2664) Arabia Tableware & Kitchenware, Finland: 150th Anniversary Celebration (1873-2023): Posti Group Oyj (previously Suomen Posti during 1994–2007 and Itella during 2007–2015 - Finland Post), has issued a set of two postage stamps depicting the popular Kitchenware & Tableware: Date of Stamp set issue: 18.01.2023:
Arabia is a Finnish Ceramics Company, founded in 1873 by Rörstrand, and currently owned by Fiskars. Arabia has specialized in kitchenware and tableware.
The original Arabia porcelain factory was located in Toukola (Helsinki). It later housed the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture.
Ulla Procopé, Esteri Tomula and Kaj Franck were among the best-known artists and designers for the company.
Arabia is one of Finland's best known and most highly regarded brands. For over 140 years, Arabia has held a strong position in Finnish homes.
Arabia is a pioneer of Finnish design, and its designs express beauty, quality and practicality.
Since 1873, Arabia has mirrored the times, with a commitment to strong, consumer-oriented design.
Arabia's key competences consist of design and long-term brand development. The objective is to ensure that the brand has a leading position in tableware. Arabia's tableware brings people together to enjoy good food and good company.
Arabia has many beloved patterns and product lines, one of them is Kaj Franck's Kilta, later re-named as Teema, which is presently part of Iittala’s collections.
Arabia's best-known collections also include the Moomin tableware, Paratiisi range, 24h series and Uunikokki ovenware.
The evolutionary history of Arabia:
- In 1809, when Sweden lost its eastern part, Finland, it became part of the Russian Empire.
At the end of the 19th century, Europe’s economy was flourishing and demand for tableware in Russia was rising.
The leaders of the Swedish porcelain factory Rörstrand became interested in entering the vast Russian market.
They decided to build a ceramic factory in Finland, because the trade tariffs to Russia were significantly lower than those from Sweden.
In 1873, Rörstrand received permission to build a ceramic factory North of Helsinki in an area called "Arabia". This explains the Finnish factory's exotic name. The stated goal was to produce "porcelain, faience and other pottery” there.
In 1874, the first plate was manufactured by Arabia. The early production was simple white faience goods without decor.
A few years later, the factory added some tableware series with printed decor, such as "Fasan”, "Japan” and "Willow”. The shapes and decors were similar to those produced by Rörstrand.
During the 19th century, most of Arabia’s leadership and skilled workforce came from Sweden.
In 1893, Gustav Herlitz (1855-1923) was appointed chief executive officer, and a modernisation process started. New ovens, clays, and foundries for tiles were developed.
He also set up a special decor department and employed distinguished artists like Thure Öberg (1872-1935) and Jac Ahrenberg (1847-1914).
In 1900, Arabia attended the World Exhibition in Paris and received a gold medal for the efforts of Öberg. Among other things, he contributed to hand-painted vessels with monochrome decor of Finnish landscapes and flowers.
The First World War (1914-1919) led to major economic problems for Rörstrand.
They sold their last shares in Arabia, which became an independent Finnish company.
The factory was modernised from scratch and soon expanded production.
In the 1930s and 1940s, Arabia acquired the majority in several Swedish ceramic factories, including its former parent company Rörstrand.
During those years, the Swedish artist Tyra Lundgren (1897-1979) worked as a designer at Arabia, and for a short period she was also artistic director of Rörstrand.
In 1932, the ceramist Kurt Ekholm (1907-1975) was appointed artistic leader of Arabia, and he started the factory's famous art department that would soon be world-renowned.
With Ekholm, a new era began in Arabia. He influenced the design of household goods in the spirit of functionalism with strict shapes and clean decorations, such as the Pekka and Sinivalko series.
Ekholm had an ability to discover young talents, and he hired some of Finland's leading artists - including Michael Schilkin (1900-1962), Birger Kaipiainen (1915-1988), Kaj Franck (1911-1989), Rut Bryk (1916-1999), and Toini Muona (1904-1987).
In 1939, at the outbreak of World War II, Arabia was Europe's largest porcelain factory and employed more than a thousand people. But at the end of the war, the important export market was heavily weakened.
