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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Scandinavian Glass => Topic started by: Timosarp1926 on February 16, 2013, 08:57:36 PM

Title: Questions Regarding HOVMANTORP Sweden and Arabia Silja Pattern
Post by: Timosarp1926 on February 16, 2013, 08:57:36 PM
Today I came across a Hovmantorp decanter and a Arabia/Nuutajarvi Silja serving bowl.  I can't find any info about Hovmantorp other than that they were a Swedish company.  Did they merge at some point with Oreffors?  Any references would be great.  As for Arabia Silja I gather the line was designed by Heikki Orvola but I'm not sure when and if it was for Arabia or Nuutajarvi prior to the merger?  Any info would be great.

Thanks,
Jeff
Title: Re: Questions Regarding HOVMANTORP Sweden and Arabia Silja Pattern
Post by: langhaugh on February 16, 2013, 10:48:08 PM
Hovmantorp is a hard company to find out about. I presume it's named after the town in which it's situated. I've seen Mantorp suggested as another name for the company but that's another town in Sweden. The three designers I've seen with a connection to Hovmantorp are Rune Strand, Elsa Soderberg, and Signe Person-Melin. The latest date I've seen for Hovmantorp is 1978, but I've never seen  suggestion it became a part of another company, such as Orrefors.

All the reference to Silja have been for pieces appearing in North America. I had a look at http://www.laatutavara.com/  which is an excellent sit selling Finnish glass. Although there was a fair bit of glass by Orvola for sale there, there was no Silja. You might also want to check www.designlasi.com/ which is a great site of Finnish glass.

David
Title: Re: Questions Regarding HOVMANTORP Sweden and Arabia Silja Pattern
Post by: Timosarp1926 on February 17, 2013, 01:37:06 AM
David,

Thank you for the prompt and informative reply.  Of the Hovmantorp designers you mentioned I'm familiar with Rune Strand's work for SEA Glas but again I thought that firm was a subsidiary of a larger maker.  Perhaps I'll post a picture of the decanter.  As for the Silja to me it bears a passing similarity to Oiva Toikka's Fauna/Flora pieces but clearly much less detailed and I assume much easier to manufacture.

Thanks again,
Jeff
Title: Re: Questions Regarding HOVMANTORP Sweden and Arabia Silja Pattern
Post by: langhaugh on February 17, 2013, 05:59:10 AM
Sea Glasbruk was located in Orrefors, the town. It became part of the Orrefors/Kosta/Boda conglomerate eventually. 

I Googled Silja and it came up as the name of a ferry company in Scandinavia. I wonder if the decanter is a ship's decanter for them.  It's worth having a look at the Laatutavura site to see if you recognize it there.

David
Title: Re: Questions Regarding HOVMANTORP Sweden and Arabia Silja Pattern
Post by: mbmb on February 17, 2013, 09:21:07 AM
There is info on the many (often small) Swedish glassworks to be found, but a working knowledge of Scandinavian languages is usually required, I’m afraid. As for Hovmantorps Glasbruk (or glassworks), it was for many years one of four small glassworks in the town of Hovmantorp, Sweden. Established 1905 as Hovmantorps Nya Glasbruk (nya = new), it was built on the remains of an earlier glassworks which operated from 1860 until it burned down in 1878. Hovmantorp production reached its peak in the 1920s and 1930s. Known particularly for its own technique of spray painting on glass, developed by Frantz Müller. Other designers include Carl J. Alexandersson, Hans Owe Sandeberg, Barbro Reyde-Sandeberg, Signe Persson-Melin, Elsa Söderberg and Rune Strand. The company did not merge with others, but went bankrupt and disappeared altogether in 1977.

mbmb
Title: Re: Questions Regarding HOVMANTORP Sweden and Arabia Silja Pattern
Post by: Timosarp1926 on February 17, 2013, 02:12:28 PM
Again, thanks to you both for the additional information.  I did check the Laatutavura site for any Silja pieces before posting but found nothing.  David's comment that distribution was limited to N.A. may explain why.

Jeff
Title: Re: Questions Regarding HOVMANTORP Sweden and Arabia Silja Pattern
Post by: Ivo on February 17, 2013, 03:16:38 PM
However, Sea in the town of Kosta, did not go under.
http://www.seaglasbruk.se/
Title: Re: Questions Regarding HOVMANTORP Sweden and Arabia Silja Pattern
Post by: langhaugh on February 17, 2013, 05:16:41 PM
Ivo is correct, of course, about Sea being in Kosta, not Orrefors. My mistake. 

Ivo, I noticed that your link says that Sea is part of the Sagaform group, and yet the Orrefors web site still says that Sea is a subsidiary of Orrrefors Kosta Boda, as you have it in your book. Do you know if  Sagaform is a recent development?

David
Title: Re: Questions Regarding HOVMANTORP Sweden and Arabia Silja Pattern
Post by: Ivo on February 17, 2013, 05:22:48 PM
I think the only person to know about current owners and activities is Bill Geary. I've lost track some time ago.
Title: Re: Questions Regarding HOVMANTORP Sweden and Arabia Silja Pattern
Post by: mbmb on February 17, 2013, 05:30:59 PM
Back to Silja: designed by Heikki Orvola 1975, and in production until 1978. Glass by Nuutajärvi/Notsjö was marketed under the brand name Arabia 1971-78, so some confusion is bound to occur here. Nuutajärvi/Notsjö merged with Iittala in 1988. The Silja design has nothing to do with the Silja ferry line; Silja is a Scandinavian girl’s name.

mbmb
Title: Re: Questions Regarding HOVMANTORP Sweden and Arabia Silja Pattern
Post by: langhaugh on February 17, 2013, 05:48:03 PM
Thanks mbmb.  Very useful and welcome information.

David
Title: Re: Questions Regarding HOVMANTORP Sweden and Arabia Silja Pattern
Post by: cjf on February 18, 2013, 01:35:18 PM
Ivo, I noticed that your link says that Sea is part of the Sagaform group, and yet the Orrefors web site still says that Sea is a subsidiary of Orrrefors Kosta Boda, as you have it in your book. Do you know if  Sagaform is a recent development?

David

Orrefors/Kosta-Boda and Sagaform are both subsidiaries within the Swedish publicly traded company New Wave Group. It seems that they have shuffled around a bit internally so that Sea is now owned by Sagaform, but they are all in the same group.
Title: Re: Questions Regarding HOVMANTORP Sweden and Arabia Silja Pattern
Post by: Bill G on February 21, 2013, 07:24:39 PM
The perodic dances of corporate ownership of Orrefors and Kosta Boda can at times be interesting.

At one point Orrefors owned Kosta Boda and by the way Venini but ownership changes happened and Kosta Boda ended
up with controlling interest.

New Wave, a corporate conglomerate, purchased the company Kosta Boda Orrefors and through corporate decisions have
run the operation into the ground. They failed to build on the brand idenity established by previous corporate managers at
Orrefors in the USA and coupled with world economic conditions, the glass operations appear to be in a spiral dive to extinction.

Orrefors is basically shut down, Afors with Bertil Vallen is closed, Boda is practically closed and Kosta staff has been reduced
with all administration being sent to corporate headquarters in Gothenberg.

The small glassworks Sea which has been owned by Kosta is still in operation as far as I know.

Orrefors purchased a glass works in Hovmantorp called Sandvik in the 1920\s which produced  inexpensive glass designed
by Gate and Hald.

Bill Geary