Currently held on consignment at Andrews Oakville
These exceptional works of Swedish Mid-Century Modern design are by Ingrid Atterberg, (b. 1920 - d. 2008) a celebrated epitome of illustrious Swedish ceramic design of the 20th century and leading designer for Upsala Ekeby, whom she designed these vases for.
These hand-thrown and hand-glazed works come from Atterberg's Spiral series designed in 1949. The series is characterised by slender, graceful bottle-form vases made from earthenware, with its iconic spiraling bands of alternating glossy Bumblebee yellow and Milk white. The combination of the smooth glaze bands and the unglazed elements presents a striking and tactile contrast.
CONDITION
- Excellent - The taller 2049 vase has the faintest wear to the unglazed elements that is commensurable with the age of the piece. The underside is inscribed with 'UE, 2049 and Atterberg's 'Abg' initials.
- Very Good - The smaller 2048 has a single, barely perceptible flake to the rim c. 2mm. The underside is inscribed with 'UE, 2048 and Atterberg's 'Abg' initials. Please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report.
MEASUREMENTS
- 2049 Vase c. 11" / 28 cm tall (from base to rim) x c. 1.3" / 3.4 cm rim diameter. Diameter: c. 3.5" / 9 cm (across widest point. Base diameter: c. 2.3" / 5.8 cm.
- 2048 Vase c. 7.7" / 19.6 cm tall (from base to rim) x 1" / 2.5 cm rim diameter. Diameter: c. 2.6" / 6.5 cm (across widest point. Base diameter: c.1.7" / 4.2 cm.
Unpackaged weight [pair]: c. 1.2 kg / 1,190 g
A BIT OF HISTORY
Ingrid Magdalena Atterberg-Göransson (b. 1920 - d. 2008) was a celebrated epitome of illustrious Swedish ceramic design of the 20th century and a leading designer for Upsala Ekeby in the 1950s and 1960s. Atterberg is represented at the Swedish National Museum of Art and Design.
In 1944, she was employed at Upsala Ekeby, where appreciation for her works as a ceramicist continued to grow over the years. She was known for using 'manganese clay' in the 1940s and chamotte in the 1950s, and successfully developed her own glazes. In the late 1940s, her own collection called "Ekeby Verkstad" was born with a numbered series that began at 100.
During her career, Atterberg had several exhibitions and received a gold medal for her work in Italy as well as completing a number of public commissions.