This is a ceramic statue of a cat (Katt) from the series Stora Zoo, designed by Lisa Larson for Gustavsberg in 1958. This is an early work that Lisa Larson made when she made her debut as a ceramic artist.
Lisa Larson joined Gustavsberg in 1954 at the young age of 23. Stig Lindberg's attention was drawn to a small cat with a protruding tail that he presented in a competition in 1953 when he was a student the previous year, and it was later released as the "Lilla Zoo" series. Lisa Larson is known as a cat lover and has always lived with her cat. Lisa Larson has created about 30 works with cat motifs in her lifetime, and the pottery statue of a sleeping cat called Mozef is modeled after an actual domestic cat.
The "small zoo" series became very popular at the time due to its novelty. In 1958, the "Big Zoo (Stora Zoo)", which increased the size of the animals in response to the hit, will be released. The basic design is based on Lisa Larson's small zoo style, but this ceramic statue is over 30 cm wide and about the size of a real kitten. The dimensions are 32.5 cm wide, 11 cm high, and 8 cm deep, so it is suitable for a wide space such as a window as an interior.
It has a coat like a pheasant cat, and the texture of the moist glaze gives it a sense of calmness, and the cute mouth and tail that stretches out to the side make you feel natural as if you suddenly turned your head while walking. When viewed from behind, the roundness of the buttocks is also very cute, and the characteristics of a cat walking while shaking its buttocks are well represented. Lisa Larson has several cat works, but this is one of the earliest works and is a vintage pottery statue with outstanding workmanship.
■ Details Manufacturer: Gustavsberg / Gustavsberg Designer: Lisa Larson / Lisa Larson Series name: Stora Zoo / big zoo
Title: Katt / Cat
Age: 1958-1979 Country of origin: Sweden
Condition: ★★★★★ (5: Complete)
There is no cracking, chipping, or paint loss, and some of the original seals remain. It is in very good condition with no visible scratches. It is a complete product that retains the appearance at the time of production.
■ Lisa Larson (1931- )
Born in a village called Härlunda with a population of about 500 in the Älmhult district of the Kronoberg county in the Småland region in southern Sweden. When I was young, I wanted to be a fashion designer, but after entering the Gothenburg College of Art, I learned ceramics. One day, he was discovered by Stig Lindberg in a competition, and after a trial period of one year, he officially joined Gustavsberg as a designer. Soon after, in 1955, he announced the Lilla zoo series, and in 1964 he devised the famous Afrika series of lion statues.
In addition to Gustavsberg, Lisa Larson has designed for Höganäs , national retail giant Åhléns and German pottery manufacturer Rosenthal . After leaving Gustavsberg in 1979 , he became active in various fields while freely continuing his creative activities as a freelance artist who entered into freelance contracts with companies rather than working exclusively with them. In 1979 and 1981 , he held solo exhibitions at the Seibu Department Store in Tokyo, and it is said that 70,000 people visited the solo exhibition in 1981 .
