It is a butter case of the Prunus series of Swedish famous kiln Gustavsberg. Gustavsberg's Prunus series has reprinted egg cups and coffee cups, but this butter case is not reprinted and can only be obtained as a vintage. Because the number of original production was small, it is especially valuable even in vintage.
The Prunus series is based on the LL model designed in the middle of the 20th century, called the mid-century. This is the name of the prototype of plain pottery, and each series such as Prunus and Versa was created by changing the type of transfer paper that is pressed to the surface.
The series name Prunus means plum ("plum" in Japanese), and the plums with blue fruits are drawn in a circle. The big difference between the vintage and the reprint is that the vintage backstamp has a bright blue plum design. The backstamp of the reprint is an anchor mark.
Gustavsberg's vintage butter cases also include the famous Berså series, but this one has the same shape as Berså and is larger in size. There is a VDN mark on the back stamp on the back. The VDN mark indicates that it has passed the durability test by the consumer association Varudeklarationsnämnden . It is equivalent to the JIS mark in Japan, and was stamped on Swedish products between 1951 and 1973 .
■ Detailed specifications
Manufacturer: Gustavsberg / Gustavsberg
Designer: Stig Lindberg
Series: Prunus
Years: 1962-1974
Country of Origin: Sweden
Condition: ★★★★☆ (4: mint condition)
There is fine paint loss on part of the lid, and the inner bottom of the main body can be seen faintly when exposed to light, but it is a beautiful product with no cracks, chips, or intrusions. The dent on the inside of the lid is not a chip but a trace of a post during manufacturing. The thread is in a state with almost no history of use.
■ size
Length 16.5cm Width 11cm Height 7.6cm (including lid)
■ About the designer
Stig Lindberg (1916-1982)
Born in Umeå , a city in northern Sweden. After studying painting at Konstfack , the capital Stockholm, he joined Gustavsberg in 1937 . Twelve years later, in 1949 , he succeeded Wilhelm Koge as the company's art director. Since then, Lindberg has released numerous works as a standard-bearer of Swedish modernism in the middle of the 20th century. The Gustavsberg company in the era when Lindberg was active reached its heyday, and even now the works of that time are recognized as the work of the golden age called "mid-century" and have high value.
Gustavsberg had an in-house atelier called G-Studion ( G Studio) apart from the mass-produced line, where young artists such as Lisa Larson worked hard to create one-of-a-kind art pieces. Lindberg has also produced many atelier works by exercising his skills with young artists. Lindberg retired from the front line in 1980 and opened a workshop in Italy where he retired, but died two years later.
