VICKE LINDSTRAND. Vase, model 342, shell-shaped, Upsala-Ekeby, 1944-53.

White-glazed earthenware in the shape of a shell. Height 19 cm.

Background: The world became aware that Vicke Lindstrand (1904-1983) was more than a glass artist when he worked as a ceramicist at Upsala-Ekeby for a ten-year period, approx. 1941-51. There, his sculptural skill came into its own in the form of gazelles, bears, zebras, and many other wild animals, but also humans, often in motion, such as the Potato Picker or Dancer. His elephant with a trumpeting trunk became popular among the general public and one of the factory's most recognizable items, in production long after he left the factory.
He was also diligent as a designer of vases and utility items, and his soft, organic, and lively expression can be said to embody the spirit of the Swedish Modern style, which broke through with the 1939 New York World's Fair.
Vicke Lindstrand's ceramics have long been collector's items, but in recent years, a greater interest in his series of vases and bowls in particular has been noted.