Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Scandinavian Glass => Topic started by: patriciabright on February 04, 2005, 03:45:59 PM
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Hi, I was advised by a collector from Sweden that the glass I had on my home page, described as "Whitefriars" was not in fact Whitefriars But was made by Ruda Glasbruk. Designed by Gote Augustsson. If you want any further info on this I can give you her email address (that is if your enquiry is genuine) I am not familiar with this glass maker, but was told that the glass was made in the sixties and the factory closed in the 1970's. :D
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I have located three towns in Sweden with the name of
Ruda. One is near Finspang which is not too far from Remyre Glass Works and is my guess where this glass works was located. I will contact the Glass Museum in
Vaxjö to see what information they have on the designer
and company.
Thank you for researching in my book
Bill Geary
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Ruda Glasbruk existed from 1910 to 1972. Ruda is a town in the "glasriket" or Kingdom of Glass in Sweden. This where all the main glass companies of Sweden are based. Kosta, Orrefors, Maleras etc, are all there.
The most common pieces are in Cobalt Blue and are from the series called "Kobolt". Obviously! LOL!!!
The brown/amber pieces are from the "Orient" series.
A green coloured series that is not common is called "Turkos" (turquoise).
There are clear glass items and also orange and red vases that sort of look like the colours of flames. I don't know the names of these. The blue vases etc, are by far the most common. The only designer that pops up is Gote Augustsson. He was definitely around in the sixties as a lot of the pieces have the transparent Ruda label with his name.
I am still trying to find out more myself about the company and Augustsson. I am also needingto find out more about Aseda Glasbruk and Bo Borgstrom. A holiday in Sweden beckons I think! LOL!
Gote Augustsson worked there from the late fifties until the end in 1972. Apparently they were selling the glass for less than it cost to make! Never a good business plan! That would account for the closure of the factory then.
I would assume it was not very popular at the time. This begs the question as to why did they bother making it?
I'll find out more.
I imagine an importer did bring them in but probably not G Hardy. I have never seen any of their labels on any pieces. They usually have the Ruda label and quite often are without it as it has been lost, washed off etc. Ruda are not among any list of G Hardy suppliers I have found. Very little of the Aseda items found here in the UK have the Aseda label. Unless I am selling them on Ebay!!! LOL!!!
It is quite intriguing though. Very little information is available on the exporting/importing of glass such as this.
I know little about Aseda Glasbruk other than they existed from 1947-1977. Were swallowed by Royal Krona group in 1975 and then closed. I know where the town of Aseda is. Its now mainly involved in the production of Aluminium. Bo Borgstrom was their main/most famous designer but there is little on him. G Hardy obviously took a lot of production. I find it odd that a company that made so much is very much a mystery!
Any info at all would be a bonus!
Vidfletch
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David, here is a piece that I own you might find interesting. The lable reads "Svensk Form--Bo Borgstrom---Sweden--Aseda
http://tinypic.com/1tu5nl
Another piece in my collection with a lable. This one just says Sweden Aseda. Hope you enjoy Terry in Iowa
http://tinypic.com/1tuaag
Moderator: Tinypic images gone so links deleted.
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I have found out some more information on Ruda Glasbruk.
They were founded in the village of Ruda on the 14th of June 1920. Prior to this only the Railway Station was there! At first they sold household glass to a company called NK in Stockholm and had several months production bought in advance. The workforce was about 30 and in 1930 the employees took over the factory. Production was modernised an consisted of mainly pressed and blown household glass. Later, Crystal was added. The company was now called AB Nya Ruda Glasindustri.
In 1947 a company called Jungner bought Ruda. Göte Augustsson arrived from this company and became Works Manager and Chief Designer. During the war Göte was involved with making optical glass for various instruments including binoculars. They actually bought Ruda to make fireproof glass and was the only company in Scandinavia to do so! The factory was now to make laboratory glass, household glass, and coloured ornamental glass. They also made items to special order including the red glass for the lanterns for the Swedish State Railway! They also made glass containers for Electrolux products like food processors. Another item was glass containers for Alfa-Laval, a Swedish company who still make milking machines and liquid processing systems today!
