BOOKEND (CRYSTAL) 1056

A crystal glass owl ornament.
Erik Höglund incorporated various inspirations from culture and art he gained through his travels into his own designs.

The Mexican art exhibition held in Stockholm in 1952 was one of the important events that left a strong impression on him.
Later, in 1957, thanks to the Lunning Prize's auxiliary award, he actually visited Mexico and Guatemala, deepening his interest by directly encountering ancient ruins, including Mayan civilization, and indigenous cultures.

The heavy glass, formed from roughly hand-carved molds, retains the carving marks on its surface, giving it a powerful, stone-carved texture.
The simplified and sculptural forms show a symbolism akin to ancient civilization's stone statues, creating a presence like a sculpture despite being made of glass.

Designed around 1963.
Cut sign reads "Boda H1056."
*In good condition with no noticeable damage.
*Our shop issues certificates of authenticity based on our accumulated experience.

ERIK HÖGLUND｜1932-1998｜SWEDEN
Erik Höglund is a leading Swedish artist/designer.
After studying sculpture at Konstfack in Stockholm, he began his career as a designer at BODA in 1953 and worked vigorously for the company for approximately 20 years.

Inspired by various traditions and indigenous cultures, he pursued forms that conveyed human warmth, actively incorporating air bubbles and distortions not as flaws but as part of the expression.
His unique worldview, which elevated the primitive to the modern, brought new possibilities of expression to glass art.
Although his unconventional style initially caused controversy, he built trust through his unwavering passion for creation and tireless efforts.

In 1957, he received the Lunning Prize, the most prestigious award in Nordic design, proving that his expression was "a part of Nordic design."
At 25, he was the youngest recipient among the distinguished past winners, including Hans J. Wegner, Tapio Wirkkala, Kaj Franck, and Timo Sarpaneva.
In the same year, he also won a silver medal at the Milan Triennale, solidifying his international reputation and quickly transforming him from an 'outsider' to a 'darling of the times,' marking a turning point in his career as a designer.

His activities were not limited to glass; from the early 1960s, he produced works combining wrought iron and glass, as well as woodworks.
In 1968, he established the design company "Backström & Höglund AB" with Monica Backström, also a designer at Boda and his partner at the time, and worked on designs for a wide range of fields, including furniture and household goods.
Throughout his life, he created paintings and bronze works, and was involved in commission work such as church wall decorations, furnishings, interior design, and public monuments, expanding his creative activities into diverse fields.

The artist in the glass factory who appears in the film "Mitt liv som hund (My Life as a Dog)" by Swedish master director Lasse Hallström is a character modeled after Erik Höglund, and the film depicts him before he gained recognition.