MUG

This is a mug with a wonderful scene that catches the eye, featuring a rugged wheel-turned finish, a beautiful form with an earthy texture, and a gradation from deep blue and green to pale purple on the front.
*In good condition with no noticeable damage.

TOINI MUONA｜1904–1987｜FINLAND

Toini Muona was a Finnish female ceramic artist and designer, and one of the pioneers of modern ceramics in Finland.

She majored in ceramics at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in Helsinki, studying under Alfred William Finch.

After being hired as a decorator at Arabia in 1931, she completed her own collection in less than a year and held her first solo exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts.

She was a key artist in the Art Department from its establishment in 1933 until 1970.

In addition to ceramics, she also worked on textile design and glass design for Riihimäen Lasi, Karhula, and Nuutajärvi, among others.

She left behind many works with organic forms created by refining asymmetry, using copper glazes that change into rich shades of red, blue, and turquoise.

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, a tunnel kiln, one of the largest in the world at 112 meters long, was introduced, streamlining production and establishing 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 organized Arabia's artistic activities into an art department. He created a production environment for artists, establishing a system that developed products and art pieces in parallel.

A major characteristic of Arabia is that its product development has involved the mutual interaction of three areas: the art department, the applied arts department, and the product design department.

The art department included Toini Muona, Friedl Kjellberg, Michael Schilkin, Birger Kaipiainen, Rut Bryk, and Kyllikki Salmenhaara. Their works gained international recognition from the 1930s, contributing to the cultural aspect of Arabia and playing a significant role in the development of Finnish ceramics.

In the 1940s, Friedl Kjellberg developed Rice Porcelain using the "hotarude" (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 the functionalism that spread in Scandinavia in the 1930s, Ekholm released the tableware AR series (SINIVALKO) in 1935, indicating the direction of later Nordic modern design.

In 1945, Kaj Franck joined as a designer, and along with Kaarina Aho and Ulla Procopé, promoted the renewal of product design. The Kilta series, released in 1953, was a great success as innovative modern design 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, received awards, establishing its global reputation.