C20Ceramics

Apr 11

Arabia Finland Kookki/Köökki

This design from Arabia Finland has the most amazingly intense, almost warm, deep shade of blue. This very bold design is often mistaken for other bold and blue Arabia designs such as Valencia.

The pattern name is Köökki and it was a design by Gunvor Olin Gronqvist, produced between 1960-1976. It was produced in the studio at the Arabia Factory, and consisted of a range of hand painted kitchen objects such as salt boxes, butter boxes, boards, salt and peppers etc – but not of dinnerware.

Gunvor had a long association with Arabia Finland, working there from 1951 to 1993.

It’s fascinating how different the design works on different pieces.

Like many of the designs during this era at the Arabia factory, the pattern was also released in a brown version.

Arabia Finland Kookki Salt Box

Arabia Finland Kookki Bowl

Arabia Finland Kookki Platter

Arabia Finland Kookki

Arabia Finland Kosmos

Kosmos came in two colour variations, of which the blue one is less commonly found these days. I love the subtle shifts of reddish to yellow ochre colours in the brown version.

Denby Cheviot

This impressive and now very rare design is from the Cheviot range by Glynn Colledge at Denby, mid 1950’s.

I think this is one of the most impressive modernist designs from the hand of Glynn Colledge. It was released simultaneously with another outstanding series called Tigo Ware, designed by Tibor Reich.

I was fortunate to come across the piece below several years ago on eBay, but haven’t seen a piece since.

Denby Cheviot

About “Cheviot” the book “Denby Pottery 1809-1997”, Hopwood:

Cheviot was quite different from any of Glyn’s previous work. It reflected his awareness of the latest design trends and demonstrated his flexibility…..Glynn with his love of colour and decoration, could not resist embellishing Cheviot. He created one version with a matt finish, in black, dark grey or khaki, which was covered in finely drawn, abstract sgraffito, often including crystals, stars or simple stylised leaves. A second highly coloured version was glazed in yellow, blue or lilac with black tube lining, or in red or green with white tube lining. Some patterns were geometric, some herring bone and others were organic.

Denby Cheviot – Image via thesaleroom.com

Below is an image from the Hopwood Denby book, of a group of Cheviot Vases – featuring the most outstanding pieces from the series. Love to get hold of even one of these superb pieces of mid-century design one day!