ManufacturerSwedish
Boda
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Boda Glasbruk was a Swedish glassworks founded in 1864 in what is now Emmaboda Municipality, Småland, by master glassblowers Vidlund and Scheutz, who had previously worked at the nearby Kosta Glasbruk. Established in the same forested region that had sustained Swedish glassmaking since the 18th century, Boda initially produced utilitarian glass and tableware. The factory operated independently for over a century, building a solid reputation within Sweden's Glasriket (Kingdom of Crystal) region.
Boda's artistic identity was transformed in 1953 when Erik Höglund (1932-1998), a young sculptor from Karlskrona, joined the glassworks at the age of 21. Höglund's arrival marked a radical departure from the polished elegance that had defined Swedish glass. He embraced rustic, deliberately imperfect forms, incorporating air bubbles, rough textures, and primitive embossed motifs of faces, animals, and abstract symbols into his glass. This approach challenged established notions of taste within the Swedish glass industry and aligned with broader international trends toward craft-based expressionism. Höglund received the Lunning Prize in 1957, the leading Scandinavian design award of its era, confirming his impact on Nordic design.
Höglund's most enduring design for Boda is Fars Glas ("Father's Glass," 1969), a bold, function-led drinking glass family that became a cult classic, reissued in collaboration with Hem in recent years. Beyond glass, Höglund expanded into iron, wood, and bronze, creating chandeliers, sculptures, and furniture produced jointly with Boda Glasbruk and Smide (the forge). His iron and glass chandeliers, combining wrought metalwork with thick, bubble-flecked glass elements, are among the most distinctive objects from mid-century Swedish craft.
Other designers who contributed to Boda's production include Mona Morales-Schildt and Bertil Vallien, who went on to become one of Kosta Boda's foremost glass artists. In 1976, Boda merged with Kosta and Åfors to form Kosta Boda AB. The glass museum The Glass Factory is now located in the former Boda Glasbruk facility.
At auction, Boda glass is closely associated with Erik Höglund's work. His art glass vases, sculptural bowls, and especially his iron and glass chandeliers are the most sought-after items, appearing at Bukowskis, Uppsala Auktionskammare, and across Auctionet. Höglund's smaller pieces, such as round ashtrays and sun catchers in green, brown, and turquoise glass with embossed faces, are more commonly found and offer accessible entry points for collectors of Scandinavian mid-century design.