"KILTA" EGG RING (ENAMEL DARK BLUE) A

The KILTA series was launched in 1953 and manufactured until 1974.
Under the slogan "simplify the dinner set," it eliminated all waste, offering a functional and minimalist design that could be used for multiple purposes and easily harmonized with other tableware.
It is a masterpiece by KAJ FRANCK, who started a "kitchen revolution" in an era when decorative dinner sets, each with a fixed use, were mainstream.

The A-model egg ring was added to the KILTA series in 1955.
This is an enamel color manufactured in 1951 before it was commercialized.
A rare item.
* There are small chips and unevenness in the glaze.

KAJ FRANCK｜Kaj Franck｜1911–1989｜FINLAND

Kaj Franck is one of the leading designers of 20th-century Finnish modern design. He studied under Arttu Brummer at the Central School of Arts and Crafts (now Aalto University) in Helsinki. After graduating, he worked in a wide range of fields including furniture, interiors, and textiles.

In 1945, at the request of Kurt Ekholm, he was appointed chief designer at Arabia and was responsible for renewing tableware necessary for post-war daily life. In 1946, he became a glass designer at Iittala after winning a competition at Karhula-Iittala, but in 1950, he transferred to Nuutajärvi, which became a group company under Wärtsilä, the same parent company as Arabia, and as director, he began designing glassware with a shared philosophy with Arabia.

Kaj Franck's design philosophy, also known as "the conscience of Finland," is based on the ideas of "design for the masses" and "the social responsibility of designers." He designed many universal products that could be used for a long time, expressing them with simple geometric forms and colors devoid of ornamentation.

Arabia's KILTA (now TEEMA) series and Nuutajärvi's tumbler 5027 (now KARTIO) series are long-selling products that continue to be manufactured by Iittala today. Meanwhile, at Nuutajärvi, he also created many highly artistic unique glass pieces using an artisanal approach, which shows Franck's artistic side.

From 1960, he was also involved in education at the School of Art and Design in Helsinki (now Aalto University), greatly influencing Finnish design education. He received numerous awards, including the Lunning Prize (1955), the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale (1957), and the Compasso d'Oro (1957).

ARABIA｜Arabia｜1873 –｜FINLAND

Arabia was established in 1873 as a subsidiary of the Swedish ceramics manufacturer Rörstrand in the Arabia district on the outskirts of Helsinki, and began operations the following year in 1874. In 1916, it separated from Rörstrand's capital and became an independent Finnish company.

In 1929, the world's largest tunnel kiln at the time, measuring 112 meters in length, was introduced, establishing production efficiency and a mass production system. This led to Arabia's development into one of Europe's leading ceramics factories.

In 1932, Kurt Ekholm was appointed art director, and he organized artistic activities at Arabia into an art department. He created a production environment for artists, establishing a system that allowed both products and art pieces to develop in parallel.

A major characteristic of Arabia is that product development was carried out through the interrelationship of three fields: the art department, the applied arts department, and the product design department.

Artists such as Toini Muona, Friedl Kjellberg, Michael Schilkin, Birger Kaipiainen, Rut Bryk, and Kyllikki Salmenhaara participated in the art department. Their works gained international recognition from the 1930s, playing a crucial role in Arabia's cultural aspect and the development of Finnish ceramics.

In the 1940s, Friedl Kjellberg developed Rice Porcelain using the firefly technique. Mass production began in 1950, and it became a long-selling product until 1974, receiving high international acclaim as a representative artistic porcelain of Arabia.

Against the backdrop of functionalism spreading in the Nordic countries in the 1930s, Ekholm launched the AR series (SINIVALKO) of tableware in 1935, setting the direction for later Nordic modern design.

In 1945, Kaj Franck joined as a designer, and together with Kaarina Aho and Ulla Procopé, he pushed for the renewal of product design. The Kilta series, launched in 1953, achieved great success as innovative modern design tableware characterized by simple geometric forms and versatility.

Arabia boasts numerous awards since the 1930s, and especially in the 1950s at the Milan Triennale (1951, 1954, 1957), many products by designers, in addition to works by artists from the art department, also received awards, establishing its global reputation.