Sculptural candleholder by Göran Wärff for Kosta Boda, Sweden, 1970s.
This candleholder embodies the poetic interplay between form and function, characteristic of Göran Wärff’s distinguished design language for Kosta Boda in the late 20th century. Its sculptural silhouette, crafted in mouth-blown glass, reveals an organic elegance where gentle curves converge in harmonious balance.
More than a mere vessel for light, this piece acts as a luminous sculpture—its textured glass surface refracting and softening the candle’s glow, evoking a quiet moment of reflection. Rooted in Scandinavian design’s reverence for nature and craftsmanship, the candleholder carries an emotional resonance: a tribute to light as a material presence and a connector of intimate spaces.
With a timeless simplicity, it invites a sensory experience—invoking warmth, tactility, and the subtle poetry of shadows. A collectible object that bridges the heritage of Swedish glass artistry with contemporary appreciation for design as art.
OBJECT SPECIFICATIONS
PRODUCT: Candleholder
DESIGNER: Göran Wärff
MANUFACTURER: Kosta Boda
ORIGIN: Sweden
PERIOD: 1970s
MATERIAL & TECHNIQUE: Pressed glass
COLOR: Clear
TEXTURE: Softly sculpted, fluid form
CONDITION: Exceptional condition — unused; original maker's label
DIMENSIONS: (+/-) Height: 7 cm; Diameter: 11 cm
Göran Wärff
Göran Wärff (1933–2022), born in Slite, Gotland, was a key figure in contemporary Swedish glass design. His collaboration with Kosta Boda defined a formal language where light and nature become tangible matter. His iconic collections condense his mastery in capturing the sea, air, and the play of light in every piece.
Nature and the play of light within it were his main sources of inspiration. His work is characterized by a deep understanding of glass as a material, always seeking to capture light, sea, and air in each piece. Wärff’s objects not only serve but evoke — glass becomes an ephemeral landscape, a suspended atmosphere in time, the result of an intimate dialogue between design and nature.