This Monami tea cup and saucer is a masterpiece by Marianne Westman, who was the main designer of the long-established Swedish tableware manufacturer Rorstrand. Mon Amie means "lover" in French.
This cup is a vintage item manufactured in Sweden between 1951 and 1987. Monami still produces reprinted mugs, etc., but this bowl-shaped teacup is not available for resale as it is made in Indonesia. There are tea cups and small coffee cups, but this is a large capacity tea cup. This is one of Monami's classic items.
The major difference between Monami's reprint and the original is the color of the base. The reprint version has a pure white background, but the original has an off-white and subdued color tone. In addition, the blue in the reprint is uniform and bright, but the original is hand-painted, so each piece has a different shade of blue, similar to ultramarine blue. The reprint version is a mass-produced product that is too white and too blue, but the vintage version is rich in expression and allows you to feel the spirit of the craftsman.
■Detailed specifications
Manufacturer: Rorstrand Designer: Marianne Westman Series name: Mon Amie Year: 1951-1987 Country of origin: Sweden Condition: ★★★★☆ (4.5: Very good condition)
The back stamp on the cup is missing. This is not a product defect, but a result of the craftsman forgetting to press the button during manufacturing. This item itself is a dead stock item and is in very good condition.
■Size
Cup diameter 10.5cm Height 5.8cm Saucer diameter 15.8cm
Marianne Westman
Marianne Westman ( Marianne Westman, 1928-2017 )
Born in the Dalarna region of central Sweden, known for Dalarna horses. In 1950, at the age of 22, he joined Rorstrand as a designer and remained there for 21 years until 1971. As the company's signboard designer, he has created numerous works and brought the masterpiece Mon Amie series to the world. Monami is a masterpiece of Scandinavian design from the mid-20th century, known as "mid-century," and is still loved around the world, with reprints still being produced . Westman's works are characterized by many designs that are conscious of plants and free-spirited patterns that appear to be drawn freehand.