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Orrefors & Kosta: some identification notes

  • Orrefors numbering
  •  
  • Kosta numbering
  • Orrefors numbering:

    Until 1923/24, Art Glass patterns were hand-drawn in pencil in pattern-books. Subsequently, printed catalogues were produced.
    (Note: Not all designs were dated, so numbers in brackets in the tables below should be taken as approximate first or last designs for the year in question)

    For full details of numbering systems, together with illustrations of the early patterns and copies of the Orrefors catalogues, see 'Swedish Glass Factories Production Catalogues, 1915 - 1960' by Helmut Ricke & Lars Thor (published 1987 by Prestel, ISBN 3-7913-0804-1)

    First numbering system (1917 to 1931):
    (all engraved art glass)

    design yearSimon GateEdward HaldVicke Lindstrand
    1917/1918G 40, 41, 62 - (117)H 35, 50 - 90, 116 
    1919G (118) - 127H 91 - (130)
    (not H 116)
     
    1920G 128 - 174H 131 - 193 
    1921G 175 - 184H 194 - 248 
    1922G 185 - 213H 249 - 293 
    1923G 214 - 273H 294 - (350) 
    1924G 274 - 327H (351) - (472) 
    1925G 328 - (358)H (473) - (509) 
    1926G (359) - 410H (510) - (589) 
    1927G (411) - 434H (590) - 673 
    1928G 435 - 509H 674 - (840) 
    1929G 510 - 534H (841) - (860)L 51 - 58
    1930G 535 - 553H (861) - (890)L 59 - 118
    1931G 554 570H (891) - (948)
    (last design dated 24/3/1931)
     

    Second numbering system (catalogues 1 to 8):

    The three tables below show the significance of the letters and numbers in Orrefors' second and subsequent numbering systems

    (a) The first letter is the code for the designer:

    code letterdesignercode letterdesignercode letterdesigner
    AOlle AlberiusHEdward HaldPSven Palmqvist
    BGunnar CyrénJJan JohanssonRCarl Fagerlund
    DIngeborg LundinKHenning KoppelSJohn Selbing
    F(Karl) Edvin ÖhrströmLVicke LindstrandTLars Hellsten
    GSimon GateNNils LandbergVEva Englund

    (N.B. From 1980 onwards, two initials have been used, e.g.: NL = Nils Landberg, BB = Gunnar Cyrén)

    (b) The second letter represents the glass type:

    glass types
    designer code followed by pattern number only = engraved glass
    designer code followed by letter A = cut, polished glass
    designer code followed by letter E = cut, frosted glass
    designer code followed by letter U = uncut, smooth glass
    designer code followed by letter Z = green iridescent glass
    designer code followed by Graal-S or S-Graal = Slip-Graal

    (c) The designer code letter is followed by a pattern number:
    (these pattern numbers include the 'glass type' letter, where appropriate)

    engraved decoration (1931 - 1935):
    pattern numberdesign year
    1000 - 11651931
    1166 - (1212)1932
    (1213) - (1294)1933
    (1295) - (1379)1934
    (1380) - 13991935
    (last entry 18/3/35)
    cut with matt decoration (c 1925 - 1931):
    pattern numberdesign year
    E 1 - 53to 1926
    E 54 - 771927
    E 78 - 981928
    E 99 - 1021929
    E 103 - 1391930
    E 140 - 1811931
    E 192 - 2011931/32
    cut with polished decoration (c 1925 - 1935):
    pattern numberdesign year
    A 31 - 196to 1926
    A 197 - 2041927
    A 205 - 2331928
    A 234 - (260)1929
    A (261) - (340)1930
    A (341) - (360)1931
    A (361) - (410)1932
    A (411) - (415)1933
    A (416) - 4211934

    Example: Serial number 'GA 419' means that the piece was designed by Simon Gate, was a design for cut glass, and was designed in 1934 (that particular pattern actually appears in the 1935 catalogue)

    Third numbering system (catalogues 9 to 13):
    (adopted 19th March 1935)
    all glass types, except Z & U (1935 - 1960):
    (pattern number preceded by appropriate glass type letter)
    pattern numberdesign year
    1400 - (1520)1935
    (from 19/3/35)
    (1521) - 16911936
    1692 - 1910/21937
    1910/3 - 20201938
    2021 - 22601939
    (2261) - (2350)1940
    (2351) - (2650)1941
    (2651) - 27741942
    2775 - 2885/71943
    2885/8 - 29591944
    2960 - (3080)1945
    (3081) - (3120)1946 - 48
    (3121) - (3170)1949
    (3171) - (3220)1950
    3221) - (3350)1951
    (3351) - 3400)1952
    (3401) - (3500)1953
    (3501) - (3530)1954
    (3531) - (3570)1955
    (3571) - (3617)1956
    3618 - (3695)1957
    (3696) - (3750)1958
    (3751) - (3818)1959
    (3819) - (3832)1960
    Z (green, 1929 - 1930):
    patterndesign year
    Z 16 - 531929 - 30
    U (hand-formed, 1930 - 1935):
    patterndesign year
    U 50 - (115)1930 - 31
    U (116) - (140)1932
    U (141) - 1551933
    U 156 - 1681934 - March 1935

    'Ariel', 'Slip-Graal', 'Ravenna' & 'Fishgraal':

    These four series had their own, different numbering system:

    design yearArielSlip-GraalRavennaFishgraal
    1945   2261 - 2355
    1946   2356 - 2824
    1947   2825 - 2999
    300 - 650 B
    1948  1 - 8651 - 1660 B
    1949  9 - 101661 - 1999 B
    200 - 869 C
    195051 - 52 B
    53 - 832 E
    51 - 52 B
    53 - 399 L
    11 - 18870 - 1914 C
    1951833 - 1450 E400 - 847 L19 - 221915 - 2999 C
    200 - 437 D
    19521451 - 1755 E848 - 1175 L287 - 365438 - 1835 D
    19531756 - 2022 E1176 - 1600 L366 - 6081836 - 2866 D
    19542023 - 2203 E1601 - 2308 L609 - 7432867 - 3000 D
    200 - 1386 H
    195550 - 242 F2309 - 2310 L
    50 - 433 M
    744 - 9131387 - 2547 K
    1956243 - 408 F100 - 289 N914 - 1078101 - 1276 L
    1957409 - 572 F51 - 225 O1079 - 1219101 - 1294 M
    1958100 - 226 G226 - 344 O1220 - 1343100 - 1204 N
    1959100 - 267 H345 - 440 P1344 - 1567100 - 1134 Q
    1960268 - 711 H441 - 558 P1568 - 1725100 - 963 P

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    Kosta glass by Vicke Lindstrand:

    Some Kosta pieces designed by Vicke Lindstrand carry a full engraved signature. Others are engraved with a two-letter code (beginning with an L for Lindstrand), followed by a number. These appeared in the Kosta catalogues as laid out in the following table, although, of course, Lindstrand will have produced the designs during the two or three years prior to publication of the catalogue.

    Catalogue:1955 - 561958 - 591962 - 63
    LH (hand-formed by Lindstrand)1001 - 12611265 - 16271640 - 1784
    LU ('Unica' series)2004 - 2036  
    LC (hand-formed 'Colora')1 - 11  
    LF (hand-formed birds)1 - 7  
    LG (engraved glass)101 - 212213 - 330335 - 407
    LS (cut glass)501 - 590595 - 675683 - 754

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