This is a sugar pot with a lid from the legendary masterpiece Korali by ARABIA, a leading Finnish pottery manufacturer. The series name Korali means "coral reef", and the cup is decorated with dancing pink coral resembling cherry blossom petals. It was designed by Raija Uosikkinen, known for Emilia and Kalevala. Uosikkinen retired from ARABIA in 1986, so this piece, 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 from 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: ★★★★☆ (4.5: Very good condition)
There are no cracks, chips or crazing on either the lid or the body, and it is a dead stock item with no signs of use. It is in the best condition of any item available on the market.
■Size: Diameter 9cm, Height 10cm
