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Kosta Boda Snowball Votive

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The day we found our pair of Kosta Boda snowball votives in an antique store was a happy one. They give off a beautifully refracted icy light, and they're heavy enough to double as a paperweight.

Kosta Boda is a Swedish glassmaker established in 1742 — a 50-year old company by the time the USA was established, as the website happily points out.

Available directly from Kosta Boda, and also at Amazon.

(Edited from a post originally published 09.17.07)

Comments (9)

Do not leave a candle burning in those things (well watch all candles). I had one of those holders and left a candle in it and wasn't paying attention The candle burnt down and the heat of the metal on the bottom caused the glass to bust in half. It was a clean split though, lol.

posted by girlonthem00n on 2008-05-13 18:28:51
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i love my parents. they always give me the awesomest vintage artifacts that neither of us recognize. i've got 2 of these in my bathroom!

posted by jenny! on 2008-05-13 20:29:47
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I bought six of these for $2 each at Kirkwood's (well, they're just plain glass, obviously) but I had a feeling they were a copy of something similar.

They do give off a wonderful flicker. I should have bought 12.

posted by Valerie on 2008-05-13 20:43:45
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Kirkland's, I mean. sorry.

(not one of my fave shops but they have the occasional goodie, like my faux bois metal branch table.)

posted by Valerie on 2008-05-13 20:45:00
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Aren't these designed for tealights only? (girlonthem00n, that may have prevented your heat/splitting issue)

posted by patrick (the other one) on 2008-05-14 01:27:07
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The lovely thing about these is the smooth inside. The flame is reflected and appears to be floating in mid air just below the rim, a few centimetres above its actual location. I found mine (with label) in a charity shop for $3 -- about US$2.50

posted by Deb of Oz on 2008-05-14 05:15:57
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AWW. I had a (Swedish) boss who gave me a pair of these for Christmas when I was about 21 years old. I took them out a couple of years ago (I am now slightly older than 21 :) and really appreciated them for the first time. I agree that they should be used for tealights only -- safety aside, I can't imagine trying to clean wax out of them.

posted by robyn on 2008-05-14 08:33:14
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I don't even know how it happened, as I've never bought one myself, but somehow I have a collection of these (all gifts)... :)

posted by gretchen on 2008-05-14 12:34:13
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I love mine! I have about 5 on a silverplated gallery tray on top of the coffee table. It's my fireplace. I'd like to get more, along with a bigger tray!

posted by Jean on 2008-05-14 13:38:47
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