Kosta Boda
Historic Swedish glassmaking brand known for hand-crafted art glass, tableware, and collaborations with prominent designers.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Kosta Boda is a Swedish glassmaking brand and manufacturer based in Kosta, in the Småland region. Its roots reach back to 1742, when the glassworks was established by the army officers Anders Koskull and Georg Bogislaus Staël von Holstein. The name Kosta was formed from parts of the founders’ surnames. The settlement that developed around the works eventually took the company’s name, and the surrounding area became associated with the Swedish glassmaking district often called the Kingdom of Crystal. The business began with practical glass products, including window glass, chandeliers, and drinking glasses. During the nineteenth century it adopted new production methods and responded to changing tastes. Pressed glass was introduced in the 1840s, and a glass-cutting workshop was established in the 1880s. These developments helped the works move beyond basic utility products and build expertise in decorative and technically demanding glass. Design became increasingly important to the brand during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In 1898, Kosta engaged Gunnar Gunnarsson Wennerberg as its first in-house designer. The company later worked with a long succession of artists and designers, including Elis Bergh, Vicke Lindstrand, Monica Backström, Ewald Dahlskog, Anna Ehrner, Sven Erixson, Erik Höglund, Åsa Jungnelius, Tyra Lundgren, Mona Morales-Schildt, Edvin Ollers, Sven Erik Skawonius, Ulrica Hydman Vallien, Bertil Vallien, Göran Wärff, and Ann Wolff. Their work contributed to Kosta Boda’s identity as a design-led glass brand rather than solely a traditional industrial glassworks. Kosta’s corporate history also includes several important combinations. Boda Glasbruk, a separate glassmaking company in Emmaboda Municipality, was merged into Kosta Glasbruk. In 1903, Kosta also merged with Reijmyre glassworks, although the two operations retained their individual names. Orrefors acquired Kosta Boda in 1990, and since 2005 the brand has operated within Orrefors Kosta Boda, which is part of the New Wave Group. Today, Kosta Boda is associated with hand-blown and otherwise artisan-produced art glass, decorative objects, vases, candleholders, drinking glasses, and tableware. Its positioning combines Swedish glassmaking heritage with contemporary artistic design. The brand’s works are represented in the collections of museums in Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States, including the Swedish National Museum, Smålands Museum, the National Museum of Norway, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Museum of Wales, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, the Brooklyn Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art. Kosta Boda has also produced prominent presentation trophies, including the Eurovision Song Contest trophy since 2008 and the International Handball Federation Women’s World Championship trophy since 2023.
History
Kosta Boda’s history begins in 1742, when Anders Koskull and Georg Bogislaus Staël von Holstein founded a glassworks in the forests of Småland. Both founders were officers in the army of Charles XII. The company’s name, Kosta, was created from elements of their surnames: Koskull supplied “Ko” and Staël supplied “sta.” The works became the economic centre of the settlement that grew around it, and the locality eventually adopted the name Kosta. The early factory produced functional glass for domestic and architectural use. Its output included window glass, chandeliers, and drinking glasses. During the 1840s the works moved toward newer manufacturing techniques and began producing pressed glass. In the 1880s it added a dedicated glass-cutting workshop, strengthening its capacity for decorative and higher-value products. These technical and stylistic developments laid the foundation for the combination of utility, ornament, and craft that later defined the brand. Kosta’s development was linked to the wider network of Swedish glassworks. Boda Glasbruk, based in what is now Emmaboda Municipality, was merged into Kosta Glasbruk. Kosta also merged with Reijmyre glassworks in 1903, although the two businesses continued to use their own names. The company increasingly treated design as a strategic part of production. In 1898 it hired Gunnar Gunnarsson Wennerberg as its first in-house designer. Elis Bergh served as artistic director from 1928 to 1950 and continued as a consultant until his death in 1954. The twentieth century brought a broad series of artist and designer partnerships. Vicke Lindstrand served as artistic director from 1950 to 1973. During this period, he commissioned architect Bruno Mathsson to design buildings for Kosta, including an exhibition hall and terraced workers’ housing. The housing, known as Kosta Glashus, later received protected Building Monument status from the Swedish National Heritage Board in 2007. The built environment around the factory therefore became part of the cultural history of the glassworks, not merely a backdrop to production. Kosta’s design network expanded through collaborations with figures such as Monica Backström, Ewald Dahlskog, Anna Ehrner, Sven Erixson, Erik Höglund, Åsa Jungnelius, Tyra Lundgren, Mona Morales-Schildt, Edvin Ollers, Sven Erik Skawonius, Ulrica Hydman Vallien, Bertil Vallien, Göran Wärff, and Ann Wolff. Their approaches ranged from sculptural and experimental art glass to functional vessels and tableware. This continuing relationship between industrial production and individual artistic authorship became one of Kosta Boda’s defining characteristics. Orrefors acquired Kosta Boda in 1990. Since 2005, Kosta Boda has been part of Orrefors Kosta Boda, a subsidiary of New Wave Group. The brand remains active under the Kosta Boda name. Its products are sold and collected internationally, while Kosta itself has become a destination within Sweden’s Kingdom of Crystal tourism region. The company’s objects are held by museums including the Swedish National Museum, Smålands Museum, the National Museum of Norway, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Museum of Wales, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, the Brooklyn Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art. Since 2008, the brand has also made the Eurovision Song Contest trophy; in 2023 it became associated with the International Handball Federation Women’s World Championship trophy.
