"KILTA" EGG RING (ENAMEL RED) A

The KILTA series was launched in 1953 and manufactured until 1974.
Under the slogan "Down with dinner sets," it eliminated all waste, could be used for multiple purposes, and had a functional and minimal design that harmonized easily with other tableware.
It is a masterpiece by KAJ FRANCK, who created a "kitchen revolution" at a time when decorative dinner sets with fixed uses for each piece were the mainstream.

The A-model egg ring was added to the KILTA series in 1955.
This is an enamel color produced in 1951, before commercialization.
It is rare.
*There may be small chips or 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 in Helsinki (now Aalto University). After graduation, 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 revitalizing tableware, which was essential for daily life after the war. In 1946, he became a glass designer at Iittala after winning a prize in a competition at Karhula-Iittala, but in 1950, he moved to Nuutajärvi, which became a group company under Wärtsilä, the same umbrella as Arabia, and as director, he began designing glassware with a common philosophy to 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 decoration.

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. At the same time, at Nuutajärvi, he also created many unique glass works of high artistic quality through a craft-based approach, in which we can see Franck's artistic side.

From 1960, he also engaged in education at the School of Art and Design in Helsinki (now Aalto University), having a significant impact on 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, stretching 112 meters, was introduced, establishing production efficiency and a mass production system. This allowed Arabia to develop 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 to develop products and art pieces in parallel.

A major characteristic of Arabia is that product development has been carried out through the interaction of three fields: the art department, the applied art department, and the product design department.

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 cultural role for Arabia and an important role in the development of Finnish ceramics.

In the 1940s, Friedl Kjellberg developed Rice Porcelain using the firefly pattern technique. Mass production began in 1950, becoming a long-selling product that continued until 1974, and received high international acclaim as Arabia's representative artistic porcelain.

Against the backdrop of functionalism spreading in Northern Europe in the 1930s, Ekholm launched the AR series of tableware (SINIVALKO) 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 promoted the renewal of product design. The Kilta series, launched in 1953, achieved great success as innovative modern tableware characterized by simple geometric forms and versatility.

Arabia boasts numerous awards since the 1930s, but 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.