The site of Ruda Glasbruk has been in the process of being environmentally cleaned in the last few years due to chemical contamination. For the Blue KOBOLT range they did use Cobalt. Cadmium was used for yellow glass. Cadmium and Selenium was used to make the red railway lanterns. Even the company brochures made a point of the fact all these different metals were used to make the Art Glass! In 1969 the workforce was about 70 and they made about 500 tonnes of glass a year and this continued to the end in 1972. No wonder the place was contaminated!
I am trying to find out more about the specific ranges of glass. I will make this information available when I get it.
Vidfletch :o
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David -
Well done, fantastic information. Have you got any pictures of the labelled products? Or unlabelled products, so we can see what they look like? It would make a good little web page, if you had the time and inclination...
Take care and thanks!
Cathy.
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Patricias one is definitely by Ruda Glasbruk. The colour is "Orient" .
I sold one of these amongst other Ruda items on Ebay earlier this year.
I have all the pictures of the items I had.
The company I mentioned called NK that took all of the early RUDA GLABRUK production is a group of department stores in Sweden. They are still in existence today and have always stocked glass from the major companies of Sweden.
See www.nk.se .
Vidfletch :)
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Errr! That's a stange link above, thought it was going to show some glass, but I just got an "art" film clip - did I do something wrong, or is that how you pass yours days David?
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Emmi,
It's only the link to the shops website! Its a poncy shop for people with more money than sense or style!
In saying that, click and ye shall find! Oh aye, and learn some Swedish like I have been this year! LOL!!!
See you on the other side!
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I mentioned earlier in my post about the history of Ruda Glasbruk that they were owned by a company called JUNGNER.
I have on Ebay right now, a candleholder, which has an original company label in Swedish. It appears to suggest that it was given as a promotional gift for Christmas! It translates roughly as the following below.
"With this sample of Rudas new series "Grön Rustik" , we wish you a Good Christmas"
(http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/1672/newrudaandaseda0198ce.jpg)
Quite rare wouldn't you think?
I don't like blatantly advertising stuff either but you did ask! LOL!!! There will be more soon too.
It does mean Green Rustic or Rustic green by the way.
"Aktiebolaget" means "Limited Company" so i think it all means "Swedish Limited Group of Companies". Something like that. JUNGNER obviously owned a few places.
I thought I would show everyone a new piece of Ruda that has recently passed through my hands!
I don't know the proper name for this range but I call it "Flame" for obvious reasons! This and the clear Ruda pieces are not very common.
(http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/9996/newrudaandaseda008small1be.jpg)
It is about 4" high and has the Ruda and Gote Augustsson labels.
Vidfletch :D
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Good bit of researching Vidfletch - few things I didn't know
I think the green piece shouts Ruda and Gote Augustsson design - You are right G Hardy never as far as I am concerned exported or were agents for Ruda - I do love the original label with the Xmas greeting - I never knew that Ruda was owned / made by Jungner, a lovely bit of evidence right there on the glass
I don't think Ruda is that well known in the UK - I have only seen one piece - it is seriously undervalued at the moment - price guides have 8" vases by Gote Augustsson at around £70.00 (J Miller 2004 pp289 Viking Textured Vase) - compared to W/F, and it doesn't come up that often on eBay, I do see nice bits on private websites at £20.00 - £30.00, some have lovely pictures and good information - but who needs it after all you have told us http://www.potteryglass.com/swedish.htm
Ruda did some really way out designs - I am sure a fair few didn't sell in volume and are a good investment at the current prices
(http://publish.hometown.aol.co.uk/blackcatgla/images/ruda.jpg) two classic Ruda pieces by Gote Augustsson
I have not seen the smooth cased vase before great to have the 1960s label and 'Gote Augustsson' label - I would have thought the piece was 1970s rather than 60s but the label tells otherwise (I think as the factory closed in early 1970s) - How long did that designer work for the company - your cased 'flame' piece shows great versatility
Enjoyed the thread
Adam D555 :twisted: :twisted:
btw http://www.potteryglass.com/index.htm is the cheapest site for high quality glass and ceramics I have found, often cheaper than eBay - their shipping rates are also very reasonable
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Adam
Your brown piece looks to be the same as the one that started this thread off http://brightgems.net/glass/BG015.jpg. Thanks for the better pic of it.
