Topic: Kosta vase - Dates? Coded mark? Help please

[Bernard C]

Hi everyone.

Apparently a nice quality production art glass Kosta vase with what looks like a legit signature.   Of course, trust me to buy one with a letter code not in Jackson or Haanstra!



Facts:

Sourced from an English Midlands general dealer, so more than likely originally retailed in the UK
h. 255mm (10")
weight 1358g (3lb)
3 piece construction, neatly ground out and polished pontil mark
foot and rim neatly cut, chamfered and polished
Some wear to the base
Slate blue colour, very '60s, very Caithness
Marks: "L" or "7"; "Kosta BH 359" or "Kosta BH 353".

Any ideas on dates, interpretation of marks, designer, name of range, or anything else?

Thanks for looking, Bernard C.  

ps - thumbnails average less than 1Kb, main images 13Kb, edited using IrfanView.  Okay, Ivo?

pps - If you use IrfanView and you are like me, sometimes hitting the wrong key, occasionally you can find yourself with an image filling the whole screen and no way out.   Try the Enter/Return key - it will get you back to normality.

[Anonymous]

http://www.aspireauctions.com/auctioncat8/auctionlots43.html

1/2 way down the page - same piece attributed to Ellis Bergh.

If it's not a genuine signature then at least the faker is being consistent.

Gareth

[Bernard C]

Gareth - Brilliant!

Thanks.   The code is in Haanstra, not under Kosta, but under Elis Bergh.

So this vase was designed by Elis Bergh in 1930 (353 or 359) or 1938 (1353 or 1359) and was made in the 1950s or '60s.   So I wasn't too far out comparing it to early Caithness.

As there is no trace whatsoever of an initial "1" on my vase, I prefer the 1930 date for the design, which also seems to fit the style of the vase rather better than 1938.

Does anyone have anything further to add?

Bernard C.  

[Ivo]

brilliant sluithing, sherlock!

[Bernard C]

Ivo, one thing still puzzles me.

The vase on the link is described as a "Kosta Boda" vase.   This seems to be incorrect according to Jackson and your book.   Or were designs made in both glassworks?

Bernard C.  

[Ivo]

Kosta and Boda merged in 1947. Some items were made in the one factory, some in the other. Kosta designs were signed Kosta before and long after the merger, Boda Bruks only started signing Boda pieces in 1953. - not quite sure when both names started to be used on pieces produced in either factory.

[paradisetrader]

Smashing piece Bernard. I tend not to look at anything which looks remotely like "smoke" as it doesn't fit with my decor (yes a factor in my collecting - sorry !!!) and doesn't seem to sell well.

But this piece has more than a touch of class about it and slate blue seems correct eventho I've never seen that term used as a glass color description before.

OK so its Kosta, but I'm not necessarily impressed by ALL Kosta. And its's Elis Bergh but I have to admit here that altho I've seen the name, I know nothing about him or his work.

Judging by the separate category he warrants in Haanstra A-Z Glass I would have thought an important designer ? But a quick google brings forth very little in info or pics. Why the separate category Ivo ?

Info for those interested (a patchwork of factoids)

Elis Bergh - Hagbard Elias (Elis) Bergh (1881-1954)
Schwedischer Graphiker, Zeichner, Glaskünstler, Silberschmied und Architekt, Stockholm (born presumably) 17.4.1881 Linköping

Kosta Glasbruk, Småland, Sweden
Artists hired as designers: Elis Bergh (1927-c 1960)
Elis Bergh war von 1929 - 1950 künstlerischer Leiter (chief designer  / artistic director ? ) von Kosta Boda.

The Kosta-Reijynyre factory in Smaland produces an outstanding cut glass. It is here that the unusual and elegant cut crystal of the artist Elis Bergh is created. Literatur: Vgl. Helmut Ricke, Ulrich Gronert, Glas in Schweden 1915 - 1960, München 1986, Abb. S. 199, Nr. 330; vgl. Bernd Polster (Hg.), Design-Lexikon Skandinavien, Köln 1999, Abb. S. 245, unten rechts.

I was surprised to note "Sold at online auction for $46.00" at Gareth's link for this piece. Seems like a bargain to me ! So much for a signature premium then ! (Not) and so much for a Elis Begh premium it would seem ! [zero]

Most of the pics of his work I have found are engraved cut glass - not a market favorite and it would seem that Offefors had the upper hand design wise in the inter-war years.

Gate & Hald warrent lengthy mentions in Dormer's 20th Century Designers, but Bergh not. So I gather not considered influental or important ? Is this the reason for the low price ? Or just a "bad hair" day ?
Just curious ! Either way I still like it.

[Bernard C]

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the extra information.    Elis Bergh's lack of recognition could simply be difficulty in classifying the role of artistic director.

My vase will be unveiled to the public for the first time at the new glass fair at St. Albans on Sunday.    Hope you can make it.

Thanks, Bernard C.  

[Anonymous]

I think the lack of recognition is a result of several factors. !. Vicke Lindstrand took over the artistic directorship and was a recognized as a star in Swedish glass from his days at Orrefors: 2.Orrefors glass works had a great marketing department and photographer Mr. Selbing who marketed Orrefors by selling the skills of their artists and 3. Kosta did not set up
an archive of works developed at the works as did Orrefors and they seemed to  lack an interest in promoting the artists names. ie. Kaj Franck's effort in
Finland to eliminate any reference to artist/designers on the glass signatures.
Just some thoughts.
Bill Geary

[Bernard C]

Thanks, Bill for that extra information and background.    As you can probably tell, you could write what I know about Scandinavian glass on the back of a postage stamp!

Although it is not relevant here, I just had to ask if you are related to the Geary family of Tathall End, a hamlet on the eastern side of the huge Buckinghamshire Parish of Hanslope, just to the north of Stony Stratford?   I must have bought and sold a dozen or so copies of their excellent history of the hamlet in my days as a local interest bookdealer.

Bernard C.