This is a unique piece of a giant hippopotamus figurine made by Lisa Larson for Gustavsberg around 1965. It is part of the Stora Zoo series. "Hippo and three little birds" This work was the model for the ceramic statue of "Flodhast med faglar" (The ceramic hippopotamus statue in the foreground of the photo is for size comparison).
[Production background and commentary]
Lisa Larson is now 23 years old. In 1954, she joined Gustavsberg, a long-established Swedish pottery manufacturer. Her employment story began in 1953, the year before, when Lisa, a student, submitted a work to a competition in Helsinki.
The unique porcelain figurine of a cat with its tail standing upright caught the eye of Stig Lindberg, who was recruiting young artists. Lindberg was one of the leading designers at Gustavsberg in the 20th century. He is a pioneer of the "Midcentury" art movement that took place in the mid-20th century and was centered in Sweden.
Lindberg traveled around the Nordic countries looking for young, promising designers, and was attracted to Lisa Larson's cat designs, so he recruited her and hired her as an intern at Gustavsberg. Lisa showed great talent in the creative environment she was given, and her competition work was released as the "Lilla Zoo" series. "Lilla Zoo" became a huge hit in Scandinavia at the time due to its novelty.
Following this success, the company planned the "Stora Zoo" series, which featured models of animals that were significantly larger in size. In 1966, a mass-produced ceramic statue of the "Hippopotamus and Three Little Birds" was released.
The unique piece ceramic hippopotamus statue we are introducing this time was created by Lisa Larson the year before (probably around 1965) as a sample for the studio. It is a prototype-like piece at a stage when the final design had not yet been decided, and it differs from the mass-produced version in that the bird is not on the back, the length of the legs is different, and the color of the body is different. In the atelier, the design of the mass-produced version will be decided based on this piece, and modifications will be made to make it suitable for mass production.
Specifically, there are clear differences between this piece and mass-produced products, such as the surface irregularities of the birch being shallower and the legs being shorter. Mass-produced products are made with care to prevent cracks and crazing during firing in a kiln. As a result, the irregularities and long legs are lost, and mass-produced products have a flat texture.
Even so, the mass-produced "Hippo and Three Little Birds" is one of Lisa Larson's larger ceramic statues. However, this work is about five times larger than the mass-produced one, and is large enough and heavy enough for an adult human to hold.
The belly side features Lisa Larson's hand signature, indicating that it was made in Studio G in Gustavsberg, and that this is a "unique piece," meaning that there is only one of them in the world.
Since Lisa Larson's death, her work has become even more valuable. This work is worth its price, as it will never be available again. Don't miss this opportunity to see it.
■Details Manufacturer: Gustavsberg Designer: Lisa Larson Title: Flodhäst / Hippo Era: Around 1960 Country of origin: Sweden Condition: ★★★★★ (5: Complete)
It is in perfect condition with no cracks, chips or crazing, and retains the same appearance as when it was made half a century ago.
■Size
Height 25cm Width 18cm Depth 37cm
Gustavsberg's G-Studion
Apart from the mass production line, Gustavsberg had a department called G-Studion. Famous designers such as Willhelm Koge, Stig Lindberg and Lisa Larsson created their artwork here.
Founded in 1942, G Studio was a group of artists, designers, craftsmen and illustrators whose activities ranged from creative work to exhibition ceramics, public space art production and industrial design. . It operated until 1993 and served as an ``aesthetic laboratory''. It was also responsible for providing design ideas for Gustavsberg's mass-produced products.
G-Studio was a renovated atelier in an old building from a ceramics factory in Gustavsberg, and was a hub for more than 100 artists and craftsmen. It is no exaggeration to say that Gustavsberg's ceramic tradition of the 20th century originated from here. It was a centerpiece of the Swedish art and design world and served as a breeding ground for new creativity.
Each piece of G Studio's work is handmade, and there are videos showing the production process. The video shows a man wearing round glasses, designer Stig Lindberg. And on the right side you can see Willhelm Koge, who was the studio director.
Lisa Larson
Lisa Larson (1931-2024)
A world-renowned Swedish ceramicist, he was born in Härlunda, a village of about 500 people in the Älmhult district of Kronoberg county in the Småland region in southern Sweden.
As a child, she aspired to be a fashion designer, but after enrolling at the Gothenburg Academy of Art, she studied ceramics. One day, she was discovered by Stig Lindberg at a competition, and after a one-year probationary period, she officially joined Gustavsberg as a designer. Shortly thereafter, in 1955, she released the Lilla Zoo series, and in 1964, she came up with the Afrika series, famous for its lion statues.
Lisa Larson has not only worked for Gustavsberg, but has also provided designs for Höganäs, the major domestic retailer Åhléns, and the German ceramic manufacturer Rosenthal. After leaving Gustavsberg in 1979, she became a freelance artist, working on a voluntary basis with companies, rather than as an exclusive contractor, and continued to work freely in various fields. In 1979 and 1981, she held solo exhibitions at Seibu Department Store in Tokyo, and the 1981 exhibition was visited by a total of 70,000 people.