History of Rörstrand
The Rörstrand porcelain factory was founded in 1726 at Rörstrand Castle in Stockholm under the name “det Swenske Porcellainsvärket”. The company was run by a German porcelain manufacturer named Johann Wolff. At that time, Chinese decor was Rörstrand’s main inspiration and it would take until the 1740s before the company began to produce its own designs. It is possible to see a strong connection between the art historical eras and Rörstrand’s decor in the following centuries; Rococo in the 18th century, Romanticism in the 19th century and Art Nouveau in the early 20th century. Rörstrand always seems to have been right on time. Most of the series that are still found and used in Swedish homes today were created during the 20th century.
Top list of the most popular Rörstrand tableware in 2022
Swedish Grace
Swedish Grace was designed by Louise Adelborg for the Stockholm Exhibition in 1930 and is undoubtedly one of Rörstrand’s most popular tableware of all time. Louise Adelborg previously worked as a drawing teacher, but found her true place as a designer after her breakthrough with the vase “Vase” in 1923.
Swedish Grace was created under the name “Nationalservisen” and is meant to convey the feeling of waving wheat wax in a summer breeze. The original porcelain was white with a gold edge, but over the years it has been produced with more than 200 designs by designers such as Herta Bengtsson, Margot Barolo and Pia Törnell. In 2001, the name was changed to “Swedish Grace” and today there are a variety of colors and new pieces.
Average selling price on Tradera per ad sold: $310
My friend
As with many other Rörstrand tableware, it can be hard to believe that Mon Amie was designed in the late 1940s. It all started when designer Marianne Westman drew a sketch of a flower, a water lily. The sketch evolved into the well-known blue pattern that adorns the tableware and became the start of a very successful career. Launched as early as 1952, the Mon Amie series was brought back into production in 2008 to celebrate Marianne Westman’s 80th birthday.
Average selling price on Tradera per ad sold: $406
Green Anna
The first edition of Green Anna was produced by Göteborgs Porslinsfabrik in 1898, but was taken over by Rörstrands Porslinsfabrik in 1916. The set was initially called Anna for short, but as it was produced in several colors, the green version was soon named “Green Anna”. In the vernacular, however, it is usually called “Green Anna”. During the hundred years that the Green Anna has existed, it has been issued in thousands of copies and several editions, the most famous of which was designed by Carl-Harry Stålhane in 1964. The Green Anna was produced until 2002.
Average selling price on Tradera per sold ad: 311 SEK
East Indies
Few tableware sets have had the honor of being voted ‘Tableware of the Century’ by the Swedish people, but Ostindia is one of them. However, its history spans more than 100 years. It all started when a ship from China was wrecked off Gothenburg in 1745. A shard of a plate from the ship managed to find its way to Rörstrand’s storeroom and almost 200 years later it provided the inspiration for Nils Emil Lundström to create a new pattern. The result was the Ostindia.
Ostindia is available today in several different colors and models, such as the modern black version of the classic design, created by Anna Lerinder. Another variation is Ostindia Floris, created by Caroline Slotte when she was asked to reinvent the classic pattern in 2012. Floris has a pattern in the shape of a dense foliage that gives a modern touch to the classic porcelain.
Average selling price on Tradera per sold ad: 404 SEK
Blue fire
It takes time to create masterpieces; designer Hertha Bengtsson needed four years of experimentation before she was satisfied with the Blue Fire dinner service. However, these years were well invested – Blå eld is today considered one of the design classics of the 20th century, and belongs in every home that wants every meal to feel festive.
The basic colors of the porcelain are blue and white, where the idea was that everything you eat from and drink from should be white, while the cobalt blue glaze was used for serving dishes, bowls and jugs. The tableware can also be found in the less common colors of red, grey and green. The herringbone pattern in relief is reminiscent of knitted yarn and should not be confused with the pattern on Swedish Grace and its wheat wax. Blue Fire consists of about 40 pieces of streamlined flintware with beautiful details such as almond-shaped dishes and asymmetrical bowls. The set was in production between 1949 and 1971.
Average selling price on Tradera per sold ad: 447 SEK
Sundborn
The fact that Rörstrand’s design plays with art historical references is nothing new. The Sundborn dinner service is a tribute to one of Sweden’s most famous artists, Carl Larsson. The tableware is named after the town of Sundborn, which is surrounded by shiny lakes, a few miles outside Falun in Dalarna. Here you will find the Carl Larsson farm, where Carl Larsson and his artist wife Karin lived and worked. Designer Pia Rönndahl has managed to immortalize the harmony and beauty of the area. For those who want to immerse themselves more in Pia’s design, we recommend looking at the design “Mårbacka”, which was produced on the popular Swedish Grace porcelain between 1993 and 2008.
Average selling price on Tradera per sold ad: 373 SEK
Coke
Hertha Bengtsson was one of Sweden’s leading designers during the 1950s, also known as the golden age of ceramics. Koka was one of the series she designed, a set consisting of about 40 pieces. The series was launched in the color blue, but was also produced in green and brown in the 60s. The popular blue version is commonly referred to as “Koka blue” and is characterized by the beautiful deep blue hue on a white base. The designer herself said that the aim of her design was to bring joy and pleasure to everyday life – and she certainly succeeded.
Average selling price on Tradera per ad sold: $307
picnic
Marianne Westman not only made the popular Mon Amie during her time at Rörstrandsfabriken, she also created the colorful and playful Picknick tableware. The first thing that makes Picnic so special is the shapes of the porcelain, ovals, circles and triangles, functional spouts, knobs and handles. But what really sets the series apart are the stylized and colorful patterns of fruits, fish and vegetables. The pattern can today be found on newly produced products from Almedahls, such as textiles, trays and jars, but it is only second hand that the same pattern can be found hand painted on porcelain.
The pattern for Picnic lay in the collection room for two years before it went into production in 1956, as the design was considered too quirky and sprawling. However, it quickly became one of Rörstrand’s most successful products, winning countless design awards and is still celebrated today, especially abroad, as one of Marianne’s greatest successes at the porcelain factory. The set consists of 87 pieces in total and was produced until 1969.
Average selling price on Tradera per sold ad: 633 SEK
