The forest and the people – 18th and 19th centuries

The relatively fast-growing coniferous forests were the essential renewable resource that created the condition for glass in Sweden. But the reason the glassworks opened in the late-nineteenth century in Småland specifically is thanks to the downturn for another product: iron ore. That was what happened in Orrefors. A steel mill opened here in 1726, but in the nineteenth century, better ore deposits were starting to be extracted to the north, and profitability fell. Johan August Samuelsson saw an opportunity: scraps from forestry and lumber mills could be used to run glass studios instead. Mostly, they made jars for lingonberry jam and bottles for ink and cologne on a small scale – in 1899, there were about 50 employees. When Johan Ekman of Gothenburg bought the forest in 1913, he acquired Orrefors Bruks AB in the bargain. At that time, crystal and window glass were also manufactured here.

Orrefors Kosta Boda continues to produce industrially made glass in addition to unique art objects of the absolute highest quality. With a focus on the artists, the innovative designs and styles of the 1920s guided the glassworks forward. Today’s artists and designers interpret their own era through glass.

The beauty and quality of glass is continuously reviewed, improved and refined – and the possibilities are endless. This glass is far from a final chapter, and its history is being written in this very moment.

Nordic Urban Berlin is offering the whole collection of Kosta Boda.

Products:

Kosta Boda: Anna/ Atoll/ Basket/ Because/ Black Elements/ Blues Brains/ Brick/ By Me/ Cabana/ Cancan/ Caramba/ Catwalk/ Celebrate/ Chateau/ Connect/ Contrast/ Cupcake Speake/ Cool Moon/ Earth/ Energy/ Fidji/ Floating/ Flowers/ Friendship/ Happy Going/ Hatparade/ Headman Make Up/ Shoe/  Make Up Line/ Make Up Shoe/ Make Up/ Your Kitch/ Marker/ Mine/ Minelight/ Minelight/ Mirage/ My Wide/ Life / New Friends/ Open Minds/ Open Minds Orchid/ Snowball/ Still Life/ Sugar Dandy/ Tattoo/ Tellus/ The Band/ Two Of Us/ Two Sweet Hearts/ Ulla Underworld/ Vision/ Vivienne/ Difference/ Divine/ Dizzy/ Diamond/ Erik Friday/ Intermezzo/ Intermezzo/ Satin Nobel/ Optima/ Taste/ Youwe Chateau/ Jackie/ Line/ Sugar Dandy

Iris / Erika Lagerbielke

Orrefors Sweden: Cubic/ Corona/ Amor/ Vincit/ Omnia/ Chimney/ Celeste/ Carat Beer/ Amour/ Armadillo/ Crazy Hearts/ Delight/ Difference/ Difference Discus/ Divine/ Drop/ Eko/ Enjoy/ Hotto/ Fashion/ Houston/ Ice Cube/ Intermezzo/ Intermezzo Satin/ Karl Lagerfeld KL/ Klone/ Legend Light/ Switch/ Menorah/ Mingus/ Orion/ Merlot/ More/ New York/ Precious/ Puck/ New York Nobel/ Quartet/ Pond Black/ Pulse Raspberry/ Street/ Sofiero Valentino Vase/ Tornado Votive/ Tornado Bowl/ Triangle

Product Groups: Glas / Blown Glas / Art / Art Glas / Cutlery / Bowls / Vases / Designer Glas / Candle Holder Glas / Table Decoration / Glas Sculptures / Cups

Designer: Åsa Jungnelius / Gunnar Cyrén / Jan Johansson / Anna Ehrner / Kjell Engman / Olle Brozén / Ulrica Hydman-Vallien / Ludvig Löfgren / Göran Wärff / Ernst Billgren / Ingegerd Råman / Lena Bergström / Malin Lindahl / Anne Nilsson / Karl Lagerfeld / Karim Rashid