It would seem to be what Vidfletch is refering to here :
The brown/amber pieces are from the "Orient" series.
and the blue is I guess what he is talking about here.
The most common pieces are in Cobalt Blue and are from the series called "Kobolt". Obviously! LOL!!!
These are the ones I've seen most of.
Just to be clear what I was refering to in may last post
What an extroidnary piece and not at all what I would associate with Ruda stylisically going by their other items.
was the orange and yellow piece ...not the green one currently on Ebay.
It's opaque but is it cased ?
Thats not at all obvious to me from the pic........hmmm
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Thanks for your comments guys!
I will have a clear bowl on Ebay quite soon along with several more Ruda items. I sold several Ruda vases, mugs and plates earlier this year. The big brown vase in Adams picture went for £42.
I am still in the process of getting more information on Ruda Glasbruk. Even my contacts in Sweden know little!
The flame vase is not transparent or even opaque when held up to the light. It does not appear to be cased in the conventional sense. Very little light shines from anywhere! The interior is yellow it may be that the are case on the bottom half with the solid orange colour but its hard to tell.
Adam, I have included lots of information on Ruda Glasbruk and Gote Augustsson earlier in this thread on page 1.
Vidfletch :D
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Hi, can I be a serious pain in the proverbials?
I've watched this discussion, argued with David 555 re vase bases, but we do need to lay a certain vase with raised triangles to rest.
David seemed to be absolutely convinced that his grey/smoke vase with facetted base, with depression base was Czech. Me, I'm adamant ( or mistaken) it is nothing of the sort. Recently I was sent an image of a green variant of this vase.
Sadly, copyright issues prohibit me from showing you what I mean. However, please extend me the courtesy, benefit of the doubt, when I say, the colour/shade/tint/ of green involved, would never have come from any Czechoslovakian glass company, in fact the only area I have ever seen that colour offered, as a regular occurence, is Scandinavia, both Orrefors and Holmegaard, have offered a colour consistent with that green, and the only place where I have seen that facetted base is Ruda.
Can we please try to eliminate this as an APITA piece?
Thanks,
Marcus
APITA= (Annoying Pain in the A***)
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Sorry, but you have lost me? Were you talking about this on a different thread?
This thread has just shot off a tangent! LOL!!!
Can you explain what vase you mean?
Cheers.
Vidfletch :D
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http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,2038.msg16755.html#msg16755
Vidfletch right hand vase of this topic.
