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Description, References and Size

This is a Kosta light brown decanter with a vertically slice cut tapering cylindrical body. The stopper is a thick mushroom stopper with slice cutting to the edges to match the body. The decanter has a circular Gold coloured paper label marked Kosta Sviege. Circa.1940s.

This is not an ambitious design for a Swedish decanter. They have used a colour which feels fairly traditional as it had been used for a while, but it seems nicely balanced and is well made.

Reference: Kosta Glasbruk Catalogue 1940, page 32

Height: 9.25 inches

Width: 3.5 inches

This is an Afors light brown decanter with a rectangular moulded body with matt foliage cut into it. The stopper is a wide disc shaped mushroom stopper. The decanter has a shield shaped gold coloured paper label marked AFORS below a picture of a rampant lion holding an axe. Circa.1950s-80s.

Again I have gone for a wide dating on this decanter, as it has no mark scratched underneath but it does have a paper label for Afors. Unfortunately I have been unable to find any dating reference material on Swedish glass. I think the cutting on this design is too tentative, as you can hardly see it even when it is in your hand.

I am happy with this end date as AFORS was bought by Orrefors in 1990, and I have seen AFORS designs with a Orrefors name scratched on the bottom.

Height: 6.75 inches

Width: 4.5 inches

This is a decanter with a rectangular moulded body with pattern of thumb printies cut into it. The stopper is a wide disc shaped mushroom stopper. Circa.1950s-80s.

I know less about this decanter than the previous 2. Judging by the body and stopper shapes Afors would be a decent bet for a manufacturer, however, I don't know enough about the culture of Scandinavian design to know if the designers would plagiarise or try to stay original. Regardless, I like this design, it puts me in mind of a more stylised Whitefriars Spanish cut decanter.

Height: 8.5 inches

Width: 5 inches

This is a small dark green tear drop shaped Riihimaki decanter with a conical stopper with a folded over tip. Design by Nanny Still, and made circa. 1950-60.

I have never seen this decanter described as being the in the shape of liquor still, and that the designers name is Nanny Still. Is she saying something and punning with words in this design or am I reading too much into this. There are other decanter designs that are described as being in the shape of a still and they have the same distinctive stopper shape.

Riihimaki is a Finnish glass factory that was running from 1910 to 1990.

Reference: Miller's 20th Century Glass, Andy McConnell, page 214

Height: 9 inches

Width: 3 inches

This is a small purple Alsterfors claret jug with a horizontally ribbed body. Designed by Edwin Ollers in the 1930s.

This is a lovely little jug and is probably intended for holding spirits. I would like to thank Yvonne Brandt who sold me this jug unattributed but later sent me a reference.

I have called this a claret jug as it fits my definition of a claret, i.e. a jug with a lid, however, from what I have been reading these small Scandinavian jugs and decanters are really intended for spirits.

Height: 10 inches

Width: 3.5 inches

This is a small footed purple Alsterfors decanter with a horizontally ribbed body with matt floliage cut into it. Designed by Edwin Ollers in the 1930s.

You can see that Edwin Ollers had a distinctive style with horizontal ribs. This follows through in other work I have seen by him.

This decanter came from the same source as the claret jug above so again I would like to thank Yvonne Brandt for supplying me with a reference.

Height: 11 inches

Width: 3.5 inches

This is an amber decanter with a vertically wavey ribbed body and leaf shaped stopper with pressed veins. Swedish circa. 1920s.

In the 1920s in Sweden it was the vogue to make what they call Venetian style glass, of which this is an example. When you compare it to a Venetian manufacturer like Salviati you can see what they are getting at but it was entirely their interpretation of that style.

Height: 12.75 inches

Width: 4.5 inches

This a straw coloured decanter. It has an applied quatrefoil foot with a polished pontil mark, and a stopper made up of 4 flutes coming to a point. Made by Skruf of Sweden, designed by Siegfrid Stahl circa. 1930s.

The design elements of the applied foot and the stopper work well and I haven't seen them elsewhere so I don't believe this derivative of anything else. I have this for a long time before I worked out what it is, but I bought it because of it's lovely design.

Skruf Gulli designs usually come in this pale straw colour or in pale blue or clear, the glasses have a distinctive quatrefoil stem. I believe they were made for a long time as they are not too difficult to find. Good luck finding a decanter though.

Height: 10.5 inches

Width: 3.5 inches

This is an unranium green decanter with an invert cone shaped body, and applied quatrefoil base. The stopper is designed to match the body shape. Made by Skruf of Sweden, designed by Siegfrid Stahl circa. 1930s.

I have never seen the Skruf Gulli pattern in this colour, but this decanter came with the distinctive quatrefoil stem glasses, and the base of this decanter matches the base of the tumblers from the same range. As I can't find Skruf Gulli anywhere in this colour, I think this is quite rare.

The Gulli glasses are lovely, but this design of decanter seems a little awkward. The other Skruf Gulli decanter I have seems a much nicer design.

Height: 11.5 inches

Width: 5 inches