This is a vintage Arabia Malva series TV set. It is a set of cups and saucers that serve as plates. Malva is a herb native to Europe called mallow. It is a masterpiece that features mallow flowers painted all over and is characterized by its vivid colors.
The TV set was created based on the concept of tableware to be used while watching television. The wide saucer was designed to hold cookies and other sweets and to be served with coffee. The shape itself was designed by Kaj Franck, a leader of Finnish design in the 20th century, and the pattern was created by Esteri Tomura, who is famous for his masterpiece Crocus.
The blue petals painted on the surface have a subtle gradation, giving the design a sense of depth. The TV set is a rare item even in the country of origin. It was on sale for a relatively long time, but since there were not many produced, it is a rare item to see as a vintage item.
■Details Manufacturer: ARABIA Form design: Kaj Franck Pattern design: Esteri Tomula Year: 1964-1979
Country of Origin: Finland Condition: ★★★☆☆ (3.5: Good condition)
The cup is in excellent condition with no signs of use, but only the saucer shows signs of use. When held up to the light, cutlery marks can be seen on the surface of the saucer. Both the cup and saucer are free of cracks, chips, or crazing, and the color is in good condition, but the saucer is in a condition suitable for everyday use.
■Size: Cup diameter 8cm, Cup height 5.5cm, Saucer diameter 18.5cm
Kaj Franck
Kaj Franck ( 1911-1989 )
A famous designer from Finland, he promoted the modernization of tableware through the design of daily necessities, and had a great influence on the Nordic lifestyle.
In 1932, he studied furniture design at the Helsinki University of Arts and Crafts, and after graduating he worked in interior design, window displays, textiles, and glass design. In 1945, he became a designer for ARABIA, and achieved international success with the ``Kilta'' tableware series, which he had been developing since the 1940s.
In 1946, he won a glass design competition and became a designer for Iittala. From 1950, he was involved in glass design at Nuutajärvi, and his 1955 tumbler 2744 was selected for the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York. The design is known for its simplicity and functionality, and has become a symbol of Finnish design.
Esteri Tomula
Esteri Tomura (1920-1998)
Born in Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Her father, who was a university professor, bought a villa in the countryside called Urjalan in northwest Helsinki, and her childhood was spent every summer at the villa with her family, which was rich in nature, which deepened her knowledge of nature. be done. Esteri Tomura had a congenital condition called dwarfism, and initially majored in ceramics at Aalto University of the Arts in Helsinki, but due to physical reasons, she was unable to work with clay satisfactorily. Therefore, he gave up on the career of ceramics and sought his own expertise in design.
After joining ARABIA , he honed his skills as a pattern designer with Laiya Uosikkinen, who became his lifelong friend. While Uosikkinen preferred abstract and geometric patterns, Tomura seeks the origin of his designs in the flowers and flowers of Finland, which was the original landscape of his childhood. Tomura, who created masterpieces despite his physical handicaps, has similarities with Birger Kaipiainen, who designed the timeless masterpiece Paratissi despite suffering from polio.