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I did not mean to use the word cased in my post about the second 'flame' vase - I can see that it is not (no clear glass base to the bottom) - that would be no surprise as most of Ruda textured vases are not cased either - your description Vidfletch makes me feel it is a solid coloured or opaque glass - I have vases from different companies like this, its amazing how they blended the two colours together, looks like colour has been sprayed on bottom half
Marcus - you are no certainly no pain in the arse - I put my vase in that thread as I thought it was Czech - I then got into a tumble debate with some members about the base being so similar to the Sklo Union bullet vases - in fact it went off thread which was as much my fault as anyone’s - you are right to say that the base of the green and even the grey vase may not mean a Czech Sklo Union connection - in fact they are very like some Ruda pieces I have had, and they are also not cased, I am glad you raise the point and have seen a similar item to cause more investigation - I suffer sometimes from the 'Big Guns' opinions, they have had them down as Czech for some time - you know the guys that are always calling things 'Oberglas' or 'Polish' or 'Chinese'
I had a whole debate (ahem) with one guy as he called all 1960s Oberglas rubbish (I think some of it is so fantastic) and said they were 'bottom feeders', recently he was calling a lovely striped sommerso vase a newbie put on 'from his local Chinese' hardware store - :x
I really want to make a stand against this as such glibness stops proper research especially when a member carries such weight
Anyway ... that’s my grumble for the day - thanks for lads for continuing this thread (adding more info) and Marcus, I will look into those vases a bit more - the website I mentioned is really good at attributions and they are based in Sweden - I might send them some pics
btw here are two items (I know its a bit off thread) I was told were 'just Czech' or Bohemian of no value or interest - to be fair Frank has got a section in his website on the orange/green type vases - he says rightly that it is not Monart but of good quality and c1930, I think he is doing research into these - but you want to hear most others - I mean I love the bowl it is so uranium filled you don't need a UV light to see it glow LOL - I have these boxed away as czech of no real interest, I guess that is not really good enough - for me anyway as others opinions count, not just the 'Well quoted' as we say in Glasgow
(http://publish.hometown.aol.co.uk/blackcatgla/images/iridescent%20dish%20copy.jpg)
(http://publish.hometown.aol.co.uk/blackcatgla/images/glass%201930s%20vase%20copy.jpg)
Back on topic, http://www.potteryglass.com/swedish.htm if you scan down the page to the bowls and even the brown bottle vase you can see the deep well with base rim polished - also interesting to see the faceted circle raising from the base on one item and the very distinct mould lines
My mind is more open - I am not saying Ruda, but similarity in technique may as Marcus says indicate a non Czech manufacturer - these have always been washed away as cheap Czech (I actually love 60s 70s Czech) by authorities - Marcus mentioned in his last thread as he does in this, that may not be the case
http://publish.hometown.aol.co.uk/blackcatgla/images/czech%20copy1.jpg
http://publish.hometown.aol.co.uk/blackcatgla/images/bases%20copy3.jpg
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I thought I would show everyone a new piece of Ruda that has recently passed through my hands!
I don't know the proper name for this range but I call it "Flame" for obvious reasons! This and the clear Ruda pieces are not very common.
(http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/9996/newrudaandaseda008small1be.jpg)
It is about 4" high and has the Ruda and Gote Augustsson labels.
Vidfletch :D
Vidfletch, there are two in the same range here: http://www.old-items.com/Frameset.asp?sida=Ruda.asp
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I have made up a Ruda Glasbruk photo album on Yahoo. It contains pieces I have owned and pieces I have seen.
I have some more pieces on the way to me and will add their photos too.
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/vidfletch2001/album?.dir=/cd35&.src=ph&.tok=ph8hp0DBJ4Byf9Jt
I hope it is of interest.
Vidfletch :D
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A fabulous resource Vidfletch :P And I was able to identify a couple of Aseda pieces too. Thanks very much for your hard work and generosity :lol:
Regards - Anne E.B. :wink:
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I have found some more info on Ruda Glasbruk after more research.
It appears that Ruda were successful and kept going purely by the industrial glass they made for the likes of Electrolux and Alfa-Laval. The art glass never ever made any money. The industrial glass paid for it! Eventually there could not have been enough business from that either and the end was nigh!
I have found another colour series! "Clear Rustik"! The pattern moulding is the same as "Orient" but it is in clear glass not brown. See the photo below. Not the best photo I admit. I have not actually come across this one yet
(http://img274.imageshack.us/img274/5309/clearrustikrudavase8iq.jpg)
This is not the same as the other clear colour series "Demant". This is
more like Ice. See the photos below of an ashtray I recently sold.
(http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/7869/newrudaandothers0403ev.jpg)
(http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/9703/newrudaandothers0412cm.jpg)
(http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/1295/newrudaandothers0427fl.jpg)
As usual, if I find anymore info I'll share it.
Vidfletch :D