In 1945, Kaj Franck was employed as a new designer, and he proved to be just the power that Arabia needed. Three years later, he succeeded Kurt Ekholm as the artistic leader of the factory. Franck created a whole new view on tableware with the focus on a simple but beautiful meal environment.
The post-war years were hard in Finland. There was a lack of everything, not the least tableware.
Franck therefore designed the Kilta series where each part had several functions.
The aim was that consumers could buy individual pieces and still have a functional set. Kilta could also be combined with older tableware series. Franck propagated for mixing and matching, which was a revolutionary new idea.
In the Triennial of Milan in 1951, Finnish design widely acclaimed, and seven of the awards went to the artists of Arabia.
Rut Bryk was awarded the Grand Prix for her colourful faience plaques. Finland's success continued in the Triennials of 1954 and 1957.
In the mid-fifties, Arabia hired the artist Oiva Toikka who created stylised wall plaques, vases and sculptures. He would later become the most famous of Finland’s glass designers.
In the 1950s, oven and flameproof materials were developed by the Arabia laboratory.
They were used by Ulla Procopé (1921-1988) in her rustic Ruska series, which became almost synonymous with Finnish pottery. The series was made of heavy stone mass that was so popular in the sixties.
In the latter half of the 20th century, a multitude of Arabia designers created high-quality pottery artware. Artists like Taisto Kaasinen (1918-1980), Lillemor Mannerheim (1927-1994), and Howard Smith (1928-) created stoneware figurines that today decorate many Scandinavian homes.
Their expression was often warm-hearted, humorous, and sometimes subtly ironic in the contemporary Nordic tradition.
The Stamp set:
The two Stamps showcase Arabia's popular tableware.
Posts on SEPAC issues on this blog:
Posts on Finland on this Blog:
Posts on Sweden:
Dutch Castles Coin Series:
Links:
The undernoted two links will take you to our blog "Footloose" for two interesting posts written by me on the Dutch presence in Sadras in the 17th Century AD:
5) City of Bruges (or Brugge), Belgium: 20 Years as UNENCO World Heritage Site: A 20 Euro Silver Proof Coin issued by the Royakl Dutch Mint under licencing of the Royal Belgian Mint, on behalf of the National Bank of Belgium: Coin issue date: 26.02.2020
6) 100 Years of Nature & Environment Protection, Luxembourg: Commemorating the Centenary Anniversary of the "Letzebuerger Natur a Vulleschutsliga a.s.b.l. (Luxembourg Nature and Bird Protection Society):A 0.80 Euro Stamp issued by Luxembourg Postes (Post): Date of stamp issue: 10.03.2020
7) Celebrating 25 Years of listing on UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Luxembourg: A Commemorative Stamp of 0.80 Euro issued by Luxembourg Postes (Post): Stamp issue date: 10.03.2020
15) "Franking Labels" from Greenland: Franking Labels issued by POST Greenland Filatelia since 2009 onwards: A brief analysis
16) Ancient Postal Routes - the Postal Boat Race - between Aland and Sweden", Aland, Finland: A EUROPA Postage Stamp of 2.00 Euro issued by Aland Post: Date of Stamp issue: 08.05.2020
For interesting posts from the Caribbean Netherlands on this blog:
For other interesting posts on issues from the Royal Dutch Mint, Netherlands and PostNL, please visit the following links:
9) "De Haar Castle", Utrecht, Netherlands: The first Coin to be released in the "Dutch Castles" Coin Series: A silver Ducat Trade Coin with a history spanning over 350 years, minted by the Royal Dutch Mint: Date/Year of Delivery: 04/2020
10) First Atlases, Netherlands: Commemorating 450 Years of the first Atlas (1570-2020) & others: A Stamp Sheet of six stamps depicting the Atlases which were compiled in the Netherlands in the 16th & 17th Centuries AD: Stamp Set issued by POstNL: Date of Stamp Set issue: 23.03.2020
12) 75th Anniversary of the United Nations Organisation (UNO), The Netherlands: A Coin-card set of three denominations of 0.50 Euros, 0.20 Euros and 0.05 Euros minted by the Royal Dutch Mint to celebrate the milestone: Year of Coin-card issue: 2020
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