s. Whimsical graffiti style hand-painted pattern on mouth-blown art glass. Marked UHV at bottom.
Art Glass
Silver candy box with reliefs on the surroundings
Located in Porto, PT
Description: Silver bonbon box with reliefs on the surround. Metal: Silver. Origin: French. Brand: Tête Minerve. Weight: 84.2 grams. Dimensions: 9.4x6cm. Content: 950/1000. As...
Silver
French Limoges Hand Painted Gold Trim Trinket Jewelry Box or Candy Dish
By Limoges
Located in Miami, FL
Beautiful Limoges handcrafted and hand painted gold trimmed trinket, jewelry box or candy dish, circa 1930. Signed, Jammet Seignolles Limoges (history of this maker below). Glazed. Measures: 4 3/8" Diameter x 2 1/4" high. Very good antique condition, no cracks or chips. In 1825, François BAIGNOL moved to LA FABRIQUE, on the edge of the Brigueuil forest and founded...
Porcelain
$180Sale Price|20% Off
H 4.25 in Dm 2.5 in
Miniature "Open Minds" Art Glass Vase by Ulrica Hydman-Vallien for Kosta Boda
By Ulrica Hydman-Vallien, Kosta Boda
Located in San Diego, CA
Miniature "Open Minds" art glass vase by Ulrica Hydman-Vallien for Kosta Boda, circa 1980s. This beautiful piece is hand painted and in very good condition with no chips or cracks. T...
Art Glass
$859
H 13.5 in Dm 6.25 in
Mid Century Modern Art Glass Large Vase for Kosta Boda by Ulrica Hydman Valliens
By Kosta Boda, Ulrica Hydman-Vallien
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fantastic simple and elegant designer Art Glass vase by Ulrica Hydman-Valliens for Kosta Boda. Open Minds is the vases name as it was blown in different sizes, this example being a t...
Art Glass
Bertil Vallien Kosta Boda Swedish Confetti Art Glass Vase
By Bertil Vallien
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A rare and striking Swedish art glass vase made for Kosta Boda by renowned glass maker Bertil Vallien (Swedish, b.1938) and dating from the 1970’s. The square bodied vase is decorated in colored confetti pattern and and is one of a series of similarly designed pieces which Vallien produced during the 1970’s. The vase is hand blown and made in thick opaque blue glass...
Blown Glass
$500Sale Price|20% Off
H 5.63 in Dm 11.25 in
Swedish Postmodern Centerpiece Bowl by Ulrica Hydman-Vallien, 1990s
By Ulrica Hydman-Vallien, Kosta Boda
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful Postmodern Swedish art glass centerpiece bowl by artist and designer Ulrica Hydman-Vallien, circa 1990s, for Kosta Boda, Sweden. Centerpiece ...
Glass
Bertil Vallien Windpipe Vase by Kosta Boda, Scandinavian Art Glass
By Bertil Vallien, Kosta Boda
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Bertil Vallien vase in art glass. Made by Kosta Boda. Model Windpipe, signed
Art Glass
$121Sale Price|20% Off
H 6.7 in W 3.94 in D 3.94 in
Vintage Crystal Bonbonniere Candy Dish West Germany
Located in Poperinge, BE
Vintage crystal bonbonniere, candy dish with lid, marked with the makers sticker Anna Hütte, West Germany, 1960s. Beautiful square geometric pattern, curled legs, floral and star de...
Crystal
$535
H 7.25 in Dm 4.25 in
Mid Century Modern Art Glass Vase Kosta Boda by Ulrica Hydman-Valliens Open Mind
By Kosta Boda, Ulrica Hydman-Vallien
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fantastic simple and elegant Art Glass Vase Open Minds cat face design for Kosta Boda by Ulrica Hydman-Vallien . This is a medium sized version of the vase, stands at 6.25 inches t...
Art Glass
Bertil Vallien Art Glass Vase by Kosta Boda, Scandinavian Modern
By Kosta Boda, Bertil Vallien
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Bertil Vallien vase in art glass. Made by Kosta Boda.
Art Glass
$645
H 7.5 in W 4.25 in D 2.25 in
Modernist Rectangular Translucent Glass Vase by Bertil Vallien for Kosta Boda
By Bertil Vallien, Kosta Boda
Located in New York, NY
This stunning modernist vase was realized by Bertil Vallien for Kosta Boda in Sweden during the latter half of the 20th century. It features a volumetric rectangular body in transluc...
Blown Glass
Ulrica Hydman-Vallien Miniature Art Glass by Kosta Boda, 1960s
By Ulrica Hydman-Vallien, Kosta Boda
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Ulrica Hydman-Vallien for Kosta Boda miniature Made by Kosta Height from 7/ 2½ cm. Ø. 9/4½cm.
Art Glass