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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Wilhelm Kåge

Wilhelm Kåge
Wilhelm Kåge (1889-1960) studied in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Munich and started his career as an painter. He achieved some success with his theater posters but came to be known as one of the leading ceramists of the 20th century.

Kåge went to work as art director for Gustavsberg in 1917 and was immediately given the task of creating dinnerware for an exhibition. Known as KG, it was first introduced as Liljebla (Blue Lily) and was in production in some variation until 1940. The exhibition launched his career. Over the years, he designed a number of  other dinnerware lines.

In the 1920s he began working on his innovative Farsta ceramics, and in the 1930s he introduced the highly successful Argenta line, turquoise green pieces with silver decoration. Both lines continued to be produced into the 1950s and are still much sought after today.

In 1942 Kåge formed the Gustavsberg Studio and was instrumental in bringing Berndt Friberg and Stig Lindberg to the company. With them, he began to create large plates, vases and bowls.

In the 1950s he began to experiment with bone china and created the Cintra line. During this time he also designed the Surrea stoneware line.

Kåge was with Gustavsberg for 43 years. He exhibited in Stockholm and in Paris, and his work is represented in Hamburg, Zurich, London, Melbourne and New York.

From antik-butik.com and abstracta-art.com


Small faience piece
collectorsweekly.com
Argenta tobacco box
treadwaygallery.com
Argenta vase
abstracta-art.com
Argenta vase
abstracta-art.com
Argenta vase
abstracta-art.com
Argenta vase
maison-deco.com
Farsta vase
artnet.com
Farsta vase
borgdesign.se
Farsta vase
borgdesign.com
Farsta vase
collectorsweekly.com
Farsta bowl
abstracta-art.com
Stoneware sculpture
askart.com
Surrea vase
stevensfineart.com

8 comments:

  1. Amazing! Didn't know! So glad to learn! Keep them coming Dana, your informing my teaching and the Aussie kids will benefit!

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    1. That makes the teacher in me very happy. Thank you!

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  2. We will benefit Dana, Pippa's spot on. I'm learning so much from your blog and falling in love with the beautiful pieces you keep showing us too! That Farsta vase, (red and yellow) it's stunning!

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    1. Thanks so much. It means a lot to know that you enjoy the blog. Although the Argenta with the inlaid silver is beautiful, it's a little too fancy for my taste. I'm with you. The Farsta is fantastic!

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  3. Such striking pieces! I don't think I realized how much design was behind the objects that we now find in flea markets (sometimes). I just thought of things of that era as being mass produced without thinking what inspired them.

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    1. I do think we forget sometimes that even the tackiest little Cracker Jack trinket was somebody's design.

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  4. Thanks for this. I find the stoneware fish sculpture quite fetching.

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    1. I like that piece too, but I had no idea what it was. It looks part snail, part fish, part bird...so I just called it a sculpture. :)

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