It is a creamer of the Ali series of Finland's representative tableware manufacturer ARABIA.
The Ali series was produced from 1961 to 1973. It was launched into the world by two designers, Kaj Franck and Laija Uosikkinen, who were the famous combination of ARABIA. Ant is the last copper plate transfer work among 20th century ARABIA products. Copper plate transfer is a type of silk screen printing, in which ink made from cobalt is placed on a copper plate with a pattern design cut out, and the ink is transferred to transfer paper. Then, transfer paper is placed on the plain pottery and printed with a brush to fix it. Individual differences such as color shading and unevenness occur depending on the strength of the transfer. Individuality and taste are born in the difference in shade, and the skill of the craftsman is also clearly displayed.
Copper plate transfer is very time-consuming, so Ali stopped production during the 1973 oil crisis. During this period, the production of ARABIA's masterpiece Paratiisi also ended, and it was a stagnation period when the production of all the main lineups up to that point was forced to end. In addition, in the 1980s, when inexpensive foreign-made pottery began to gain prominence, many of the tableware for ARABIA products were made with pre-made transfer paper pasted on them, or decorated with simple hand-painted decorations. spawned. The works from the 1980s onwards are extremely simple in decoration compared to the works of the golden age, and you can feel the painful times when it was not possible to spend time and effort. Considering this historical background, Ari can be said to be the last work of the golden age of ARABIA.
Laija Uosikkinen, who devised the pattern design, has a style of drawing things that do not exist in Scandinavia. The idyllic scenery of her representative work Emilia is said to depict the United States, and the arabesque pattern of the Islamic world, which is not typical of Scandinavia, is incorporated in this series of ants. Scandinavian tableware is characterized by incorporating warmth and vividness into the design, which is contrary to the cold regionality, but Ari expresses the de-regional design of Scandinavian tableware.
■ Detailed specifications
Manufacturer: ARABIA Form Design: Kaj Franck Pattern Design: Raija Uosikkinen Age: 1961-1973 Country of Origin: Finland
It will be an extremely beautiful product with no cracks or chips. It is a dead stock product in very good condition with no paint loss or penetration.
■ size
Width 9.3cm (including handle) Height 7.3cm
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.
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.