This is a large-sized pitcher by Korali, a legendary masterpiece by ARABIA, a leading Finnish pottery manufacturer. Small-sized Korali pitchers are often seen, but the large size is relatively rare.
The series name, Corali, means "coral reef," and the cup features dancing pink coral resembling cherry blossom petals. The designer was Raija Uosikkinen, known for Emilia and Kalevala. Uosikkinen retired from ARABIA in 1986, so this work, designed in 1983, was the last work of her career.
The designer of the form was Ulla Procoppe, who is famous for Ruska and Valencia. The Coralli follows the shape of the "S model" of the smash hit Ruska, designed in 1960. The S model is the general name given to the basic form of the series of tableware used in Ruska, including cups, plates, and pots.
Since the appearance of the Ruska S model, many Arabia products have been produced using the same shape as the Ruska model, while changing the surface decoration. Ruska was designed in 1960 and Ulla Prokoppe died in 1968, so the Corali model released in 1983 shows that Ulla Prokoppe's designs were highly regarded for nearly 20 years after his death. The S model is also used in GOG and Esteri Tomura's Cosmos, Fractus, Flora, etc. As the same shape was continued to be used, it was called the S-Model, an acronym of Sama (which means "same" in Finnish).
Coralli became a masterpiece due to the cherry blossom-like gorgeousness of the pink coral. The decoration was devised by the aforementioned Raija Uosikkinen, but her style sometimes depicts things that do not exist in Scandinavia. The idyllic landscape of her representative work Emilia is said to have been a depiction of America, and the Ali series incorporates arabesque patterns from the Islamic world, which is unusual for Scandinavia. Coralli's pink coral does not grow naturally in the Atlantic region where Scandinavia is located, and is only found in areas relatively close to the equator in the Asia-Pacific region, such as Japan, the Philippines, and Hawaii. Scandinavian tableware is characterized by incorporating spring-like gorgeousness into its designs, which is in contrast to the cold regional characteristics, and Coralli is a vessel that truly expresses the non-regional design of Scandinavian tableware.
Korali is a vintage dish that is traded at a particularly high price among Arabia products. The reason it became a legendary masterpiece is because it was produced in small quantities. Northern Europe fell into a long economic recession in the 1980s. Korali was released in 1983, which coincided with the time when the Finnish economy began to show signs of decline and Arabia reduced its production.
Therefore, Arabia's works from the 1980s were produced in smaller numbers than those from the 1960s and 1970s. This is why Ruska from the 1960s can still be found relatively cheaply, while newer Coralli plates of the same form are very expensive. The same reason is why newer year plates such as Kalevala plates are more expensive.
■Details Manufacturer: ARABIA Form Designer: Ulla Procope Pattern Designer: Raija Uosikkinen Series: Koralli Year: 1983-1987 Country of Origin: Finland Condition: ★★★☆☆ (3.5: Good condition)
There are no cracks, chips or crazing in this good product, but there are cutlery marks on the side when held up to the light. It is a good vintage item, but in a condition that is more suitable for casual use than for collections.
■Size: Diameter 12.8cm, Height 13.5cm, Width 19cm, Capacity 1500ml
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 .
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.