Two fine and hard to find enamelware bowls in the Lotus pattern made by Catherinholm in Norway. Mid-century.

Small, 5 1/2" diameter black and white. Available for purchase here

Medium size 7 3/4" diameter navy blue and white. Available for purchase here

Super cool Japanese mid-century art pottery pitcher or creamer in the form of a Toucan. Art deco feel and strong NW Coast folk art look.

 Available for purchase here

Vintage frame tray puzzles by Whitman Publishing, Racine, Wisconsin. Late 1950's-early 1960's.

We have a nice selection of late 1950's television show themed picture puzzles in stock right now. They are complete and in awesome condition. Worldwide shipping available.

 Roy Rogers and Trigger 1957

 Available here

Wagon Train 1960

 Available here

Woody Woodpecker 1956

 Available here

Top Cat 1961

Available here

Pip the Piper 1962

Available here

Eva Zeisel lidded sugar bowl in rare Sunglow pattern. Made for Hallcraft. 1950's.

 SOLD, March 2, 1015

A month or so ago we blogged about Eva Zeisel, the modernist designer for the Hall Pottery Company. You can read it here

Yesterday Lisa found a lidded sugar bowl by Zeisel in a super rare pattern called Sunglow. It is in mint condition and is available for purchase here

Hot design alert: Arabia of Finland.

Here is a tip for you based on our sales experience. Kitchenware and tableware marked Arabia of Finland is super hot. We sell nearly every piece we get right away. Arabia is a Finnish ceramics company founded in 1873 by Rorstrand and currently owned by housewares conglomerate Fiskars. The items that are the hottest are from the 1960's and 1970's and designed by the famous Finnish designer Kaj Franck.

“Kaj Franck (1911-1989) was one of the leading figures of Finnish design, the teacher of several generations of professional designers in Finland, and an influential figure in design and applied arts between 1940-1980. He was artistic director of the Wärtsilä Group (later Hackman Plc, present-day Iittala Group) and artistic director and teacher at the College of Applied Arts, the predecessor of the University of Art and Design Helsinki.The Design Forum Finland awards the yearly Kaj Franck Design Prize to a designer or team of designers working in the spirit of the late Kaj Franck. The Mint of Finland will release a collector coin with the theme “Kaj Franck and Industrial Art” in January 2011. The year of release will coincide with the one hundredth anniversary of his birth.”

 Courtesy Dcwdesign

Here are some examples we have had in stock and sold. We have about 5 items in stock here.

Courtesy Dcwdesign 

Lisa was out picking yesterday and found an Arabia of Finland item she had never seen before. This is a pair of cappuccino size cups and saucers with a cool biomorphic design on them. Lahja Pattern by Raija Uosikkinen designed them for Arabia Finland. We have never seen these before with saucers. 

Available here

Huge.... Saucer is 6 3/4" diameter x 1 1/4" deep. Cup is 4 3/8" in diameter x 3 5/8" deep x 5 1/4" wide.

Harlequin pattern china designed by Eva Zeisel. Sugar bowl with lid, creamer and gravy boat. Made by Hall Pottery.

One of the most popular mid-century modern designers was Eva Zeisel.  Her Harlequin pattern china just screams out modernism and has that Atomic Age decoration that collectors crave.

We have three fine pieces in stock for you right now. 

These pieces are available for purchase here

Eva Zeisel

Hungary (1906-2011)

 Eva Zeisel was continually intrigued by what she called her "playful search for beauty." A person of delightfully defiant spirit, the designer was just beginning her career when she declared war on the fashionable avant-garde. "I didn't accept the purism of modern design," she said. "In my definition, if it gave beauty to the eye, it was beauty."

Zeisel was born Eva Striker in Budapest in 1906. Her father ran a textile factory and her mother was an outspoken feminist and one of the first women to earn a doctorate at the University of Budapest. It was through her mother's urging that Zeisel switched from studying painting at the Budapest Royal Academy of Fine Arts to pursue the more practical career of ceramist. She apprenticed herself to a potter at a porcelain factory, an unusual path for an educated woman at that time. Zeisel persisted, graduated to journeyman status and became the first woman admitted to the local pottery guild. It was during this time that her work took on the sensuous, flowing and biomorphic forms that would continue throughout her career.

