It is a vintage 21cm oval plate of Finnish ARABIA's famous Paratiisi. The Paratiisi series, which means paradise in Finnish, was designed by Birger Kaipiainen in 1969. This is a prototype version of the Paratiisi oval plate dated 1968.
Paratiisi was released in monochrome in 1972, and in 1974 the production of the series was once discontinued. It will be reprinted in 1988, but it will be a circular plate, and the oval plate that Kaipiainen was particular about has been discontinued. Reprinted editions are now being resold, but the country of manufacture has moved to Southeast Asia, and production continues unbroken under standardized quality control.
This is a prototype Paratissi that was produced in small quantities in 1968, the year before its release. The logo of Wärtsilä, a sponsor company that invested in ARABIA at the time, is stamped, and the year 1968 is engraved below it. This is the starting point for Paratiisi, who has been loved all over the world to this day.
Compared to the so-called Viola Logo Paratiisi from the 1969-early 1970s, this plate has a lighter color overall, and the design line itself is sweeter. However, while a few Paratiisi with viola logos are still in circulation, this 1968 version is the most rare of the Paratiisi in terms of rarity.
Paratiisi's oval plate is known to have a standard size of 25cm, but this one is a smaller 21cm size. It seems that only the 21 cm size was manufactured in the 1968 prototype. It can be said that it is a collector's item among collector's items because it has a different flavor from vintage and reprinted editions.
Details Manufacturer: ARABIA Designer: Birger Kaipiainen Series name: Paratiisi Age: 1968 Country of origin: Finland
It is a dead stock product with no evidence of being used as tableware. You can see the strut marks from the manufacturing on the back. Mint condition with no cracks or cracks and no history of use as tableware.
■ About 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 his family moved to Helsinki when he was young, Kaipiainen spent every summer in Russia. Stay in a homestay in a town called Sortavala. The sense of nature and artistry nurtured there will influence him for the rest of his life. When Kaipiainen was young, he suffered from polio, which left him walking with a cane for the rest of his life. He was unable to turn a potter's wheel on his own due to a disability in one hand, but it is said that this actually served as an opportunity for him to hone his artistic sense.
Kaipiainen graduated from Finland's premier art university, Aalto University, and joined Arabia in 1937. From 1954, he also transferred to Rorstrand in Sweden for four years. In the heyday of simple and unadorned Nordic modern art, Kaipiainen's designs are rich in decorativeness and are characterized by detailed depictions drawn to every corner. He has built a unique worldview that stands out from the mainstream of the times, designing Paratish in 1969, Apia in 1970, and Sunnuntai in 1971. Both are still reprinted editions of Arabia, and have become flagship products.
