Paratiisi is a masterpiece by Birger Kaipiainen, one of Finland's leading designers, known as the "King of Decorators". A prototype was announced in 1968 and released in 1969. When ARABIA greatly reduced production in 1974 due to the oil crisis, Paratiisi temporarily stopped production and was reprinted in 1988 to the present.
This plate is a vintage black and white Paratiisi produced in small batches for two years from 1972. It is a plate composed only of contour lines without using glaze in order to reduce the labor required for decoration. The form is the same, but the back stamp is simple, and the so-called ARABIA crown logo is engraved. I think the reason for reducing the amount of coloring work was to mass-produce, but since there are almost no Black Paratiisi left from 1972-74, it seems that they were not produced in the first place. Currently, Paratiisi is manufactured in three colors: color, black and white, and purple, but Kaipiainen actually supervised only color and black and white. The vintage lines are thin and thin as a whole, and you can clearly see that only the lines of the sketch were really used. The reprint has clear lines.
This plate is the largest size on the market at 36 cm.
■ Details Manufacturer: ARABIA / Arabia Designer: Birger Kaipiainen Series name: Paratiisi Age: 1972-1974
Country of Origin: Finland
Condition: ★★★★☆ (4.5: Excellent)
It is a dead stock item that has never been used as tableware. It is an extremely beautiful product that retains the luster at the time of manufacture. There are faint scuff marks on the edge of the plate when it is placed on top of the edges and the center of the plate.
■ About Birger Kaipiainen
Birger Kaipiainen ( 1915-1988)
Born in Pori, southwestern Finland, on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. Finland's leading designer, known as the "King of Decorators". Although his family moved to Helsinki when he was young, Kaipiainen spent every summer in Russia. Stay in a homestay in a town called Sortavala. The sense of nature and artistry nurtured there will influence him for the rest of his life. When Kaipiainen was young, he suffered from polio, which left him walking with a cane for the rest of his life. He was unable to turn a potter's wheel on his own due to a disability in one hand, but it is said that this actually served as an opportunity for him to hone his artistic sense.
Kaipiainen graduated from Finland's premier art university, Aalto University, and joined Arabia in 1937. From 1954, he also transferred to Rorstrand in Sweden for four years. In the heyday of simple and unadorned Nordic modern art, Kaipiainen's designs are rich in decorativeness and are characterized by detailed depictions drawn to every corner. He has built a unique worldview that stands out from the mainstream of the times, designing Paratish in 1969, Apia in 1970, and Sunnuntai in 1971. Both are still reprinted editions of Arabia, and have become flagship products.
