|
Maker |
ARABIA |
|
designer |
Ulla Procope |
|
era |
1961-1970s |
|
Country of manufacture |
Finland |
|
evaluation |
★★★★☆ (4.5: Very good condition) |
|
condition |
Both the cup and saucer show slight traces of cutlery when held under the light, but are in excellent condition, close to dead stock items. The brown discoloration on the higher parts of the cup is not due to dirt, but to the underlying china clay showing through. The areas where the fire is difficult to spread are coated with a thin layer of glaze, giving it this look. |
|
size |
Width 11.5cm (including handle) Height 6.5cm Saucer diameter 15cm |
ARABIA's signature hand-painted tableware Valencia tea cup and saucer. Valencia has three types: demitasse cups, coffee cups, and tea cups, but this is the largest size tea cup.
The hand signatures on the back of the cup and saucer are handwritten, indicating that they were produced between 1961, when production began, and the 1970s. Production of Valencia temporarily ceased in the 1980s, but after it was revived, it was stamped with the word ARABIA.
This means that the hand-signed Valencia is the oldest vintage item. UP is the initial signature of Ulla Procope, and is signed with the artist's initials separated by slashes.
"Valencia" masterpiece of Arabic tableware
Valencia is a representative work of 20th century ARABIA. It was released in 1961 and was in long-run production for half a century until 2002. Sales ended when ARABIA moved its manufacturing base to Southeast Asia. In other words, all Valencia series products are manufactured in Finland. It has not been reprinted since then and is currently only available on the vintage market.
The series name, Valencia, is the name of a port city in southeastern Spain, and the deep cobalt blue color represents the dull-colored sea of the Mediterranean Sea and the strong sunlight. Designer Ulla Procope designed the Valencia in 1961, and it has become a timeless masterpiece with the most antique fans among all ARABIA products. Procope is also responsible for the design of the long-running Ruska and the highly rare Flora.
Procoppe died of illness in 1968 at the young age of 47, but she was recuperated in the Canary Islands of Spain, and it is said that she was surrounded by the Spanish coastline throughout her life. After her death, Valencia, like other series, went into long-run production and was manufactured in Finland for over 40 years until 2002.
Valencia is created using a technique called hand painting, in which the painter applies patterns one by one with a brush. This is a method that has been discontinued since ARABIA moved its manufacturing base outside of Finland, and hand painting means that it is a genuine Finnish product.
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 .