VASE(BROWN BUBBLED) H738

After joining BODA in 1953, he immediately started working on a glass series with air bubbles.
This was inspired by the miscellaneous beer bottles he saw in a mountain village where he stayed during a bicycle trip as a student. Sawdust and potatoes are thrown into heated glass, and the evaporated gases create countless air bubbles.

Brown with air bubbles was one of the first colors released, along with green.
Bubble glass and the brown color (not the product color, but the beer bottle color) were unconventional at the time and were not accepted by craftsmen or retailers, so they were commercialized after great difficulty.

The appliqué part is embossed with a cow-like motif, which was also a technique he worked on from the early days.
Old glass bottles had the manufacturer's name and capacity embossed on the appliqué as a function, but Erik Höglund used this as decoration.

This model was designed in the late 1950s.
The cut signature is "H738".
*In good condition with no noticeable damage.
*Our store issues certificates of authenticity based on our accumulated experience.

ERIK HÖGLUND｜1932–1998｜SWEDEN

Erik Höglund was one of Sweden’s most influential artists and designers. After studying sculpture at Konstfack in Stockholm, he began his career as a designer at Boda Glassworks in 1953, where he worked intensively for nearly two decades.

Drawing inspiration from various traditions and vernacular cultures, Höglund pursued forms that conveyed a strong sense of the human hand. Bubbles, distortions, and irregularities—often regarded as flaws in glassmaking—were instead embraced as integral elements of expression. Through this approach he transformed primitive qualities into modern design, opening new possibilities in glass art. His unconventional style initially provoked both praise and criticism, but through unwavering dedication and tireless work he gradually earned widespread recognition.

In 1957 he received the Lunning Prize, the most prestigious award in Nordic design at the time, becoming the youngest recipient at the age of twenty-five. The prize had previously been awarded to designers such as Hans J. Wegner, Tapio Wirkkala, Kaj Franck and Timo Sarpaneva. In the same year he also received a Silver Medal at the Milan Triennale, firmly establishing his international reputation and marking a turning point in his career.

His creative activities extended beyond glass. From the early 1960s he produced works combining wrought iron and glass as well as objects in wood. In 1968 he founded the design company “Backström & Höglund AB” together with Monica Backström, who was also a designer at Boda Glassworks and his partner at the time. The company designed furniture, household products and various other objects.

Throughout his life Höglund also created paintings and bronze works, and undertook commissions such as church wall decorations, furnishings, interior design and public monuments.

A glass factory artist appearing in the film “My Life as a Dog” by Swedish director Lasse Hallström is said to be modeled after Erik Höglund. In the film, the character reflects the period before Höglund gained widespread recognition.