Almost every Finn has come into contact with Kupittaan Savi ceramics at some point in their lives. From their ceramics we have enjoyed countless times coffee and buns at grandma’s, or we have placed thousands of flowers in them. We’ve seen it on aunt’s dresser, in the window of the antique shop and at flea markets. And we have also seen them in Finnish films: in the classic Suomi-filmi productions, a homely feeling was created with the Kupittaan Savi objects. They are as much a part of Finnish collective imagery material as the actors Ansa Ikonen or Tauno Palo.
Kupittaan Savi is a national property associated with a sense of homeliness. For example, Arabia was originally a large company with export as its starting point, and with porcelain production as its special area. The porcelain is different in its aesthetic-historical nature than the low-fire clay. In addition Kupittaan Savi’s commercial profile was also more down-to-earth: some table wear and decorative objects were exported, but the main mission was the utilisation of the local material for the local market. The products from Kupittaan Savi were made available to everyone: they were democratic both in terms of style and price level.
While design culture was characterised by a certain verticality, Kupittaan Savi’s relationship to design ideals was horizontal: the factory did not stand above the consumer and dictate the terms of beauty from above, but realised the buyer’s wishes. Their vases might be hand-painted with floral decorations or a human figure that appealed to the imagination. The price and quality ratio were in proportion to each other. The distribution channels were also democratic: Kupittaan Savi sold a lot in the hard ware stores. In the hardware store, you would find anything possible, from household items to a random gift item.
Kupittaan Savi’s small goods niche was later saturated with imported goods. In the magic circle of Finnish nostalgia, the concept of kitsch loses its negative meaning.
