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Unique Stoneware Platter by Birger Kaipiainen for Arabia, Finland, 1960s
About the Item
Amazing, unique stoneware platter by Birger Kaipiainen. Beautiful composition with deep red poppy flowers with seeds in relief in the center and butteflies scattered on the petals.
Birger Kaipiainen was Finland’s foremost ceramic artist of the midcentury period, whose unique style gave him world renown. His unique works are acclaimed collector’s pieces and his tableware designs from the 1960s are still in production.
Kaipiainen showed exceptional talent already as a student at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki. Following his studies, he joined Arabia’s art department at twenty-two, and was given complete freedom to develop his artistry. He has been described as “quiet and dreaming”, and his personality is certainly expressed in his imaginative, etheral creations. He had suffered from polio at a young age, and its effects prevented him from making thrown work. This was something that likely led him find his own expression, which stands in contrast to the often stark creations of his contemporaries like Toini Muona and Rut Bryk. During the 1940s he worked with large plaques with flowing edges and romantic themes inspired by the medieval, Rococo and Renaissance periods. In the 1950s he created stylized birds and human figures, while later in the 1960s developing large series of unique plates with striking ornaments in a lush Baroque style. He had a profound knowledge of ceramic techniques as well as of glazes and used careful techniques to maintain the innate glow of pigments as they made their way through the kiln.
Birger Kaipianen worked at Arabia during his entire career, from 1937 to 1988, with a four year stint at Rörstrand between 1954 and 1958. Among his numerous awards are Diplôme d’Honneur in Milan in 1951, Grand Prix in Milan in 1960, the Pro Finlandia award in 1963 and Prins Eugen medal in 1982.
Litterature: ”Ceramic Art in Finland, A Contemporary Tradition”, Edited by Åsa Hellman, Otava Publishing Company Ltd, Finland, 2004
- Creator:Arabia (Maker),Birger Kaipiainen (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 1.89 in (4.8 cm)Width: 16.74 in (42.5 cm)Depth: 14.38 in (36.5 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Ceramic,Glazed
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Very good vintage condition consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Stockholm, SE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1638238064852
Birger Kaipiainen
Birger Kaipiainen was a Finnish ceramist and designer. He is one of the most successful and well-known ceramic artists in Finland.
Kaipiainen graduated from the School of Arts & Crafts (later known as the Aalto School of Arts of Helsinki). After graduation he went to work for Finnish ceramics company Arabia in 1937, and later in 1954 for their Swedish sister company Rörstrand.
Kaipiainen worked as a designer for Arabia for over fifty years. As a child he suffered from polio and was consequently unable to use a pottery wheel. It was said that his illness heightened his artistic sensitivity.
Kaipiainen was nicknamed “the king of decorators” for his nostalgic, romantic and highly decorative ceramic designs at a time when minimalism was the prevailing trend in Finnish ceramics. He is known for repeatedly using the same signature nature-inspired motifs, such as violets and curlews.
The recipient of many awards, honorary titles, and a doctorate, Kaipiainen won a Grand Prix at the Triennale di Milano in 1951 and was awarded the prestigious Pro Finlandia medal in 1963.
Find vintage Birger Kaipiainen ceramics, decorative objects and more on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by Connaisseurs Fine Art & Jewelry)
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- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Stockholm, Sweden
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
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