Erik Höglund Carborundum Person Bottle

An adorable bottle-vase in the form of a person, designed by Erik Höglund and produced by Boda, Sweden, in the early 1950s. 

One of Höglund’s most recognisable bodies of work is his series of colourful bubble-glass ‘people’ decanters; human-shaped bottles topped with face-adorned stoppers. This well-known series evolved from much earlier designs, such as this piece. The correlation between Höglund’s later bottles and this early object is immediately apparent; however, this example dates from the period when Höglund was first exploring the human form in glass and may be regarded as something of a prototype.

Beautifully proportioned and rich in handcrafted character, the bottle features a gently rounded silhouette with a short neck. The bottle is embellished with two applied “arms”, complete with clutched hands. This simple yet effective intervention is what gives the piece its distinctly human presence.

In Boda’s promotional materials from the period, bottles of this type were shown being used as candlesticks, introducing an additional layer of functionality to this highly decorative object.

The bottle is made from Höglund’s Carborundum glass; an experimental recipe in which silicon carbide is added to the gather. The result is a beautifully speckled, subtly iridescent surface that takes on a glittering quality when viewed in sunlight.