{"product_id":"kage047","title":"\"ARGENTA\" VASE","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"item-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA vase from Wilhelm Kåge’s \u003cem\u003eArgenta\u003c\/em\u003e series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIntroduced at the Stockholm Exhibition in 1930, \u003cem\u003eArgenta\u003c\/em\u003e became one of Gustavsberg’s most celebrated series and remained in production, with various changes, into the 1980s. The name \u003cem\u003eArgenta\u003c\/em\u003e derives from the Italian word for “silver,” and the combination of deep green glaze and silver decoration became the series’ defining expression.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt first, pieces were wheel-thrown by potters such as Berndt Friberg, after which the silver decoration was applied by Kåge himself. As the popularity of \u003cem\u003eArgenta\u003c\/em\u003e grew, however, the decoration came to be carried out by a number of painters working from Kåge’s original designs. Those whose skill was especially recognized were permitted to mark their work with their own initials.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the war, rationalization at the factory brought significant changes: production shifted from wheel-throwing to casting, and the material changed from flintware to stoneware, as the series moved further toward mass production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis example was made in 1941. It was wheel-thrown, with the silver decoration executed by Gunvor Stoor. The year 1941 falls within the period of the Kåge department, before the establishment of Gustavsberg Studio, when \u003cem\u003eArgenta\u003c\/em\u003e was still being produced through wheel-throwing and hand-applied silver decoration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin the \u003cem\u003eArgenta\u003c\/em\u003e series, this piece retains the care and refinement of hand-finished work, preserving the particular appeal of the prewar and wartime production, before the full shift toward postwar mass production. While \u003cem\u003eArgenta\u003c\/em\u003e often features Art Deco motifs such as mermaids, dragons, and floral ornament, the decoration here is notably restrained. Along the fine concentric lines, delicate zigzag incisions have been added, revealing a high degree of craftsmanship within an otherwise understated design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn good condition with no noticeable damage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"black-text-01\" style=\"margin-top: 48px;\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWILHELM KÅGE｜1889–1960｜SWEDEN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilhelm Kåge was one of the key artist-designers who laid the foundations of modern design in Sweden. After studying painting and drawing at several art schools, he came to prominence around 1914 as a poster artist and went on to work extensively in advertising and graphic design. At the time, the Swedish Society of Industrial Design was encouraging manufacturers to engage artists in order to raise the quality of industrial products, and Kåge—already recognized for his work in poster design—was recommended as someone capable of bringing the decorative sensibility he had developed in graphic design to tableware. In 1917, he was invited to join Gustavsberg.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt Gustavsberg, he worked to renew the company’s tableware. At the Stockholm Exhibition of 1930, which marked the beginning of functionalism in the Nordic countries, he introduced Pyro, a heat-resistant tableware series designed to go directly from oven to table. In 1933, he designed Praktika, a series that pursued stackable storage and rational form, making a major contribution to the development of modern tableware in Sweden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlongside his tableware designs, he also worked in art ceramics. In 1930, he introduced the Argenta series, characterized by green glaze with silver decoration. Combining hand-painted craftsmanship with serial production, Argenta became one of Gustavsberg’s most celebrated art ceramic lines and enjoyed wide popularity both in Sweden and abroad. That same year, he also launched Farstagods, which became the core of his artistic practice. Pursuing freer form and glaze expression, and carrying out the finishing and glazing himself, he continued to produce these uncompromising works throughout his life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1942, Gustavsberg Studio was established, growing out of the Kåge department. Marked by the emblem Kåge had designed—a hand set within the letter G—the Studio provided a space for independent artistic production within the factory. There, Kåge, along with figures such as Stig Lindberg and Berndt Friberg, was able to pursue individual work in an environment shaped for artistic freedom. Through the production of art ceramics and faience, the Studio became an important center for Gustavsberg’s artistic output.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKåge also maintained a deep interest in Chinese ceramics and in Japanese folk craft, and his lifelong work reflects a sustained engagement with the relationship between material, glaze, and form. In 1952, Shoji Hamada and Soetsu Yanagi visited Gustavsberg, and in 1956 Kåge himself traveled to Japan, staying with Hamada in Mashiko. These encounters led to a profound and lasting exchange with Japanese ceramic culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis many honors include two Grand Prix awards at the 1925 Paris Exposition and the Prince Eugen Medal, awarded by the King of Sweden in 1949 for outstanding artistic achievement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"WILHELM KÅGE","offers":[{"title":"GREEN \/ KAGE047","offer_id":49722571063536,"sku":null,"price":220000.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0786\/5761\/8160\/files\/KAGE047_1.jpg?v=1778667044","url":"https:\/\/elephant-life.com\/en\/products\/kage047","provider":"ELEPHANT","version":"1.0","type":"link"}