Kosta Glassworks and Kosta Boda
Kosta and Kosta Boda: a glassworks and a broader brand
Kosta Glassworks was founded in Småland in 1742 by Anders Koskull and Georg Bogislaus Staël von Holstein. The Kosta Boda brand derives from a later combination of Kosta, Boda and Åfors. The two names therefore do not have exactly the same historical scope.
Developing a design identity
Gunnar G:son Wennerberg became Kosta’s first in-house designer in 1898. Distinguish the founding of the works, the design of a model and the manufacturing date of an individual object. The year 1742 does not date a vase bearing a Kosta mark.
Vicke Lindstrand: two documented examples
Nationalmuseum records the vase Träd i dimma (Tree in mist), NMK 105/2016, with Kosta as manufacturer and Vicke Lindstrand as designer, dated to the 1950s. The museum lists cut and etched glass. This is a specific comparison, not a rule for every Lindstrand object.
The Corning Museum of Glass holds a smaller vase, 98.3.56, decorated with birds in trees and inscribed “Kosta 46658/Lindstrand”. It describes blown, tooled and engraved glass. These examples demonstrate different treatments and techniques within the same manufacturing context.
Anna Ehrner and Contrast
The manufacturer attributes Contrast to Anna Ehrner. Its bowls use centrifugation, with veils of colour and added glass rods contributing to the effect. Colour distribution varies. This differs from the engraved museum vases; the method must be associated with the particular range.
Identification and common confusions
Our practical advice is to compare shape, measurements, foot and exact markings with documentation for the model. Distinguish the designer, the glassblower and the brand. A signature-like inscription or matching colour alone is not conclusive identification.
Transcribe marks precisely and retain labels, receipts and photographs as part of the ownership history. Examine chips, scratches and possible alterations before preparing a condition report. A shared model name does not guarantee the same size, age or condition.
Next step
Browse OBA’s glass and crystal. Compare the information for each object; a manufacturer’s name alone does not determine collector value.
Sources
Kosta Boda: historie; Nationalmuseum: Träd i dimma, NMK 105/2016; Corning Museum of Glass: vase 98.3.56; Kosta Boda: Contrast, Anna Ehrner.
