This is a set of 25 commemorative plates ``Kalevala'' by Finland's leading pottery manufacturer ARABIA. This is a set of 24 works from 1976 until 1999, when it was discontinued, and a large plate sold in 1985 to commemorate Arabia's 150th anniversary.
Kalevala is the work of ARABIA's exclusive designer Laiya Uosikkinen. Uosikkinen created masterpieces such as Emilia, Ali, Pajazzo and Ahmed.
The Kalevala is a Finnish national epic poem collected and compiled by Elias Ljönnrot, a 19th century Finnish physician and scholar. It is similar to the Japanese ``Kojiki'' and ``Nihon Shoki'' and contains ancient legends. Uosikkinen created designs of mythical landscapes that have been passed down among Finnish people, applied them to tableware, and presented them as ear plates every Christmas season. Production began in 1976 and continued until production ended in 1999, with new plate designs released every year for a quarter of a century.
■Details Manufacturer: ARABIA / Arabia Designer: Raija Uosikkinen Country of Manufacture: Finland Year: 1976-1999 Condition: ★★★★★ (5: Complete)
It was used as a decorative plate. All 25 items are in perfect condition, with no cracks, chips, or punctures, and retain the same appearance as when they were manufactured.
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.
Raija Uosikkinen
Raija Uosikkinen (1923-2004)
Originally from Holoran, a town in southern Finland. Graduated from Aalto University's Faculty of Fine Arts in 1947 and joined Arabia. He worked as an exclusive designer for Arabia for 40 years until 1986, and was responsible for the designs of the Emilia series and Kalevala ear plates. He often collaborated with Kai Franck, with Kai Franck generally providing the form of the product and Uosikkinen providing the decorative design.
Even after Laija Uosikkinen retired from ARABIA in 1986 , he continued to live in a house right next to his company and happily invited the company's current designers and students from Aalto University to his home, providing friendly hospitality while also serving as a mentor to future generations. He is said to have provided guidance. His most famous work, the Emilia series, is said to express his longing for life in the distant United States. After World War II, Finland was never a rich country due to a series of periods of poverty, and the longing for richness during these poor and difficult times is the background behind the creation of this masterpiece.