A trio of coffee cups, saucers and plates from the famous Swedish kiln Gantofta. Gantofuta is a famous manufacturer of porcelain plates, but in the middle of the 20th century, it also manufactured fixtures in small lots. Plates and spice jars are standard, but this is a rare tableware. The cup is bare china clay below half and has a turquoise blue glaze on top. The plate is large, more like a dinner plate than a cake plate. Saucers and plates are not unglazed and have a brown glaze.
The designer is Anita Nylund, who was in charge of furniture design at Gantofuta. I think this trio was designed around the late 60's. The engraving on the Gantofuta in the old days is a trapezoid with curved lines, which is different from the square sign on the ceramic plate. Anita Nylund is the daughter of Swedish potter Gunnar Nylund and a designer of the same age as Lisa Larson. Known for the Janssons frestelse series, which uses ethnic patterns in its designs.
Overall, the rugged texture of the clay is exposed and rough, but the turquoise blue glaze on the chocolate-colored clay is very clear, and it is a vessel made with an excellent sense of color. The Gantofta kiln manufactures ceramic plates in a variety of colors, and you can clearly see that the manufacturer was good at expressing glazes.
■ Details Manufacturer: Jie Gantofta Designer: Anita Nylund Age: 1960s (estimated)
Country of origin: Sweden Condition: ★★★★☆ (4: mint condition)
All three pieces are in good condition with no signs of use, but the glaze on the edge of the cup is peeling off during manufacturing. I think it was caused by the manufacturing process, not by usage.
