ARABIA's famous Paratissi tea cup and saucer manufactured between 1969 and 1974. This is a vintage black and white paratissi produced in small batches for two years starting in 1972. This is a black and white series that uses only outlines without using glaze to reduce the labor involved in decorating.
The form is the same as the color version, but the back stamp is simple, and the so-called ARABIA crown logo is engraved, indicating that it was a sponsor company of ARABIA at the same time. It is engraved with Wärtsilä. It is said that the effort involved in coloring was reduced because of mass production, but it seems that production was not increased in the end as there are very few remaining Black Paratissi from 1972-74. Nowadays, Paratissi is produced in three colors: color, black and white, and purple, but only color and black and white were actually supervised by Kaipiainen. The vintage lines are thin and thin overall, and you can clearly see that only the sketch lines were used. The reprint version of Black Paratissi has clear lines.
■Details Manufacturer: ARABIA / Arabia Designer: Birger Kaipiainen / Birger Kaipiainen Series name: Paratiisi / Paratiisi Year: 1972-1974 Country of origin: Finland Condition: ★★★★☆ (4: Good condition)
There is a hair crack under the glaze in one place on the inside of the cup. Since the top is coated with glaze, dirt does not get in, but is caused by the manufacturing process and is shipped as is. The cup is a dead stock item and is in very good condition. When you hold the saucer under light, you can see scratches on the surface. Paratissi can use the saucer as a cake plate, so only the saucer can be seen with signs of use. On the back of the saucer, you can see the remains of the support post from when it was manufactured.
■Size Cup width 11.7cm (including handle) Cup height 6.7cm Saucer diameter 17cm
Paratiisi ~ Finland's paradise ~
"Paratiisi" is a masterpiece created by Birger Kaipiainen, a famous designer of ARABIA. The series name means "paradise" in Finnish. After some trial and error by Kaipiainen, Paratissi was launched in 1969. Each piece of Paratissi was decorated with a richly colored print, making it one of the most elaborate and luxurious series of Arabic tableware of the time. Production ceased in 1974 due to the severe economic recession and fuel shortage caused by the oil crisis.
Paratissi is also known for its frequently changing logo, called a backstamp. 1) A logo that started with the viola (pansy) logo in 1969, 2) A logo that abolished the year stamp in the first half of 1971, and 3) A leaf that replaced the viola part produced around the second half of 1971 with the ARABIA mark. logo, 4) Crown logo, which was replaced with a circular English logo in the 1988 reprint, 5) Black and white logo from mid-2000, with the color of the 1988 logo removed, and 6) Made in Thailand, with the circle mark further removed. There are 6 types of logos. Until the mid-2000 logo, it will be made in Finland. The important thing to know is that the Thai made logo does not have "FINLAND" stamped on it.
In particular, the reprint editions of Paratissi from the mid-2000s onward are characterized by their darker decorations and thick design lines that make them easy to understand. Vintage items up to 1988 have pale colors and thin lines, giving a sense of depth throughout. Vintage tableware is more beautiful as tableware.
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.