Lisa Larson designed the Väggplattor series for Gustavsberg in 1966. This is a rare colored ceramic tile of "Rooster (tuppfågel)". In addition to the mass-produced products, Gustavsberg had a department called G-Studion where famous designers such as Stig Lindberg and Lisa Larson produced art pieces. This ceramic tile was handmade by a craftsman at G-Studion about half a century ago.
This work is available in a standard version with a blue base , but this one is a rare light blue piece. In order to reproduce the special color, a different process is used than usual, where the entire piece is covered in iron oxide and then placed in a kiln and left in a kiln with little oxygen, a method called a reducing environment, which creates the blue and green texture. The piece, colored with natural glaze, has the texture of a matcha tea bowl used in the tea ceremony. The standard version has a backstamp with Lisa Larson's name engraved on the back, but this piece does not have the mass-produced stamp, suggesting that it was made in an environment different from the standard production line.
This ceramic tile depicts a rooster, and its shape resembles branches and leaves, creating a cubist, modern design. This piece suggests that Lisa Larson, who was in her mid-30s at the time, was searching for new creative outlets. The tile is thick and very heavy overall, weighing just under 3 kilograms. Many of Lisa Larson's ceramic tiles at Gustavsberg are thin, but this one is about 3cm thick.
The Väggplattor series includes six types of birds, including a bird facing left, a bird looking back, a pheasant, a cuckoo, a sandpiper and a rooster.
■Details Manufacturer: Gustavsberg Designer: Lisa Larson Series: Väggplattor / Wall-mounted ceramic plate Year: 1966-1975 Condition: ★★★★★ (5: Complete)
There is no notable damage, and it was probably never used as a decoration. The wire on the back has not changed color over time, so it is in a condition close to deadstock. The dent in one corner of the back is not a chip. There is a small amount of glaze seeping into the dent, which was caused during the manufacturing process and was inspected before being shipped.
■Size: Length 27cm, width 3cm, thickness 3cm
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.