Look at what I found!

For years now I’ve been on the lookout for small, pretty plates. For serving a tiny amuse-bouche for a New Year’s dinner, or a few biscuits, or a small piece of cheese. Our everyday green plates are both somewhat boring (although I am fond of them for general everyday use) and too large.

After this last Christmas, I searched with more focus. Googled, found nothing that I liked. Visited crafts fairs, found nothing that I liked. Looked up ceramics artists whom I’ve run into before; regularly checked the local charity shop; occasionally checked others; searched Tradera. Nothing. I was literally at the point where I was checking the cost of ceramics workshops for beginners to make my own. (Verdict: too expensive.)

And now I finally got lucky! Our local charity shop (now Skyddsvärnet, previously Erikshjälpen for many years, and I still misname them sometimes) is such a treasure. Among dozens and dozens of twee floral coffee sets and plain white plates, there were ten small saucers with a wonderful fiery glaze. I grabbed them all and now they’re mine!

Technically they’re saucers rather than plates but who cares. They’re perfect in all ways. Just the right size, about the size of my hand, and beautiful in their rich, warm colour.

They’re all from the same series but not from the same batch. Some have a logo on the bottom, others don’t, and the colour of the glaze isn’t quite identical. The internet tells me the series is called “Korall”. It was designed by Barbro Löfgren-Örtendahl and produced by Gefle porcelain factory 1962–1974.