| Detailed specifications | |
| Maker | ARABIA |
| designer |
Birger Kaipiainen / Birger Kaipiainen |
| Series name |
Apila / Apila |
| era | 1970-1971 |
| Country of manufacture | Finland |
| condition |
★★★☆☆ (3.5: good quality) When the inner bottom of the cup and the surface of the saucer are exposed to light, you can see scratches on the surface. On the back of the saucer, you can see the remains of the support post from when it was manufactured. |
| size | Cup width 11.5cm (including handle) Cup height 6.5cm Saucer diameter 17cm |
This is a rare series of cups and saucers called Apira, which was released by Finland's leading tableware manufacturer ARABIA for one year from 1970. Apira is the Finnish word for “clover”. The design means ``white clover'' and has three clover leaves scattered all over the surface.
A reprint version of Apira was produced from 2006 to 2010, but this is an original vintage item. This item is highly rare because it was originally produced in small numbers .
The vintage feature is that it uses the same model as Birger Kaipiainen's masterpiece Paratissi teacup, which was produced at the same time. The pottery mold is the same, with only the outside decoration changed. The reprint version of the cup is slightly smaller in size. In addition, in the reprint version, the image is transferred onto a white background with deep colors and clear colors. The characteristic of vintage is that the colors are pale and gentle.
ARABIA - Arabia
ARABIA is a ceramic manufacturer representing Finland in the 20th century. Originally, ARABIA was a factory established in Finland by Sweden's Rörstrand as a base for producing pottery for Russia. The company's name comes from the fact that it was established in the Arabian district of Helsinki, the capital.
From the 1950s to the 1980s, many world-famous designers such as Ulla Procoppe, Birger Kaipiainen, Laiya Uosikkinen, and Esteri Tomura created many works, known as the Golden Age of ARABIA. Works that had a great influence on modern modern design were created at the time, from simple Scandinavian modern designs to highly decorative and well-crafted pieces. ARABIA is known for its masterpieces such as paratissi, crocus, flora, and corari, which are both practical and decorative items unique to Scandinavian tableware that are useful for both interior and everyday use.
Birger Kaipiainen
Birger Kaipiainen (1915-1988)
Born in Pori, southwestern Finland, on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. Finland's leading designer, known as the "King of Decorators". Although he moved to the capital, Helsinki, when he was a child, Kaipiainen spends every summer with a homestay in the Russian town of Sortavala. The sense of nature and artistry cultivated there would influence him throughout his life. In his prime, Kaipiainen suffered from polio, which forced him to walk with a cane for the rest of his life. Due to a disability in one hand, he was unable to turn the potter's wheel and make pottery by himself, but this experience is said to have inspired him to hone his unique artistic sense.
Kaipiainen graduated from Aalto University's Faculty of Art, Finland's top art university, and began working at ARABIA in 1937 , before also transferring to Sweden's Rorstrand for four years from 1954 . During the heyday of simple and unadorned modern Scandinavian art, Kaipiainen's designs were rich in ornamentation and characterized by detailed depictions drawn in every corner. He has created a unique worldview that stands out from the mainstream of the time, designing Paratisch in 1969 , Apia in 1970 , and Sunnuntai in 1971 . These are still Arabia's reprints and are their signature products.