Skultuna Messingsbruk (literally, "''Skultuna Brass Works''") 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 ...

manufacturer of

brass Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...

and brass products. Founded in 1607 at the behest of King

Karl IX Charles IX, also Carl (; 4 October 1550 – 30 October 1611), reigned as King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I () and of his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, the brother of King Eric XIV and of K ...

, Skultuna Messingsbruk is located in Skultuna on the outskirts of

Västerås Västerås () is a city in central Sweden on the shore of Mälaren, Lake Mälaren in the province of Västmanland, west of Stockholm. The city had a population of 127,799 at the end of 2019, out of the municipal total of 158,653, over 100,000 mo ...

. The logotype of Skultuna consists of the closed royal crown, the name "Skultuna" and the founding year "1607". It is one of the oldest companies in the World.

Early history

In the year 1607, King

could at last implement his long held plans for a Swedish brass industry. He had a man sent off on the Crown's business to find a suitable location for a brass foundry. The choice fell on Skultuna, where the Svartån brook provided sufficient water power. Charcoal was available here as well, there was a harbor in Västerås and the copper mine at Falun was also close. Skultuna Messingsbruk was founded and the king's decision confirmed in a letter dated 11 February 1607. The work could proceed. The history of the brass foundry During the time of Gustav Wasa and Erik XIV, Sweden had become indebted to the Hanseatic League. Refining copper into brass would reduce imports of brass and increase income from exports. The work was divided up between different workshops, each one supervised by a master craftsman. The early products consisted mainly of brass plate, chandeliers and candlesticks. Some of these designs are still in production, like the Office Candlestick and Chandeliers. Near the end of the 19th century Skultuna worked closely with the Swedish designer Carl-Hjalmar Norrström who created a number of classic items for it, among these a baptismal font in brass, copper and silver that won the gold medal at the Stockholm Exhibition in 1897 and the

Paris Exhibition Paris Exposition or Paris Exhibition can refer to * French Industrial Exposition of 1844 * Exposition des produits de l'industrie française, held intermittently from 1798 to 1849 * Exposition Universelle (1855), the Paris Exposition of 1855 * Expos ...

in 1900.

Present day

The production in Skultuna is continuing in an unbroken line since 1607, every year about five hundred chandeliers are built, a couple of thousand candlesticks are mounted and polished, thousands of cuff links are packaged and shipped around the world. There are two product lines today: Home Accessories and Fashion Accessories and it is working closely with some of the world's leading designers like

Ilse Crawford Ilse Catherine Crawford (born 1962) is a British interior and furniture designer. Early life and education Crawford was born in London in 1962 to Jill Rendall and Malcom Crawford. Her father, Malcom, was the editor of ''The Sunday Times'' and ...

, Richard Hutten,

Claesson Koivisto Rune Claesson Koivisto Rune is a Swedish architectural partnership, founded in 1995 by Mårten Claesson, Eero Koivisto and Ola Rune. It started as an architectural firm, but has since become a multi-disciplinary office with an equal emphasis on both ...

, , and . Among the many designers that worked with the firm through 1900s

Sigvard Bernadotte Sigvard Oscar Fredrik, Prince Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg (7 June 1907 – 4 February 2002) born as, and until 1934 known as, Prince Sigvard of Sweden, Duke of Uppland, was a member of the Swedish Royal Family and a successful industrial des ...

and Pierre Forssell stands out with their timeless modernism.

Royal Warrant Holder to the Swedish Court

Skultuna is a Purveyor to the Court of Sweden. Since its foundation in 1607, at the behest of King

, it has been a Royal Warrant Holder to the Swedish court. To qualify for a warrant, the order must come from the royal court to which the company must deliver its goods or services. A royal warrant is personal and usually awarded to the managing director of the company rather than the company itself. All goods and services are paid for by the court.

Crown Princess Victoria Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland (Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée; born 14 July 1977) is the heir apparent to the Swedish throne, as the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf. If she ascends to the throne as expect ...

visited Skultuna Messingsbruk on 14 June 2007 during the 400-year anniversary and inaugurated a bronze memorial plaque of the founder King

Tourism & The Factory Shops

This factory is one of the most visited tourism attractions in Sweden with over 150 000 visitors each year. There tourists can visit the museum, the café and the shops that recently have been opened in the old factory buildings.

Gallery

File:Crownprincess Victoria of Sweden Skultuna 2007.jpg,

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland (Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée; born 14 July 1977) is the heir apparent to the Swedish throne, as the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf. If she ascends to the throne as expec ...

with the present managing director Viktor Blomqvist File:Skultuna messingsbruk no 13 brass candles Gothenburg Sweden 2023.jpg, Brass candle holders, model number 13, by Skultuna Messingsbruk File:Brass mortar pestle model No 4 Skultuna Messingsbruk Skultuna Sweden.jpg, Brass mortar and pestle, model number 4, by Skultuna Messingsbruk File:Skultuna copper kettle Skultuna Sweden presumably 1800s.jpg, Copper kettle (2.5 l) by Skultuna Messingsbruk

Footnotes

References

* Sigurd Erixon, Skultuna Bruks Historia, part I-II.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Skultuna Messingsbruk Manufacturing companies of Sweden Purveyors to the Court of Sweden Companies based in Västmanland County 1607 establishments in Sweden