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Item No.: KERA003
Designer: Ritva Karpio
Maker: Kera
Size: H:87mm φ:185:mm
A work created by Ritva Karpio in Kera in 1944.
It features a soft form made on a potter's wheel using red clay, characteristic of Kera, with a slightly outward-flaring rim and concentric indentations from the potter's hands during shaping, which act as accents.
The surface is adorned with turquoise and milky white glazes, where the crystallization and flow of the glazes create variations in shade, overlapping with the shadows from the wheel marks, resulting in a piece that displays diverse expressions depending on how the light hits it.
This is an extremely rare item.
*In good condition with no noticeable damage.
Ritva Karpio was a Finnish designer who, after studying ceramics, went on to work in fashion education and theatrical costume design.
She studied ceramics at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, where she was tutored by Elsa Elenius.
While still a student, she trained at Kera in 1943 and left works as an independent artist the following year, in 1944.
No other works from years other than 1944 have been confirmed, and it is presumed that her career as a ceramist was short-lived, making her ceramic works rare examples.
She graduated from the Central School of Arts and Crafts in 1948 and, the following year in 1949, began teaching at the fashion department established at the same school, becoming involved in early fashion education in Finland.
After the 1950s, she worked on costume designs for stage and film.
Kera was a small Finnish pottery manufacturing company, founded in 1917 as Grankullan Saviteollisuus Oy, and after several name changes, became Kera Oy in 1932.
Initially, it mainly produced bricks and building materials, but after becoming Kera, it expanded into manufacturing flowerpots, daily-use pottery, and decorative ceramics involving designers.
It is characterized by its rustic texture using red clay from the vicinity and simple forms.
Around 1930, Marita Lybeck encountered red clay pottery production at the factory, and her fascination with it inspired her to become a ceramist.
The red clay pottery that Marita Lybeck designed for Artek from the mid-1930s was produced at Kera until she established her own studio.
By the 1950s, the company's performance was declining, and in 1957, Marita Lybeck was brought in as art director to revitalize it, but Kera ceased operations the following year in 1958.
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These are vintage/used items. When procuring products, we take the utmost care to select only items in excellent condition. While we note any particularly noticeable damage or condition issues such as scratches and stains, we do not list every small scratch resulting from age-related changes or normal wear and tear. These products also date from a time when manufacturing quality standards were not as high as they are today. If you have any concerns, please inquire before placing your order. If there is no significant difference in condition between items of the same product, only one product image will be displayed. Please note that product images may vary in color from the actual product depending on your monitor settings.
