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Update Vintage Ceramics

Thank you very much for the many nice comments on the vintage ceramics weekend read! I am happy that so many of you also have a passion for ceramics and it is comforting to know that I am not the only one who flips over plates and cups to check for the manufacturer’s seal…I have updated the read with vintage enamel designs (not really ceramics… but very beautiful) and also added a few ceramics pieces that I especially like. Anna of red.house was kind enough to send me further information on Rörstrand, she actually grew up in the town of Lidköping where the company was located. I used her information to correct some mistakes in the history part of Rörstrand. And before I forget a special thanks to all the great websites who have helped me create this weekend read and allowed me use their beautiful pictures. At the bottom of the read I have made a list of all these sites. Have a great weekend and hope to see you back on Monday!

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Grete Prytz Kittelsen for Cathrineholm

Grete Prytz Kittelsen was born 1917 in Oslo, Norway. She is renowned for her work with stainless steel and enamel for Cathrineholm. I am sure you have seen one or more of her designs. My first memory of these beautiful enamel pieces is from skiing trips in Austria where we the cheese fondue was served in Cathrineholm. Grete’s designs have won many prestigious awards. She was a major influence on Scandinavian design in the forties and fifties. In 2003, when she was already 86, Grete went on her first trip to China. During her stay, she visited one of the few traditional Chinese enamel factories still in operation and decided to start designing again. Chang & Biörck has acquired exclusive rights to reproduce some of her work, among which a bowl and a plate, that she designed using the same colors as her original 1950s designs. Cathrineholm of Norway started production of enamel in 1907.

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Antti Nurmesniemi 


 
Antti Nurmesniemi is one of the pioneers in Finnish design industry. His products were manufactured over the decades and his designs are famous. Like the Jakkara Stool. I especially like his enamel designs and at auction prices for his coffee pots are in excess of 200 USD, a true classic. So if you have one these pots hold on to it!

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Kaj Franck



Kaj Franck is especially famous for his ceramics designs for Arabia where he was a great influence but also on Finnish design in general. Kilta is probably among his most well-known work, I think it is still produced today by Iittala. Kaj Franck has been awarded a large number of Finnish and international awards and prizes and his work has been displayed at a range of design museums around the world. Some other famous designs are Origami tableware and the glass series Kartio. But I also love his enamel work such as these “mushroom bowls”.

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Ulla Procopé





I mentioned Ulla Procopé in the first edition of this read, but now wanted to show you the Ruska collection she did for Arabia and some of her other designs such as the Kosmos series. Simply beautiful!

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Tapio Wirkkala

{Rosenthal Jahresteller, tableware for Rosenthal, 'Pollo' vase}
Another symbolic figure for Finnish design was Tapio Wirkkala. He was an artist of exceptional diversity and left no area of design unexplored. Although his artwork and unique objects are to be found in the world’s leading museums, people have used his more anonymous objects for decades. His work ranges from plastic ketchup bottles and metal ware to advanced unique pieces of glass, ceramics and plywood. In 1946 Wirkkala won his first design award in a competition organized by Iittala. He was made artistic director of the firm and begun a lifelong relationship with the company. He also designed for other international companies, for example glass for Venini and ceramics for Rosenthal.

Comments

[imelda]

another delightful treat! Thanks, Irene.

[susan]

I can't believe I'm seeing these posts on vintage ceramics. I am a collector of vintage ceramics, mostly Danish and Swedish. I love my collection, it's all over the house, including displayed in my kitchen in a prominent way. I'm so excited to see this!

[Cajsa]

Oh,

I´m drooling now. It´s a shame I didn´t spot the previous ceramics post earlier, because then I could have given all the other fans of Scandinavian ceramics the link to my designer friend Elin´s web shop. She creates gorgeous jewellry out of broken, mostly Scandinavian, china and combines them with silver to stunning pieces! Here is her shop:

www.sagenbutik.se

/////Cajsa, Sweden

[penguin & fish]

man! every single one of these pieces is so beautiful. I'm so glad I saw this blog today.

[Arch]

Hi there,
This is fantastic...I completely adore ceramics. I love these designs from Finland & Norway.
I love Indian traditional pottery too.
Ceramic lovers of the world unite!!
Cheers
Arch

[marie]

Grtehe Prytz Kittelsen didn't like the leaf pattern. It was the factory that added them to her deigns. They were very popular among the housewifes in the sixties. The norwegian museum "Kunstindustrimuseet" in Oslo is now showing an exhibition about her and her designs.

[sarahjaneandbentley]

I had that rosenthal vase in white - amazing!

[john tebbutt]

Hi, I have just fallen off my chair, it appears the old coffee pot I picked up two years ago from a junk shop is one of the Antti Nurmesniemi red coffee pots, just told the wife and shes gone to polish it! not bad for a tenner, also makes a wonderful cup of coffee..

[cialis]

Hi, I have just fallen off my chair, it appears the old coffee pot I picked up two years ago from a junk shop is one of the Antti Nurmesniemi red coffee pots, just told the wife and shes gone to polish it! not bad for a tenner, also makes a wonderful cup of coffee..

[Blooming tea]

The tea pots are very cute, I love the color and the designs, what a lovely collection.

[Violantalossa]

You will find Esteri Tomula book from www.bookplus.fi or www.suomalainen.com I love this blog!

[childrens jackets]

There's a lot of vintage collection not only on clothing but there is also for kitchen collection. Like this vintage ceramics, the color and designs are totally different from the products out these days.