This is a very rare teacup and saucer 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 Purplienka is extremely detailed and uncompromising, so it seems that only a few craftsmen were able to paint it. Because it was particularly time-consuming among Arabia's assembly-line processes at the time, I think that they probably began to allocate their manpower to popular products such as Valencia, Ruska, Rosemarine, and Anemone, which were relatively less time-consuming hand-painted works. As a result, the production of Purplienka was limited, and it is thought to have become a phantom work.
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: ★★★★☆ (4.5: Very good condition)
There are very slight scratches on the surface of the saucer that are not visible in the photo, and there are small burn marks on one part of the bottom of the cup from manufacturing. The cup has never been used and the saucer is in near perfect condition.
■Size: Width 11.5cm (including handle), Height 6.5cm, Saucer diameter 15cm
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.
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 .