Instagram of the Week :: Enjoying Beauty in the Simple Things

One of my favorite hobbies before I had my daughter, would be to scour local estate sales looking for abstract art, pottery, and unusual artifacts.  And I have to say I have a pretty good eye for finding things that everyone else passed over. But really it comes down to choosing things I really love and enjoy looking at.  I am not thinking about whether  I found the piece of artwork worth a million dollars like what you see on those antique shows (though that would be nice), but finding pieces I truly appreciate.  There was this cool looking abstract black and white rather large painting that reminded me of a Jackson Pollock painting (no such luck) but it was in the most amazing Danish style frame.  This piece was found in an awe-inspiring home that was filled with modern furniture, art and fun knick knacks.  I still dream about going back to that house and looking through the goodies for sale.  And then there was the time I found a jade dragon pot that I keep my front door.  According to Feng Shui, dragons are good luck and my feeling is why not – I could use all the luck I can get!  Plus, I love the piece and it goes with our style.   Part of the adventure for me is to research what I have found.  It is fun to learn about some of the artists whose artwork I have purchased at these estate sales.  Two abstract pieces I purchased were from a local artist  and professor at California State University, Fullerton.  At the time I purchased these paintings, she was in her 90’s and I was able to speak to her daughter who remembered when her mother was commissioned to paint them for the couple.  I was able to tell her how much I loved these two pieces that portray abstract cranes (another lucky animal according to Feng Shui).

I am are featuring  two of my favorite finds this week for the Instagram of the Week.   These two tea ceramic pots are made by Arabia, Finland.  At the time, I happened to live near a Finnish woman  and I showed her the pieces I got for a bargain.  I do remember her trying to see if I wanted to sell them to her!  No such luck as I fell in love with the clean lines and simplicity of the tea pots.  I absolutely love modern Scandinavian ceramics and found the history of and part they play in modern design quite fascinating.

Scandinavian Ceramics:

We have seen major changes take place in the Scandinavian ceramics industry over the last 50 years, with several mergers and closures of many once-prominent manufacturers.  Nowadays, notable ceramics are often produced by independent designers working from small studios and are sold through galleries.   The first golden age of Danish ceramics happened in the 1880s and we saw the main players, The Royal Porcelain Factory and Bing & Grondahl, who merged under the name Royal Copenhagesn.  During the first golden era we saw them create Danish ceramics with an Asian-inspired but distinctively Danish style.  With the arrival of the functionalist style in the 1930s, Danish ceramics enjoyed a second golden era that continued until well after World War II and we are seeing a surge in this style of ceramics again. (Source: Scandinavian Living).

History of Arabia, Finland

The Arabia factory was set up near Helsinki, Finland, in 1873 by the Swedish company Rörstrand. They chose Finland for its close proximity to Russia, where they wanted to expand their market. Within a few years the Arabia factory was producing half of Finland’s total ceramics output. The Arabia factory was managed by Gustav Herlitz who had previously worked for Rörstrand in Sweden. The range of wares was expanded to include art pottery, domestic and utility wares, sanitary wares, tiles and even bricks.

During the first World War Arabia passed into Finnish ownership and by the outbreak of the second World War was larger than any producer of porcelain in Europe in terms of output. With a 374-foot kiln – for a while the largest in the world – and over a thousand employees, the Finnish company Arabia was the biggest ceramic manufacturer in Europe during the late 1930s. Expansion continued during the war and into the second half of the twentieth century. Affiliations were forged with other companies and by the end of the century Arabia and Rörstrand were again part of the same group. (Source: Studio Pottery.com).  Surprisingly, a great place to find Scandinavian ceramics is eBay if you are interested!  Just type in some of the more popular design houses and see what comes up.

Recently, I have been doing a major de-cluttering in our house and garage.  A huge feat for me as I have a hard time letting go of stuff!  But, in order to appreciate the things I truly enjoy – such as these gorgeous pieces, I let go of many things that were just taking up space.  Try to go through your home and keep those things you love and sell, re-gift or donate the other things that are taking up room. For me, I enjoy looking at these two pieces and appreciate the history behind their creation. Part of the fun for me is to research these treasures I find as that is all part of the adventure – it is the ultimate treasure hunt!

References:

Studio Pottery: https://www.studiopottery.com/cgi-bin/mp.cgi?item=272

Magnus Englund & Chrystina Schmidt, Scandinavian Living, Ryland Peters & Small.