Kosta Glasbruk (), later known as Kosta Boda (), is a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

glassmaking company (''glasbruk'' in Swedish) founded by two foreign officers in Charles XII's army, Anders Koskull and Georg Bogislaus Staël von Holstein, in 1742.http://www.kostaboda.s

history section page 1 The name is a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsKosta, Sweden Kosta () is a locality situated in Lessebo Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden with 884 inhabitants in 2010. It is located between the cities of Kalmar and Växjö, in the forested Småland province. Kosta is known for the glassworks, Kosta Gl ...

, which was named for the company. The surrounding region has become known as the "

Kingdom of Crystal The Kingdom of Crystal (Swedish: ''Glasriket'', ''The glass realm'') is a geographical area today containing a total of 14 glassblowing, glassworks in the Municipalities of Sweden, municipalities of Emmaboda, Nybro, Uppvidinge, and Lessebo in so ...

" and is now a tourist site which attracts a million visitors annually.

History

Early production consisted of

window A window is an opening in a wall, door, roof, or vehicle that allows the exchange of light and may also allow the passage of sound and sometimes air. Modern windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent materia ...

glass Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...

chandelier A chandelier (; also known as girandole, candelabra lamp, or least commonly suspended lights) is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent li ...

s and drinking

es. From the 1840s, the factory was at the forefront of new trends and technical developments, producing

pressed glass Pressed glass (or pattern glass)
is a form of

Reijmyre glassworks but both retained their own names and Kosta went on to maintain its reputation as one of the leading Swedish manufacturers with a range of fine

art glass Art glass is a subset of glass art, this latter covering the whole range of art made from glass. Art glass normally refers only to pieces made since the mid-19th century, and typically to those purely made as sculpture or decorative art, with ...

and

tableware Tableware is any dish or dishware used for setting a table, serving food, and dining. It includes cutlery, List of glassware, glassware, serving dishes, and other items for practical as well as decorative purposes. The quality, nature, variet ...

by distinguished designers such as Vicke Lindstrand, artistic director from 1950-1973. Having merged with

Boda Glasbruk Boda Glasbruk is a village situated in Emmaboda Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden. It had 201 inhabitants in 2005. One of the glassworks of Kosta Glasbruk Kosta Glasbruk (), later known as Kosta Boda (), is a Swedish glassmaking company ('' ...

Emmaboda Municipality Emmaboda Municipality (''Emmaboda kommun'') is a municipality in Kalmar County, in south-eastern Sweden. Its seat is located in the town Emmaboda. The present municipality was formed in 1971, when the market town (''köping'') of Emmaboda (itself ...

, Kosta Glasbruk is still active today under the name of Kosta Boda.

Gallery

File:Kosta-glasbruk-glassblowing.jpg, Glassblowing for visitors File:004Kosta Boda Art Gallery.jpg, Kosta Boda Art Gallery. File:011Kosta.Storgatan.jpg, Kosta Main Street File:006Kosta Bruksmiljö.jpg, Factory grounds File:008Kosta.Stenmagasinet.jpg, Stenmagasinet

Notes and references

External links

Company official websiteA company entry at Illinois State Museum
{{Authority control Glassmaking companies of Sweden 1742 establishments in Sweden Companies established in 1742 Värend Companies based in Kronoberg County Museums in Kronoberg County Industry museums in Sweden Purveyors to the Court of Sweden