Kosta Boda, formerly known as Kosta Glasbruk , is a Swedish glassmaking company that is a well known manufacturer of art glass and tableware. It is located in Kosta, Sweden, which was named for the company. The surrounding region has become known as the Kingdom of Crystal,[1] and is now a tourist site which attracts a million visitors annually.
History
Kosta Glasbruk was founded in 1742 by two officers in Charles XII's army, Anders Koskull and Georg Bogislaus Staël von Holstein.[2] The name is a portmanteau of the founders' surnames, Ko(skull) + Sta(el) and Boda Glasbruk, which was a company in Emmaboda Municipality that was merged into Kosta Glasbruk. In 1903, the company also merged with the Reijmyre glassworks, although both entities retained their names. Kosta Glasbruk is active today under the name of Kosta Boda.[1] Since 2005, it has been part of Orrefors Kosta Boda, a subsidiary of the New Wave Group.[3]