Category: Home & Kitchen
Vendor: Kosta Boda Contrast dish; 13-3/4-inch diameter Lead-free crystal handcrafted by master glassmakers in Sweden Designed by Swedis
Product Description : Amazon.com ReviewA true work of art, the Contrast dish marries abstraction and down-to-earth solidity. Each handmade crystal bowl encloses smoky wisps of either black, white, cobalt blue, or lime green. Seemingly draped across the surfaces are thin strings of complementary colored glass for contrast, lending a playful air. Significantly sized at 13-3/4 inches in diameter, the shallow dish looks superb displayed on a table, in a hutch, or on a sideboard filled with fresh fruit. Matching bowls are also available. Because the color is hand-applied at the Kosta Boda glassworks in Sweden, no two pieces are exactly the same. Contrast is a creation of Swedish artist Anna Ehrner, known for her strong, pure forms infused with swirls or lines of color. Ehrner has been designing for Kosta Boda since 1974, experimenting with everything from jewelry to stemware. Each glass piece arrives in a Kosta Boda box, signifying the highest artistry in both design and implementation. Washing the lead-free crystal by hand is recommended. --Ann Bieri From the ManufacturerAbout the Designer:"Our life blood," says designer Anna Ehrner, "is the creative process that takes place in the blowing room." Born in 1948, Ehrner has been retained by Kosta Boda since 1974 and maintains a studio at Kosta glassworks. Experimental in style, Ehrner's work is distinguished by simple yet powerful shapes and an ability to achieve shimmering displays by using color in subtle ways. For her, the final objective is almost always a synthesis between practical utility and elegant design, even though the final piece may be years in the making. Ehrner takes inspiration from nature--the lagoons of the Pacific, the northern lights--and veils of color inside the crystal have also become something of a trademark in her art glass. She is the originator of sales successes such as the Line glasses and the Atoll series of bowls. About the Kosta Boda:With characteristic craftsmanship and good design, Kosta Boda has become one of the leading glasshouses in the world. The company's three glassworks in the villages of Kosta, Boda, and ?fors each have exciting individual stories of their own yet stand together under the common brand name Kosta Boda. The corps of designers currently on retainer at Kosta Boda works with both utilitarian and art glass. Glass results from a great many meetings between people--artists, craftspeople, and lovers of glass. The artists of Kosta Boda have a decisive role to play in all the creative stages of the process. The cooperation between the designers and the skilled craftspeople is very close; indeed, it is essential if the designers are to transfer their intentions to the glass. The History of Kosta Boda:Kosta, the parent glassworks of Kosta Boda and the oldest glassworks in Sweden still in operation, has a fascinating history that forms a valuable part of Swedish cultural heritage. The glassworks was founded in 1742 by the governors of the counties of Kronoberg and Kalmar, Anders Koskull and Georg Bogislaus Stael von Holstein, both former generals in the army of Karl XII and distinguished veterans of the battle of Narva, among others. The two county governors founded the glassworks upon the instructions of Fredrik I and modeled it on Continental glassworks. The works was situated deep in the spruce forests of Sm?land, on a site midway between the two country towns, and near a village that was then known as D?fvedshult. The main reason for choosing this location was the unlimited availability of wood. Enormous quantities of wood were naturally required to keep the glassmaking furnaces burning day and night. Both of the founders wanted their names to be remembered, so the works was christened Kosta, from the initial letters--Ko and Sta--of the surnames of both the Carolinian generals. After a time the entire community was renamed after the growing glassworks. During the first 150 years, the glassworks in Kosta produced only utility glass, including window glass for the building of Tessin's Royal Palace, bottles and glass for the ro
