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| Wilhelm Kåge
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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.
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Farsta vase
collectorsweekly.com |
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Farsta bowl
abstracta-art.com |
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Stoneware sculpture
askart.com |
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Surrea vase
stevensfineart.com |
Amazing! Didn't know! So glad to learn! Keep them coming Dana, your informing my teaching and the Aussie kids will benefit!
ReplyDeleteThat makes the teacher in me very happy. Thank you!
DeleteWe 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!
ReplyDeleteThanks 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!
DeleteSuch 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.
ReplyDeleteI do think we forget sometimes that even the tackiest little Cracker Jack trinket was somebody's design.
DeleteThanks for this. I find the stoneware fish sculpture quite fetching.
ReplyDeleteI 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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