- 2023
Kosta Boda produces the women’s world handball trophy
[1]Kosta Boda becomes the maker of the International Handball Federation Women’s World Championship trophy.
- 2008
Kosta Boda begins making the Eurovision trophy
[1]The brand becomes the maker of the Eurovision Song Contest trophy.
- 2007
Kosta Glashus receives heritage protection
[1]The Bruno Mathsson-designed Kosta Glashus housing complex is granted protected Building Monument status by the Swedish National Heritage Board.
- 2005
Kosta Boda joins New Wave Group
[1]Kosta Boda becomes part of Orrefors Kosta Boda, a New Wave Group subsidiary.
- 1990
Orrefors acquires Kosta Boda
[1]Orrefors acquires the Kosta Boda business, linking the brand with another major Swedish glass name.
- 1950
Vicke Lindstrand becomes artistic director
[1]Vicke Lindstrand succeeds Bergh and serves as artistic director until 1973.
- 1928
Elis Bergh becomes artistic director
[1]Elis Bergh begins his period as Kosta Glasbruk’s artistic director, serving through 1950.
- 1903
Kosta merges with Reijmyre
[1]Kosta Glasbruk merges with Reijmyre glassworks, while both operations retain their separate names.
- 1898
First in-house designer is appointed
[1]Gunnar Gunnarsson Wennerberg joins the company as its first in-house designer.
- 1880
Glass-cutting workshop is established
[1]Kosta establishes a glass-cutting workshop, expanding its decorative production capabilities.
Products and positioning
A premium Swedish art-glass and tableware brand combining long-standing glassmaking craftsmanship with contemporary Scandinavian and artist-led design.
Art glass
Art glass
Kosta Boda’s art-glass work includes sculptural and decorative pieces made through techniques associated with Swedish studio and factory glassmaking. The range reflects the company’s long-running collaborations with artists and designers, combining hand craftsmanship, colour, form, and experimentation. These objects are intended both as collectible design and as examples of the artistic possibilities of glass.
Home decor
Vases and decorative vessels
Vases, bowls, and related vessels form a central part of Kosta Boda’s decorative range. They translate the brand’s artistic glassmaking into objects for display and domestic use, with collections spanning functional forms and more sculptural designs. Specific shapes and finishes vary according to the designer and collection.
Tableware
Tableware and drinking glasses
Kosta Boda produces functional glassware for dining and serving, including drinking glasses and other tableware. This category connects the company’s industrial glassmaking heritage with its design-led identity, using crafted forms and decorative treatments while retaining everyday utility.
Home accessories
Candleholders and lighting-related glass
Candleholders and lighting-related pieces represent the brand’s broader use of glass in interior settings. Earlier production included chandeliers, while later decorative products use glass to create colour, transparency, reflection, and atmosphere in the home.
Awards and presentation objects · 2008
Ceremonial trophies
Kosta Boda makes high-profile glass trophies for international events. Its known assignments include the Eurovision Song Contest trophy from 2008 and the International Handball Federation Women’s World Championship trophy from 2023. These objects apply the company’s glassmaking capabilities to symbolic and ceremonial design.
Brand decisions
2023
International handball trophy assignmentOtherBackground
The International Handball Federation uses dedicated trophies for its world championship competitions.
Action taken
Kosta Boda became the maker of the Women’s World Championship trophy.
Aftermath
The brand added another international sporting trophy to its portfolio of ceremonial glass objects.
2008
Eurovision Song Contest trophy assignmentOtherBackground
The Eurovision Song Contest uses a distinctive trophy as part of its international event presentation.
Action taken
Kosta Boda began making the Eurovision Song Contest trophy.
Aftermath
The assignment increased the visibility of Kosta Boda’s glassmaking capabilities through a globally recognized ceremonial object.
2005
Kosta Boda becomes part of New Wave GroupM&ABackground
Following Orrefors’s ownership, the brand was reorganized within the Orrefors Kosta Boda business.
Action taken
Kosta Boda became part of Orrefors Kosta Boda, a subsidiary of New Wave Group.
Aftermath
The brand continued operating as an active Kosta Boda glassmaking and design business within the New Wave Group portfolio.
1990
Orrefors acquires Kosta BodaM&ABackground
Kosta Boda’s corporate history became linked with Orrefors, another important Swedish glass company.
Action taken
Orrefors acquired Kosta Boda while the brand continued under its own name.
Aftermath
The acquisition established the ownership relationship that later led to the Orrefors Kosta Boda structure.
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