In 1932, Zeisel moved to Russia, explaining, "It was curiosity that moved me. I wanted to see what was behind the mountain." She found a job working for the Communist government as artistic director of the glass and ceramics industries. In May 1936, everything changed. "At 4:00am, there was a knock at the door, and so began a different life," she recalled. Accused of plotting to assassinate Stalin, Zeisel was sent to prison for 16 months, 12 of which were in solitary confinement. The accusations were fabricated and Zeisel never knew who was responsible for her release or how that joyous day came to be. "I hadn't seen any colors for a year and a half," said the designer.
Upon her release, she married Hans Zeisel. They lived in Vienna briefly, before the threat of Hitler made them leave for America. "I saw the Statue of Liberty and my fears came down. It was a very touching reception," said Zeisel of her October 1938 arrival. The next day she went to the magazine China and Glass and was immediately commissioned for ten ceramic miniatures for $100. She was also hired at New York's Pratt Institute, where she became the first person to teach ceramics as industrial design for mass production, rather than handicraft. Zeisel's work continued to gather acclaim, and in 1946, her all-white modern dinner service – a first by an American designer – was honored with an exhibition at MoMA. Her work is included in the permanent collections of museums worldwide, including MoMA, the Met and the V&A. In 2005, she was awarded the National Design Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York.

Courtesy of Design Within Reach

#midcenturymodern #mcm #zeisel

Mara and her friends in an Eames style, mid-century, 3 place settee by Krueger Metal Products of Green Bay.

SOLD. Krueger Metal Products article on midcenturymodernist.com

1940's gun metal gray, art deco style desk lamp with brass decorations.

This just came in today so I thought I would let you know about it. All of this old, industrial style, lighting is popular with collectors these days, but the condition must be exceptional and functioning. Always check to make sure the plug and cord are in good shape before plugging it in. These kinds of desk lamps can be found very affordably. This one was made by Moe Lighting in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin and is available for purchase here

"Cabaret" by Bud Grossman Philadelphia, Pa. 1955 Sold in 2014

We really loved this painting. It just screamed out mid-century "Mad Men" cocktail and conversation time. Well exhibited and a prize winner. We agree.

From the Brady Bunch to Milo Baumann......

We did pretty well with mid-century sofas in 2014. If they are low, sexy, immaculate and have clean lines, they sell fast. They are getting hard to find in great shape though. The low green one we shipped to Southern California and the white, Milo Baumann to Houston, Texas. The bright, fun, flowered one looks like it was plucked right out of 1975.

Mid-century buyer from Milwaukee.

This guy seemed happy with his purchases. 

He got a green hospital chair by Hill-Rom and a great Danish Modern, Mersman Co. octagon shaped walnut lamp table.

From Common Sense Antiques we get this bit of info on Mersman:

"A classic example is that of the company name Mersman. Everybody knows that Mersman made all those occasional tables during the Depression era. After all have you ever seen anything else by Mersman? And they have been out of business for many years. Right? Not exactly. Otto Mersman opened his furniture making business in 1876 in Ottoville, OH under the name Mersman Tables. But he also made beds and bed parts as well a other types of furniture. After Otto gave the company to his two sons it went though several formats and name changes including Lenartz and Mersman Brothers. In 1906 the company became known as Mersman Brothers and Brandts Company and later that year was incorporated under the slightly altered name of Mersman Brothers Brandts Company. The company name changed once again in 1927 to the famous name of Mersman Brothers Corporation, located in Celina, OH."

Cathrineholm of Norway

Lisa started Hazel Home three years ago mainly focusing on her love of mid-century modern design. My background was in fine art and folk art. We are now one in life and the shop. I have learned so much from her about mid-century design especially in housewares. One area completely new to me was the design work of Cathrineholm of Norway.

We always sell out any pieces we have in stock, many times shipping them back to Scandinavia. The most famous design is the Lotus pattern. It looks like this. This is a casserole we sold in 2014. The other photos are courtesy of Ampersand Vintage Modern

The designer responsible for this striking collection was a woman by the name of Grete Prytz Kittelsen. Kittelsen, often referred to as the “Queen of Scandinavian Design,” was known for her beautiful work with sterling, enamel, and other metals. Her designs earned her numerous awards, as well as well-deserved attention as an inspiration and integral part of the Scandinavian Design movement.

 Grete in her studio 1960's

 (1917-2010)

Surprisingly, Kittlesen was not really the creator of the famous lotus motif that graces her most popular pieces. As the story goes, Arne Clausen, one of the workers at Cathrineholm, came up with the pattern and it was added to Kittlesen’s designs without her approval. Reportedly, she was never a fan of it. When you look around her minimalist Norwegian home, as it was featured as a house tour in an online magazine, you can almost understand why. Likewise, when you compare Kittlesen’s own designs alongside the lotus collection, the styles are distinctly different. (courtesyampersanvintagemodern)

Be on the lookout for Cathrineholm products but beware, several companies produced cheaper copies throughout the 1960's and 1970's. Most times Cathrineholm is not marked so look for high quality, heavy enamel over steel pieces. The knock offs were thin, light and sloppy.