Karin Björquist Unique Jug

A unique studio pottery jug by Karin Björquist, handmade in the art studio of Gustavsberg, Sweden, c.1960. 

Founded in 1942 by Wilhelm Kåge and Stig Lindberg, the studio at Gustavsberg gave the factory's artists and designers the freedom to experiment beyond the constraints of commercial production. Sometimes, these experiments were adapted and developed into mass-produced factory items, but the vast majority remained unique art pieces in their own right. 

Geometric in form, this handmade jug demonstrates Björquist's clear Modernist sensibility with its robust practicality and functional ease. The conventionally stark expression of geometry is, however, softened by the application of a decoratively textured surface which, together with the unmistakably hand-thrown character of the piece, introduces an earth-like and organic quality that is both evocative of the natural world and universally appealing. When paired with its utilitarian purpose, this soft and sculptural presence perfectly reflects the 1960's shift towards nature-inspired objects in homeware design.

Although a unique object, this jug employs a design that we feel could have, potentially, achieved great success had it been interpreted for wider production, particularly given the growing popularity of organic aesthetics during the 1960s.