Kosta

Kosta glassworks was founded in 1741. The name Kosta is taken from the first letters of the surnames of the founders of the glassworks: Anders Koskull and Georg Bogislaus Staël von Holstein.

Over the years, Kosta became Sweden´s leading glassworks and manufactured all types of glass, from simple bottles to high end stemware.

The 1897 General Art and Industrial Exposition of Stockholm marked a turning point for Kosta because their glass did not impress the critics. Kosta sought to recruit designers who might stay with them for a prolonged period as was the case at Orrefors.

The designer who stayed with the longest in the period before the second World War was Elis Bergh, he was there for 21 years between 1929 and 1950.

Bergh was followed at Kosta by Vicke Lindstrand who had previously worked for Orrefors but had been absent from the glass industry for 10 years due to a non-competition clause imposed on him when he left Orrefors. He had been at ceramics company Uppsala-Ekeby as the art director for the 10 years.

Lindstrand’s creative flair and the development of new techniques led to Kosta establishing itself as a leader in the design and production of art glass as well as practical items such as stemware.

In the period that Lindstrand was heading up the design side several notable designers joined Kosta including Goran Warff and Mona Morales-Schildt.

In 1976 Kosta merged with Afors Boda to form Kosta Boda AB this brought Bertil Vallien to the team of designers; in 1989 Kosta Boda and Orrefors merged to form Orrefors Kosta Boda AB.

Further consolidation led to the group being sold to the New Wave group in 2005 who in 2012 closed the Orrefors glassworks concentrating on the Kosta Boda label.