This is a very rare sugar pot and creamer from Arabia, a leading Finnish tableware manufacturer. This is a rare series that was only produced for one year from 1969 to 1970, and is a highly rare item worldwide.
The series name "Purpurijenka" means "purple dance" in Finnish. As a series of works, this work includes teacups, teapots, plates, sugar pots, creamers, etc. As for cups, it seems that only the largest size teacup was produced.
[Background to the production]
The years when this piece was released, 1969-70, also coincided with the sales period of the masterpiece Paratiisi, and were the heyday of Arabia tableware. The oil crisis of 1974 caused Arabia tableware to enter a period of decline, but the period immediately prior to that was when many of the best pieces were produced. The techniques of the ceramic sculptors and the skills of the painting craftsmen had matured, and Arabia tableware from 1970-73 is of a particularly high level, even among vintage pieces.
The designer of Purprijenka was Ulla Procoppe, who is famous for her masterpieces Valencia and Ruska. Procoppe passed away in 1968, the year before the release of this work. In other words, although he was in charge of the original concept, he passed away without seeing it commercialized.
It is not clear why the Purprienka was only produced for one year, but it is likely that the painters were required to have a very high level of skill in order to reproduce Procoppe's original painting design.
As mentioned above, Arabia was technically mature at the time, but I think it was still difficult to express the fine green leaf patterns and red floral patterns. Compared to works such as Rosemarine and Anemone that were produced at the same time, the paint on Purprijenka is quite detailed and uncompromising, so it seems that only a small number of artisans were able to paint it.
Because it was particularly time-consuming among Arabia's assembly-line production lines at the time, I think that the artist was assigned to hand-painted pieces such as Valencia, Ruska, Rosmarine, and Anemone, which were popular and relatively easy to make. As a result, the number of Purpriyenka pieces produced was limited, and it is thought that they became a phantom piece.
We believe that this work will probably be rarely available in the future. Don't miss this opportunity to see this rare vintage masterpiece from half a century ago.
■Details Manufacturer: ARABIA Designer: Ulla Procope / Ula Prokoppe Series name: Purpuri Jenkka / Purpuri Jenkka Year: 1969-1970 Country of origin: Finland Condition: ★★★★★ (5: Complete)
Both the sugar pot and creamer are dead stock items. They are in extremely good condition among the items available on the market. The dents on the base of the sugar pot are called thread bottoms, and are marks left by the clay being separated from the potter's wheel during production.
■Size Sugar pot: diameter 6.5cm height 10cm
Creamer: Width 10.5cm (including handle) Height 6.8cm Diameter 7cm
Ulla Procope
Ulla Procope (1921-1968)
Born in Helsinki. In 1948 , he graduated from the Faculty of Art and Design at Aalto University in Helsinki and joined Arabia Company. After that, he was in charge of design in the production department for 20 years, creating the Ruska series in 1960 and the Valencia series in 1961 . Ruska became the longest-running and most sold flagship product of Arabia's products, and the form of Ruska was called the S model , which became the prototype model for subsequent ARABIA tableware. Valencia is the last hand-painted ARABIA product. After suffering from cancer and retiring from active duty, Procope moved to Spain's Canary Islands, where he died at the age of 47 .