A Private Collection of Danish Porcelain
Focus on Uniques of the Art Nouveau
The Porsgrund Porcelain Factory (Porsgrunds Porselænsfabrik, abbreviated PP) is a porcelain flatware company located at Porsgrunn in Telemark county, Norway.
The company's production plant is a popular tourist attraction. The company was founded by Johan Jeremiassen in 1885 and has produced designs by Norwegian artists.
During his travels, Jeremiassen engaged the German ceramist Carl Maria Bauer in Gotha to construct the new factory. Bauer was a man with considerable experience in the porcelain industry. He had been conducting the construction of similar factories in Germany and Russia. He now started the Porsgrunn factory and was then employed as its first director in May 1887.
In 1886, the factory was completed and the operation could begin. The first burning took place in February 1887.
With the improved economy, the factory could also take greater promise with its artistic quality. In 1901, the Board of Representatives decided to engage Mrs Rose Martin from Copenhagen as an artistic consultant and manager of a new department for underglass painting - a department that for many years under the leadership of the wife enjoyed general recognition for her beautiful products. Mrs. Martin resigned in 1915.
Through Norwegian artists, the factory has applied artistic assistance through the years, thus at Thorolf Holmboe, Gerhard Munthe, Th. Kittelsen, O. Wold Thorne, W. Peters and others and sculptors like Heggelund, Johs. Sirnes and Thorleif Solberg. The Danish painter and sculptor Hans Flygenring was linked to the factory for some years.
As a consequence, production has gained a greater artistic value over the years - not only in the case of decorative items, but also in the case of curative appliances.
In 1928 Mrs Nora Gulbrandsen was employed as an artistic employee – a fortunate hire for the company. Her patterns and shapes have gained flattering attention, and the artistic achievements of the porcelain factory must be said to have gone through a renaissance these years.
Since 1996 the factory has been owned by the Atle Brynestad company CG Holding AS. In contrast to its prosperous history, Porsgrund has since experienced a financial decline. After years of uncertain future, adjustments have been made to increase cost efficiency, by considerable restructuring to the production and sales processes.
Thorolf Holmboe was one of the most important Artists of Porsgrund. His main effort in the Norwegian art industry lies in the works he performed in the period 1906-25 for Porsgrund's Porcelain Factory. During his early years his motifs were mainly taken from the Norwegian Flora and Fauna as well as from Norwegian landscapes. Impulses from his 20th century paintings are reflected in decorations with polar bear motifs from 1909 and later also in drafts of monkeys, elephants, zebras and kakadoes ca. 1915-1920. Holmboe usually took up Norwegian motives, but never attempted to find a Norwegian style expression based on older popular decorative art such as Gerhard Munthe and Oluf Wold-Torne. The decorations for Porsgrund porcelain factory are made in underglaze technology.
More Information on Thorolf Holmboe can be reviewed here
(thank you Jonathan)
Artist Vase Design: unknown
Artist Decoration: Thorolf Holmboe
Date of Production: 1911 - 1937
Production Number: Vase shape 1508
Height: 63.5 cm
Diameter: 23 cm
Motif: Eider Ducks
Remarks: Was a Vase lamp (drilled)
This Vase lamp is shown on page 67 of
"Porsgrunds Porcelaensfabrik" by Alf Boe.
Picture of the Porsgrund Salesroom in
Kristiania 1914.
KRC0306
Vase model: 1960
Artist Decoration: Thorolf Holmboe
Date of Production: unknown 1911-1925
Unique Number: none
Height: 38 cm
Diameter: 20 cm
Motif: Owl flying at night
Remarks: marks 1960/4/e.
KRC0303
Artist Vase Design: unknown
Artist Decoration: Thorolf Holmboe
Date of Production: 1911 - 1937
Production Number: unknown
Height: 28 cm
Diameter: 16.5 cm
Motif: Fish and jellyfish
Remarks: Vase lamp (hole foreseen), with lid
KRC0304
Artist Vase Design: unknown
Artist Decoration: Halvdan Gran
Date of Production: 1911 - 1937
Production Number: 1986/114/34e
Height: 70 cm
Diameter: 30 cm
Motif: No. 114, Elk and cow elk
Remarks: Vase lamp, with lid
KRC0305
Artist Vase Design: unknown
Artist Decoration: Thorolf Holmboe
Date of Production: 1911 - 1937
Production Number: Vase shape 1508
Height: 63.5 cm
Diameter: 23 cm
Motif: Shells and algae
Remarks: Was a Vase lamp (drilled)
KRC1149
Artist Vase Design: unknown
Artist Decoration: Thorolf Holmboe
Date of Production: 1911 - 1937
Production Number: Vase shape 1986 (1986/70a)
Height: 28 cm
Diameter: 14 cm
Motif: Fish and water plants
Remarks:
KRC0307
Artist Vase Design: unknown
Artist Decoration: Thorolf Holmboe
Date of Production: 1911 - 1937
Production Number: Vase shape 1512, decoration no 36
Height: 45 cm
Diameter: 15 cm
Motif: Nest with young gannet
Remarks: Vase Lamp, drilled.
KRC0308
Artist Vase Design: unknown
Artist Decoration: Thorolf Holmboe
Date of Production: 1911 - 1937
Production Number: Vase shape 1991, decoration no 85
Height: 16.5 cm
Diameter: 17.5 cm
Motif: Walrus
Remarks:
KRC0309
Artist Vase Design: unknown
Artist Decoration: Thorolf Holmboe
Date of Production: 1911 - 1937
Production Number: Vase shape 1913, decoration no 21 (prob.)
Height: 42 cm
Diameter: 22 cm
Motif: Elks with fern and mushroom
Remarks:
KRC0310
Artist Vase Design: unknown
Artist Decoration: Thorolf Holmboe
Date of Production: 1911 - 1937
Production Number: Vase shape 1695, decoration no 46
Height: 17 cm
Diameter: 10.5 cm
Motif: Shells and seaweed
Remarks:
KRC0311
Artist Vase Design: unknown
Artist Decoration: unknown
Date of Production: 1887 - 1911
Production Number: Vase shape 1721?, decoration unknown
Height: 43.5 cm
Diameter: 29.5 cm
Motif: Flowers
Remarks:
KRC0312
Artist Vase Design: Georg Andreas Heggelund
Artist Decoration: unknown
Date of Production: 1911 - 1937
Production Number: Vase shape 1679, "1679-302e"
Height: 22.5 cm
Diameter: 8.5 cm
Motif: Flowers
Remarks: Vase with drop like handles.
KRC0313
Artist Vase Design: unknown
Artist Decoration: unknown
Date of Production: 1911 - 1937
Production Number: Vase shape 302
Height: 7 cm
Diameter: 7 cm
Motif: Flowers
Remarks:
KRC0314
Artist Vase Design: unknown
Artist Decoration: Thorolf Holmboe
Date of Production: 1911 - 1937
Production Number: illegible
Height: 30.5 cm
Diameter: 12 cm
Motif: Vase with shells and seaweed
Remarks:
KRC1238
Artist Vase Design: unknown
Artist Decoration: Thorolf Holmboe
Date of Production: 1911 - 1937
Production Number: Vase shape 1986, decoration no 62 (prob.)
1986/62/19e
Height: 45.5 cm
Diameter: 22.5 cm
Motif: Eagle vase
Remarks:
KRC1237
15 items