Bird ceramic plates from the Väggplattor series designed by Lisa Larson for Gustavsberg in 1966. In Gustavsberg, there was a department called G-Studion, where well-known designers such as Stig Lindberg and Lisa Larson produced artworks, apart from the mass-produced line. This is a work made in the atelier. Each piece is handmade, and the back is stamped with the name of Lisa Larson.
The crimson glaze is a very vivid ceramic plate, and it is a product that combines the abstraction of motifs and bold colors that are characteristic of Lisa Larson's designs. The name of the work Drillsnäppa refers to the sandpiper, a waterfowl. The common sandpiper is a resident bird that can be observed all year round in Japan, but in Europe, it migrates to countries near the equator to spend the winter there. Painted on the ceramic plate is probably a female with two eggs on top. The breeding season for sandpipers is from April to July, so I think they return to Northern Europe to build nests and lay eggs between seasons. The green wheel seen around the tail feathers is an expression of the nest, and it seems that the parent bird is looking at the two eggs that have just been laid.
The porcelain plate is thick and heavy overall and weighs less than 3 kg. Most of Gustavsberg's Lisa Larson porcelain plates are thin, but this one is about 3 cm thick and has a crimson glaze that surrounds the sides.
The Väggplattor series includes 6 different birds: a bird facing left, a bird looking back, a pheasant, a cuckoo, a blue bird, and this porcelain plate of a sandpiper. It should have taken about 10 years to make, but the Sandpiper seems to have been the least produced among the six, so it is very rare to see one. Please take this opportunity to see rare vintage ceramic plates from about half a century ago.
■ Detailed specifications
Manufacturer: Gustavsberg Designer: Lisa Larson Series: Väggplattor / Ceramic wall hanging Title: Drillsnäppa / Sandpiper Age: 1966-1975 Condition: ★★★★☆ (4.5: Extremely good condition)
There are slight scratches on the surface when light shines through, and the back has stains and chips over time, and there are intrusions and unevenness due to the manufacturing process, but it is an extremely beautiful product that retains the original color and luster. The wire at the time of manufacture remains as it is on the back.
■ size
Length 27cm Width 25cm Thickness 3cm
■ About the designer
Lisa Larson (1931- )
Born in a village called Härlunda with a population of about 500 in the Älmhult district of the Kronoberg county in the Småland region in southern Sweden. When I was young, I wanted to be a fashion designer, but after entering the Gothenburg College of Art, I learned ceramics. At one point, Stig Lindberg discovered him in a competition, and after a one-year trial period, he officially joined Gustavsberg as a designer. Soon after, in 1955, he announced the Lilla zoo series, and in 1964 he devised the famous Afrika series of lion statues.
In addition to Gustavsberg, Lisa Larson has also designed for Höganäs, national retail giant Åhléns and German pottery manufacturer Rosenthal. After leaving Gustavsberg in 1979, he took the position of a freelance artist who entered into freelance contracts with companies rather than working exclusively with them, and continued his creative activities freely while working in various fields. In 1979 and 1981, he held solo exhibitions at the Seibu Department Store in Tokyo, and it is said that 70,000 people visited the solo exhibition in 1981.
