This work of beautifully understated elegance is of Scandinavian mid-century design and by Upsala Ekeby's renowned artistic director, Arthur Percy (b.1886 - d. 1976). In this piece, Percy combines the gentle curves of the classic bottle flask form with a touch-inviting décor. The décor is built on a base of semi-matte clear glaze that highlights the natural Pale Buttermilk cream clay, this is then overlaid with a tessellation of tactile smooth and glossy Daisy white dots of glaze. The piece is finished with a striking contrast of semi-matte Natural Indigo blue on the interior of the vase.
The overall design is a seamless blend of simple sophistication, elevated elegance and Swedish mid century Modernist design.
CONDITION
Excellent. No chips, cracks or repairs. There are negligible movement marks to the underside of the base that is commensurate with the age of the piece as well as trivial flaws from the production process (e.g. a small number of white dots have picked up spots of the indigo pigment). The underside also Upsala-Ekeby stamp with the numbers '5062' and 'PERCY' as well as the inscribed initials of 'YW'.
MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 6.9" / 17.5 cm tall (from base to rim). Rim diameter: c. 1.2" / 3 cm. Body diameter: c. 4.1" / 10.5 cm (across widest point). Base diameter: c. 1.8" / 4.6 cm. Unpackaged weight: 0.3 kg / 300 g
NOTES
Vase will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.
A BIT OF HISTORY
Carl Arthur Carlsson-Percy (b.1886 - d. 1976), a leading Swedish ceramist, artist and artistic director, born in Vickleby in 1886. During his early career, Percy travelled to Stockholm and Paris to develop his skills and techniques as a decorative painter, attending schools such as the Académie Collarossi and Matisse Painting School.
He would go on to become artistic director in 1923 at Gefle Porslinsfabrik (which became part of Upsala Ekeby in 1936) and in 1942 he became artistic director at Karlskrona Porslinsfabrik. His early work is characterised by items with soft decorations of flowers and birds and Italian 14th and 16th century inspiration.
During the 1920s, his renowned work includes the series "Gefle", "Vinranka", "Floating Blue", "Iris", "Three Flowers", "Silversties" and "Christina". During the 1930's and 40's came "Suecia", "Exotica" and his perhaps most famous décor "Rubin".
Percys art is represented in a large number of Swedish and foreign museums, including National Museum and Modern Museum, Prince Eugens Waldemarsudde, Art Museum in Gothenburg, and museums in Malmö, Norrköping, Lindköping, Västerås, Borås, Jönköping, Kalmar, Karlstad, Gävle and Östersund, etc. Abroad, one can find his art at the Sévres Museum in Paris, the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Pau, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Metropolian Museum in New York and the Lubeck Museum in Germany and others.