Redware Swedish Bowl Decorated by Hallstan Keramics

This spectacular slip-decorated redware bowl was made by Hallstan Keramics in Järvsö, Sweden, in 1978. The company was founded in 1975 by Lars Hallstan. He married Birgitta Fransén in 1994 and they continued producing both functional and decorative ceramics until they closed in 1999. Much of their work was of a rustic nature, which apparently was common at that time in that area. This bowl obviously commemorates the year 1798; we have not found an important historical event in Sweden's history in that year (unless you count that home distilling was legalized). It probably memorializes a personal date such as wedding, birthday, etc. It is marked in impressed script on the reverse: orginalet från (original from) Utigården Sveden n:r 1. (Utigarden Sweden No. 1) 1798 so it could be a replica of an original 1798 bowl. Underneath those words is a symbol drawn in black that is very reminiscent of a Nordic rune and at the bottom of the reverse side is the impressed mark Hallstan Järvsö and the date 1978.

This is a large 12 3/4 inch diameter bowl, standing 2 1/4 inches high on a 7 inch round base with a 1/2 inch wide molded, clear glazed rim. This piece weighs over three pounds. The rust, cream and green slip decorations are very lively and there are hundreds of tiny triangle shaped dots circling them in two rings. The plain red clay underside has been left unglazed.

This beautiful Swedish art pottery bowl adds great presence to any pottery collection and plays very well with redware pieces from different countries and origins.

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