More than 100 pieces of Moomintroll tableware on display at exhibition
New collectors' mug released for occasion
By Raija Forsström
The Gallery of Helsinki’s Arabia Museum is expected to be a favourite for Japanese tourists this summer; on exhibit will be all of the ceramic cups and dishes produced by the Arabia factory featuring the Moomintroll characters created by author and artist Tove Jansson.
The first Moomintroll ceramics appeared already in the late 1950s with a three-part children’s set of the Kilta series by Kaj Franck. The visual design was the work of Tove Jansson herself.
At about the same time, Jansson’s life partner Tuulikki Pietilä and Jansson’s mother Signe Hammarsten-Jansson designed figures out of which Arabia manufactured ceramic ornaments.
However, the Moomintroll craze faded at Arabia for three decades, until a new series was introduced in 1990.
The illustrations for the set were by designer Tove Slott-Elevant on the basis of the book Who Will Comfort Toffle?. Slott-Elevant secured the approval of the author herself.
The demand came as a surprise to the manufacturer. An animated Moomintroll television series was being produced in Japan in 1991, and with it came a Moomintroll boom in Japan and elsewhere. Sales of the ceramics grew beyond Finland’s own borders.
Now about 50 different kinds of Moomintroll products are in production, most of which are sold to tourists - especially to the Japanese.
"On our production side, the proportion of Moomintroll products is very big", says Kristiina Pettersson, who is responsible for taking care of the Arabia brand. "We have not kept records of how many have been manufactured, but we have made quite a few."
"These are clearly desired as collectibles. We constantly get requests and hints from consumers about what characters they would like on the next dishes", Petterson says.
The newest addition to the series is a cup called "Moomintroll dreaming", which is only available at the Arabia Museum Gallery and at the Arabia store in the same building.
The cup, with an illustration by Slotte-Elevant, is based on the book Moominsummer Madness. Exactly 2005 of the cups have been manufactured. The cups, intended as collectors’ items, have an exceptionally high price of EUR 34.50. Nevertheless, the manufacturers believe that they will sell quite well.
"We will sell about one cup per customer or museum visitor to make sure they don’t run out right away", says Arabia museum assistant Hannele Nyman.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 10.6.2005
The exhibition "Moomins at Arabia - Stories in Ceramics" will continue until September 11th in the Gallery of Helsinki’s Arabia Museum, which is part of the Finnish Design Museum. The address is Hämeentie 135, 9th floor. The exhibit is open Tuesday - Friday 12:00 - 18:00 and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 - 16:00.
RAIJA FORSSTRÖM / Helsingin Sanomat
raija.forsstrom@hs.fi
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| 14.6.2005 - THIS WEEK |
 More than 100 pieces of Moomintroll tableware on display at exhibition |
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