The charm of Scandinavian tableware is somewhat related to seasonality and regionality.
Northern Europe is at a higher latitude than Hokkaido, and the cold is severe, but the big difference from winter in Japan is that the hours of sunlight are extremely short.
In winter, the sun is out for about 4 hours.
It's a world where the sun finally comes out around 10:00 in the morning, but it's already getting dark at 2:00 in the afternoon.
It's rare to see the sun properly when working at a desk on weekdays.
On the other hand, during the summer solstice, known as midsummer, the sun stays up for about 20 hours.
Therefore, Nordic homes and hotels are always equipped with curtains that have a high blackout rate.
When the sun sets at around 10pm, the sun rises at around 3am.
This period is the best high season in Northern Europe, and the heat is cooler than summer resorts in Japan.
You can often see local people sunbathing outdoors as if they were saving up the sun for the whole year.
It's a quiet topic, and when the sun's oversupply and undersupply are repeated throughout the year, summer is rich and good, but winter is a very painful and painful time.
Nordic tableware is basically devised to contain the beautiful scenery of summer and early spring in the tableware.
(Gustavsberg's Berså pattern, which means "garden")
It is strange to think that such a design was created in a country with deep snow and harsh winters.
Japanese people don't feel uncomfortable with Shiroi Koibito from Hokkaido, and they tend to think of snowy designs in snow country, but Nordic tableware does the exact opposite.
And it is unlikely that withered trees and flowers are drawn on Nordic tableware.
The season is spring and summer, and the biggest feature is that plants such as grass and flowers are drawn.
(Paratiisi from ARABIA meaning "Paradise")
Up to this point, we have introduced the typical patterns of Nordic tableware, but what they all have in common is that they contain the best seasonal scenery of the year and can be enjoyed at the dining table regardless of the season. .
Scandinavian vintage tableware is now sublimated into a kind of art work, but the reason why there are few in good condition is that basically all tableware is practical.
It's also the flip side of what really worked to bring the mood of the high season to the dining table.
In Japan, it is prized as a rather pictorial and artistic item, but in Northern European households, it is common to use it until the pattern is worn out.
In particular, we often see plates with leaves that have faded, literally like dead leaves, such as the Berså pattern plate.
It has been loved and abused so much, and has given color and healing to the dining table to overcome the harsh winter.
Therefore, Nordic tableware is at its best in winter.
Is it colder than usual this year?
All the staff are waiting for the use of many people.