Rörstrand

Rörstrand Factory 1896

Porcelain tip in 2008 by Karlberg Castle in the background.

"Peacock Vase" by Anna Boberg, two variants 1897

Transfer-printed teacup in the "Green Anna" pattern

"Nobel tableware" in 2005

The Rörstrand waterfront site was first documented in the 13th century, when Magnus Ladulås donated property to the Convent of Poor Clares. In 1527, under Gustavus Vasa, the area was returned to the crown. The area was named "Rörstrand" because the clear lake's shore was overgrown with reeds.

After an ”Associations contract between all concerned in the Swedish Porcelain works, which will be established at great Rörstrand in the Delft manner” was signed in 1726, a porcelain factory was built at the castle of Rörstrand.[1] The factory had indeed been given the privilege to produce true porcelain, but faience was the only ware that was actually produced until the 1770s. In 1758, the rival manufactory at Marieberg began to produce porcellanous stoneware. High production costs, a small market, and strong competition from imported Chinese porcelain kept Rörstrand from trying to copy Marieberg's goods.

By the 1770s, Rörstrand began producing its own version of English stoneware, but it took a substantial amount of time until Rörstrand succeeded in mastering the technology. After the acquisition of Marieberg in 1785, Rörstrand was the only major Swedish porcelain factory, and technology was not a priority. Only after Gustavsberg, founded in 1826, become a competitor, mass production of transfer-printed tableware (earthenware) took off. During the 1860s, the Rörstrand porcelain facility was one of the nation's largest factories.

In 1900, Rörstrand employed around 1,100 people. The factory's products had an excellent reputation worldwide and participated successfully in various art and industrial exhibitions.

The expansion of Stockholm city meant that the land was needed for housing. The factory in Rörstrand was closed down and demolished in 1926. Production was moved first to Gothenburg (after acquiring the Gothenburg porcelain factory) and then to Lidköping in the 1930s.

Between 1960 and 1990, Rörstrand passed through several owners, including Upsala-Ekeby AB, Finnish Wärtsilä, Hakusan and Gustavsberg porcelain factory. As of 2001, Rörstrand is a part of Iittala, which moved production to Sri Lanka and Hungary. On 30 December 2005, the factory in Lidköping closed down. Thus ended an important chapter of Swedish industrial history after almost 280 years. In 2007, Iittala, which owns the Rörstrand brand, was acquired in turn by Fiskars.

The former porcelain factory is now a museum, in which the legacy lives on.

Right from the beginning, it was possible to order complete dinnerware table sets in the same decor. They were usually custom-made, and no product names were assigned to these sets.

When printed decors for mass production turned up - the first dinnerware dates from 1826 - they were not given product names. In the mid-1800s, a few descriptive names as "Turkish pattern" appeared in the price lists, but only at the end of the 1800s product names were for tableware were introduced. The exception is the Willow pattern, which was already well known and well reputed in England; Rörstrand produced its version of the decor between 1830 and 1888.

The "Purple Lace" pattern was one of the 1800s most popular tableware sets and manufactured well into the 1900s, with production from 1845 to 1934. At the turn of the century, Rörstrand created a range of tableware sets which were produced for nearly 50 years, for example "Bella" and "Vineta".

Another of Rörstrands long-running dinnerware sets was "Green Anna" (Swedish: Gröna Anna or Grön Anna). Starting in 1926, the design was produced by the Gothenburg Porcelain Factory. "Ostindia" is an example of one of the factory's popular designs; it is still produced today.

As for more recent productions, "Mon Amie" - the white porcelain tableware with cobalt blue nuanced flowers - was designed by Marianne Westman in 1952. Through the years, "Mon Amie" became a classic and was relaunched in 2008 as a celebration of Marianne Westman's 80th birthday.

In 1956, Rörstrand designer Hertha Bengtson developed "Koka Blå". In the 1960s, the "Koka" design was also launched in the versions brown and green.

• Since the 1760s, leading manufacturers of stoves
• 1760s: first printed decors
• 1770s: first pieces of earthenware
• 1881: first dinner service of feldspar porcelain
• 1930: presentation of the National tableware, designed by Louise Adelborg, the Stockholm Exhibition of 1930
• 1991: presentation of the Nobel tableware, used since the Nobel Banquet

• Porcelain manufacturing companies in Europe

• Rörstrands Porcelain
• Rörstrand Museum in Lidköping
• Porcelain factory in Lidköping
• Article about Rörstrand
• Rörstrand - Technical Museum