This ceramic statue of a cat (Katt) is part of the Stora Zoo series, designed by Lisa Larson for Gustavsberg in 1958. It is one of the earliest pieces produced when Lisa Larson made her debut as a ceramic artist.
This piece was likely made before 1958, the year the Big Zoo was released. Unlike the regular version, it has almost no air holes at the bottom, and part of the studio's model number is written on the belly. The overall color is a roughly painted black glaze with horizontal lines, and in places the clay has been gouged out to reveal the white base. The lines of the expression are quite faint, indicating that the concept as a product had not yet been established.
The overall length is slightly larger than the standard version, and the glaze gives it a unique and beautiful presence. Many of Lisa's unique cat pieces have a similar glaze, so we suspect this piece was probably created by Lisa Larson herself.
Please see here for the regular version of the big zoo cats.
■Details Manufacturer: Gustavsberg Designer: Lisa Larson Series name: Stora Zoo / Big Zoo
Title: Katt / cat
Year: Before 1958 (estimated)
Country of origin: Sweden
Condition: ★★★★★ (5: Complete)
This is a perfect piece with no cracks, chips, or crazing. There are traces of the glaze on the surface popping in places during firing in the kiln. Please understand that this is a characteristic of the piece.
■Size
Width 32.5cm Height 11.5cm Depth 9cm
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.
