Norway | C20Ceramics

Jul 27

Inger Waage – Stavangerflint – “Darling” Design

The ceramic designs and patterns of Inger Waage (1923-1995) are some of the most recognised of Norway along with those of Turi Gramstad Oliver. They stand out as now iconic mid-century modern and are highly sought after by collectors and lovers of good design around the world.

Inger Waage attended the Norwegian Crafts and Art Industry School in Oslo, studying ceramics between. 1943 – 1946. Following this she worked in her own pottery in Stavanger 1943-1946, and then worked at Stavangerflint from 1953 to 1979 with an extraordinary output of designs.

I don’t come across Inger’s Waage’s work often, but when I do it stands out like a beacon. Recently I found a bowl pictured here from the “Darling” series design by Inger in 1962. The series features either a male motif, female motif or both male/female together, or fruit motif on different pieces. The pattern is a combination of hand-painted and silkscreened design.

There is also an excellent youtube video showing a lot of Waage’s one-off and stunning hand painted pieces from Stavangerflint:

Oct 2

Stavangerflint Norway “Tiril”, Anne Lofthus

This charming design has a 1950s look about it I think, but is actually a 1960 design by Anne Lofthus (1932-2003) for Stavangerflint Norway, called Tiril.

You can find out a whole lot more about Anne Lofthus, including most of the patterns which she designed at Stavangerflint, on the hugely informative Stavangerflint research site HERE

She was employed at Stavangerflint 1959-1963, and from 1967 worked from her own studio where she was active until the mid 1990s.

The yellow border on “Tiril” is hand painted, and each piece has a slightly different intensity – partly from fading, and partly from the weight of the brush used when painting. The border on “Tiril” is similar to the style of many of the designs of Rorstrand from around the same time. Anne’s style is often easily recognisable through it’s references to Norwegian folk art and culture.

Stavangerflint Tiril

Stavangerflint Tiril Platter

Below: A variation of this design also came with a bluish green rim ( from the Stavangerflint site linked above ) Read more

Jan 2

Figgjo Lotte – Turi Gramstad Oliver

Soon after starting at Figgjo, Turi had designed Lotte, and there was a second release of the design in 1972 - which seems to be when most of the lotte which we come across these days is from.