This is a commemorative plate from ARABIA, one of Finland's leading pottery manufacturers. Designer Laiya Uosikkinen worked as an exclusive designer for ARABIA and created masterpieces such as Emilia, Ali, Pajazzo, and Ahmed. This Kalevala was also devised by Uosikkinen, and has remained very popular among many collectors to this day.
The Kalevala is a Finnish national epic poem collected and compiled by the 19th century Finnish physician and scholar Elias Ljönnrot. 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. New plate designs have been released every year for a quarter of a century, starting in 1976 and ending in 1999.
This is a commemorative plate manufactured in the first year of 1976. The scene depicts the aged hero Väinämöinen being born from his mother's womb, drifting through the sea, and sowing seeds on the rising earth. Väinämöinen is said to have been in his mother's womb for over 700 years, and is depicted as an adult from the time he was born. It is said that he was a leading hero and a shaman who actually existed around the 9th century. The Kalevala became popular the following year, so only a small number of ear plates were produced in the first year. For this reason, first-year plates have particularly high added value in the vintage market.
■Details Manufacturer: ARABIA Designer: Raija Uosikkinen Country of Origin: Finland Year: 1976 Condition: ★★★★★ (5: Complete)
It was used as a decorative plate. There is no notable damage, and it is in very good condition as it was when it was manufactured.
■Size Width 20cm Height 20cm Height 2cm
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.
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.