Blue Glass Series 1: Cobalt Blue Textured Freeform Ruffled Finnish Art Glass Vase

Blue Glass Series

We have some beautiful blue glass items in stock and I am totally in love with all of them. Talking about "poliamore" at a glass level I am... My initial plan was to make a post with all the blue beauties we have on stock but since I have a terrible time editing photos I just could not pick only one of each piece. So, what was supposed to be a post became a series and to open it you have some images of a gorgeous, medium size, textured, free form ruffled, Finnish Art Glass blue glass vase. It is labeled and the label states: Art Lasi, Made in Finland, nothing else. I have other pieces by this manufacturer but have not been able to find the name of the designer. Anonymous, or not, is just beautiful anyway...  

You can find this lovely vase for sale here

In love with Sarpaneva's 1981 Arkipelago

Arkipelagos

Arkipelago is a stunning series of glass candleholders designed by Finnish designer Timo Sarpaneva for Iittala of Finland in 1981 and no longer in production. The pieces of the Arkipelago series are now collectors items hunt all over the world. The series is made of holders of many different forms and heights, all of them are made with of many layers of glass. Each holder shows beautiful unique swirls resembling the movements under water. I believe there is not one identical to another, they are all alike. It is just beautiful. Currently we have two pairs in our store. You can find them 13cm tall here and  and the 8,5cm tall here. 

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...

Amazing Art of 1960s and 1970s German Pottery

Vintage Strehla Keramik Vase

Vase by Former East German producer VEB Haldensleben. Light brown Dark Gray Fat Lava Decor, Design 3077 C

 Bowl Made in Former East Germany by Strehla Keramik

German Bay Pottery Vase 604-17, Bodo Mans Design, West Germany

Carstens Tonnieshof Vase 7556-17 Turquoise with brown& blue

East and West German Ceramics


I must confess it was not love at first sight but, fortunately now I can say that I can not live without them in my life. 

Yes, I am talking about the amazing pieces of pottery made by manufacturers in former West and East Germany. Many are the companies, the greater part ended their activities in the 1990s. Some of these companies started before the war, others after the war, all of them had a lot to say after the end of the war. They definitely said in all on clay. Pottery manufactures absorbed and embodied the bold spirit of that time, oh, the zeitgeist and molded it the way only they thought possible. These works are bold, messy, shocking, filled with the renovation and reconstruction which marked the years of the 1960s and 1970s. It is all there, in the gigantic numbers, in the works of the German pottery makers. Some see greater beauty in the former Western Germany pieces. I see the power and boldness in both sides of the wall. They were putting their souls in those amazing pieces, so much art in every little decorative vase, candleholder and bowl which left Germany. 

They are easy to collect, there are so many of them out there, but impossible to complete, no way one can to keep track of all the design and the hundred of glazes used... they are far too many. Not a bit less interesting because of it.

All those pieces are for sale on our online store Doce Vika Vintage

More German pieces to come...

Stunning Pewter - Måstad, Norway

A trio of candleholders, design of John Gulbrandsrød for Måstad Pewter, Norway.

The beautiful details of the design of John Gulbrandsrød for Måstad Pewter, Norway.

The beautiful details of the design of John Gulbrandsrød for Måstad Pewter, Norway.

The beautiful details of the design of John Gulbrandsrød for Måstad Pewter, Norway.

Stunning Pewter

I love pewter, the dark soft grey metal that is more than ever out of fashion. I simply adore the old fashion designs and I think the work of old pewter manufactures are pieces of art. Naturally, some of them are better than others, but something in that dark mix of metals makes them all very beautiful.

For the last hundred years, Norwegians have been making some of the most amazing works of pewter out there, all sorts of items, for decor and for dining and serving food. I have my heart broken every time I go to markets or garage sales where I cross with someone hunting pewter items to melt. They wait for the last hour before closing time, when the "bag sale" starts, to jump over the metal tables, filled with brass, copper and pewter and simply grab everything on their way, throwing everything into plastic bags, without looking, without care. They don´t cate if the pieces get smashed, or scratched because they will melt the metal. They ignore completely all the art in those pieces, they are metal hunters, they are looking for cheap metal. Oh yeah, pewter items are cheap, because Norwegians seem to be totally fed up with traditional designs associated with pewter. For that reason garage sales and second hand markets are full of pewter pieces, sold for very cheap prices. So sad...

This week I have uploaded some pewter candleholders to the store and I have more pewter in stock to upload. The trio of candleholders on the picture above are from Norwegian manufacturer Måstad designed by John Gulbrandsrød for Måstad Pewter, Norway.

Lovely Rare Vintage Hand Made Norwegian Tea Caddy

We are lucky to have in the store this beautiful and rare wood tea caddy with handle and locks in brass. It is a hand  made item, made in Norway by the grandfather of my father in law, sometime during the last decade of the 19th century. 

The box bares the marks of its long life, it has some cracks and the key and key locker are missing. However, it remains strong, solid and the wood is in very good condition despite some cracks here and there. It is very beautiful item, a lovely gift for someone who admire antiques and uniqueness because this is one of a kind. 

Remember, every vintage item comes with a story and the marks its life have put on it. I just hope it find a loving new owner. The link to buy this amazing box is here . The first one will get the prize.

Below more pictures of this beautiful tea caddy...