For the love of the soft and dark pewter

 

For the love of pewter

I love pieces made of pewter and I am never tired of admiring the delicate work of the Norwegian pewter manufacturers. There are so many beautiful works out there, extremely well made and, naturally, full of references and hiding meanings behind each of them. Pewter pieces were, are, everywhere. Every Norwegian home accumulated several types of pewter pieces, for diverse uses, both kitchen and table utensils, jewelry and general home decor items. As time changes things, slowly the power of pewter started to fade, industries closed, artistry lost and meanings forgotten. Not really. 

Sure, maybe not as many Norwegians admire pieces made in the soft dark grey metal the anymore, not the way they used too. But pewter is still appreciated for the unique way it was used as a vehicle for artists to express the truth of their time.

The "great houses of Norwegian pewter", the largest manufacturers, slowly disappeared but their pieces are everywhere to be found. The closing doors of the pewter factories are a sign of times, an old custom is about to change, the uses and abuses of pewter by Norwegian society may be over. 

I understand, some people are exhausted of pewter, they reflect a time of poverty and limited resources and I get that our society has shown signs of a pewter hang over, but I can´t stop myself from repeating it: we will see a pewter come back one of these days and, when it happens, let´s all hope the beautiful Norwegian pieces were not all melted away...  

I keep mine safe and sound.

Decorated Figgjo Flint Soup Tureen

Figgjo Flint Suppefat

This soup tureen was produced by Norwegian manufacturer Figgjo Flint some time in the years of 1960s and is simply one of the most adorable designs they have ever made. I call this a design "mother-in-law classic", because I used to see one at the home of my in-laws. It is folky, naive, romantic and patriotic at the same time.

It is decorated with images of a couple dressed up in traditional party clothes. Norwegians love their traditional dresses and are very proud of them and every little county in this country has a different design. One more beautiful than the other. And this lovely piece soup tureen shows a little bit of their pride and sense of place.

The most curious thing about this decor is that, this scene on the tureen could represent an image of the year 1920, as much as it could represents an image of Norway in the 2016. Norwegians make a huge effort to keep the traditional institutions running strong and since this small Scandinavian nation became an independent one, the can not stop themselves from being proud of who they are,  this is what ultimately make Norwegians, Norwegians. Those dresses and suits are part of the package, they will not abandon them, actually, they made them more fancy most design clothes, meaning, those dresses can cost a fortune, as much, or more than a famous design creation.

How lovely are the Norwegians?

This tureen is as lovely as all Figgjo Flint pieces and is in excellent vintage condition, but it has a downside, it has lost its lid. Yes. It is a lidless tureen which now can be used to serve other delicious things like popcorn, pomme frites (chips or crips), biscuits, cold soups like gaspazcho or serve as a planter or plant pot.

It is to be loved in whatever condition it is...