Arabia Finland RARE Esteri Tomula TH/5 Giant Cup & Saucer

On offer is an extremely rare oversized mug and matching saucer from ARABIA FINLAND by the celebrated Finnish ceramicist Esteri Tomula (1920-1998).  Tomula worked for Arabia Finland for almost forty years, drawing inspiration for much of her decorative work from Finland’s flora. This cup-and-saucer set is listed as model no. TH/5 and has a generous capacity of about 600 ml. It is on a very large form you don’t see often, used around 1971-1973.

Seldom seen in the market, this particular design, which sports an abstract blue floral motif around the form’s circumference, is one of Tomula's rarer TH/5 cups. 

The length from the handle to the tip of the cup’s bulge is approximately 16 cm.  The diameter of the cup’s opening is about 9.5 cm, while the diameter of the cup’s foot is approximately 8.5 cm.  The cup is 10cm tall.

The cup rests in the recessed centre of a large saucer with a white band of colour surrounding the recess. The diameter is just  over 17 cm.

This set is in excellent vintage condition.  There is no evidence of damage or repair to any component of this set.

The exterior of the cup is in very good shape and displays beautifully.  Oblique lighting reveals no evidence of exterior crazing. The handle, rim, and pedestal base are smooth and free of chips or flea bites.  The artwork itself is vibrant and well-preserved, with no apparent spots of colour loss or degradation. The unglazed footring surrounding the hand-painted attribution mark is smooth and clean.

The saucer shows no signs of use, including around the recessed medallion where the cup’s base would rest.

This item is an absolutely extraordinary find, and a  must-have for the serious Tomula enthusiast.  Both items are unnumbered, and the mug is stamped “Arabia Finland ET/IP” — “ET” is a reference to the designer (Esteri Tomula), and “IP” is a reference to the unknown Arabia Finland employee who hand-painted the piece.  The saucer is marked simply with “Arabia Finland."