Our store mainly deals with rare Scandinavian vintage tableware. Although some of our products are mass-produced, we would like to convey the appeal of our products by adding anecdotes and history to our one-of-a-kind selection. Today I would like to introduce you to a vintage cup, which is part of a rare tableware series that arrived this year.
This coffee cup, called Eva, was produced in the 1960s by Gustavsberg, a long-established Swedish pottery manufacturer.
(Photo: Vintage Eva coffee cup from Gustavsberg )
Although it looks like an ordinary coffee cup at first glance, the vintage EVA coffee cup is a Scandinavian vintage tableware that is sold at a very high price.
There is no clear definition of "Nordic vintage tableware," but it mainly refers to tableware produced by ceramic manufacturers in Scandinavian countries around the 20th century.
The 20th century covers a wide range of items, but our store also carries items from the 19th century to the early 20th century, such as the Wexio series . Since Växjö was a huge hit, it is still in relatively large circulation today. This Eva is a product from around the 1960s, so it is relatively new in terms of the era, but it is extremely rare because only a small number were produced.
In other words, the price of Scandinavian vintage tableware does not depend on whether it is old or new, but rather on its rarity, whether it is large or small in quantity.
Gustavsberg's Eva coffee cup is said to be a fantastic piece of work that was rarely produced.
Adam is the first male human to appear in the Old Testament, the Jewish scripture. Eve is the first human woman who was born from Adam's rib.
Gustavsberg's Eva Cup is an inverted version of the Adam series, which has a light blue dot pattern, and is dyed red. The design is very conscious of the fact that Adam and Eve are a pair that complement each other.
(Photo: Comparing Adam series cup)
Calling the inverted version of Adam Eva may have been considered a playful prototype. This is because vintage Evas have sunspots caused by poor temperature control in the kiln, stiffness due to distortion of the body, and misalignment due to pressure bonding of the transfer paper, which reflects the skill of the engineer. were overwhelmingly common, indicating that a proper production environment was not in place.
Furthermore, the series name backstamp, which is always present in Gustavsberg's works, was originally engraved on both the cup and the saucer, but for Eva, it was only engraved on the saucer for some reason. I have never seen a case with a stamp engraved on the back of the cup. For these reasons, it is thought that the Eva was built as a prototype but never made it onto the factory line for mass production.
While the Adam series was produced from 1959 to 1974, the production year of the vintage Eva is unknown. The logo engraved on Eva's saucer is the rope logo that was used until around 1970, so I think it was produced during a very short period of time in the 1960s. (For details on the logo, please refer to the previous article → "History of the Gustavsberg logo" )
(Photo: Back of Eva's teacup and saucer. Series stamp is engraved only on the saucer)
It was designed by Stig Lindberg, Gustavsberg's legendary designer. A series of tableware series such as plates, creamer bowls, and sugar bowls were produced for the blue polka dot Adam, but vintage Eva was not developed as a tableware series, and only one coffee cup was produced.
(Photo: Stig Lindberg, Sweden's leading designer of the 20th century)
Eva is rare not only because of its small number, but also because it is a vessel devised by the world-famous Swedish designer Stig Lindberg. Vintage items can be said to have the highest value when both low production numbers and the designer's popularity are combined.
Lisa Larson's limited edition ceramic plates have high value, but the latter has more value between the one that was consciously produced in a limited edition of 100 pieces and the one that ended up being produced in only 100 pieces. . Eva Coffee Cup is exactly the latter.
A reprint version is currently being produced. The colors are good, the whiteness of the white porcelain stands out, and I think the quality of the reprint is perfect.
(Photo: Reprinted Eva Cup)
Still, the question of whether vintage tableware from the olden days has any value is because it is quite difficult to obtain in this day and age. I hope you will think of it as a type of artifact that you would find in a museum.