This is a decorative faience plate from the famous Swedish pottery manufacturer Gustavsberg. In addition to the mass-produced products, Gustavsberg had a department called G-Studion where famous designers such as Stig Lindberg and Lisa Larson produced art pieces. This is a work made in that atelier.
The design was by Stig Lindberg, known as the flag bearer of the mid-century, the golden age of Scandinavian modernism. The mid-century period was a time when Scandinavian countries became independent of the traditional, pan-European pottery culture that had existed up until that point, and their own Scandinavian identity was awakened. By this time, manufacturing methods such as bone china had already been established, but this product was made using faience.
Faience is a method of making pottery made from red clay, drying it, and then dipping it in a white glaze called tin glaze before firing it. This method was invented in ancient Egypt and is the oldest method of making pottery using glaze in the world.
On the back of the plate there is a "G" hand signature, indicating that it was made in Gustavsberg's G Studio. "21" is a number that specifies the form, "F" is a designation for the pattern design (type of painting), and on the right edge there is a star mark, which is the hand signature of the painter Giovanni Pugno, who was in charge of painting. Giovanni Pugno was a painter who worked at Gustavsberg in the 1950s. At that time there were about 40 painters working at G Studio, and each had their own signature for quality control.
Due to its structure, faience is more fragile than ordinary pottery, and it is rare for it to remain intact. This large piece is over 30 cm in size, has a beautiful milky white glaze, and is free of the crazing that is common in faience, making it a striking piece for interior decoration and highly valuable as an antique.
There is a video that shows the production scene at G Studio at that time. The man wearing round glasses on the left is Stig Lindberg, a flag bearer of the mid-century. On the right is his mentor, the master Wilhelm Kåge, who was the art director at Gustavsberg at the time.
■ Detailed specifications
Manufacturer: Gustavsberg / Gustavsberg Designer: Stig Lindberg / Stig Lindberg Painter: Giovanni Pugno / Giovani Pugno
Era: 1950s Condition: ★★★★★ (5: Complete)
This is a perfect item that has retained the appearance from the time of manufacture. It is a deadstock item in extremely good condition, with no cracks, chips or crazing, making it one of the best condition vintage items available.
■Size
Length 31cm Width 11cm (maximum width) Height 4cm
Stig Lindberg
Stig Lindberg (1916-1982)
Born in Umeå, the central city of northern Sweden. Originally from Stockholm's art school Konstfack ( Learn painting at Konstfack. He joined Gustavsberg in 1937 and gradually rose to prominence under the tutelage of his mentor, Wilhelm Koge. Twelve years later, in 1949, he succeeded Koge as the company's art director in charge of design.
Since then, Lindberg has released numerous works as a standard bearer of Swedish modernism in the mid-20th century. During Lindberg's time, the Gustavsberg workshop was at its peak, and its works from that time are recognized as works from the golden period known as ``mid-century,'' and are highly valued. Lindberg's studio is called G-Studion, where young designers are demonstrating their skills and producing famous artists such as Lisa Larson.