RORSTRAND RARE Blue Fire (Bla Eld) Red Fire & Gray Fire - "Tea for Two Deluxe"

On offer is a collection that contains some of Blå Eld’s rarest jewels:  the near-impossible to find iconic teapot (tekanna) in the red colorway (Röd Eld).  This teapot is the centerpiece of this small service for two that also includes other rare gems:  two “Chocolate Cups” (the largest teacup produced for the Blue Fire line), which have been paired with two large red saucers, two exceedingly rare grey dessert plates (Grå Eld), and two white luncheon plates.  The specifics for each items are as follows:

• Red Teapot with Lid (röd tekanna med lock):  7 ½ inches tall by 6 ½ inches wide (19 cm x 16.5 cm), with a capacity of just over 32 ounces (one liter)

• Red Saucers (röda tekoppsfat), 2 pieces:  6 ¾ inches in diameter (17 cm)

• Grey Dessert Plates (grå assietter), 2 pieces:  7 ½ inches in diameter (19 cm)

• White Luncheon Plates (vita middagstallrikar), 2 pieces:  9 inches in diameter (23 cm)

(Note:  Because of the sweeping, amorphous design of many Blue Fire items, some measurements are approximated.)

Debuting in 1951, the Blue Fire service was designed by Rörstrand’s Hertha Bengtson, who purportedly named her wildly popular design after a wildflower common to Öland, an island off Sweden’s southeast coast.  

This fiery “Red Fire” (Röd Eld) teapot can certainly be relied upon to provide the drama in any listing in which it appears.  Since so few were produced after 1960, not many have survived — and of those that have, the truly exceptional pieces have been (rightfully) hoarded by diehard collectors, making this one of the most highly sought-after items in the collection.  This particular service is made even more attractive by the addition of two large 10 cm teacups — the largest cup in the Blue Fire service — which are also being offered with their correct saucer size (17 cm).  (Often this particular teacup will be offered with a standard 15.5 cm saucer, which can certainly work, but is technically incorrect.)  And as if that weren’t enough, the traditional white dessert plate has been replaced with two very fine copies in the rarest colorway of all:  grey.  Finally, two slightly larger luncheon plates are also included to allow for an interesting white-red-grey-white layered place setting that can make laying a table with Blå Eld or Röd Eld items so visually compelling (Pictures 3).

Condition Report:

This entire set is in excellent vintage condition.  There is no apparent evidence of damage or repair to any item in this lot. 

Teapot (Pictures 3-9):  Absolutely majestic, with very little to fault.  The moderate exterior glazing is very glossy and vibrant, showing the herringbone relief pattern beautifully.  Oblique lighting reveals virtually no notable scratches or scuffs.  The spout, handle, and the inner and outer lips of the piece are all smooth and free of fleabites.  The unglazed footring is reasonably clean and smooth.  The only minor quibbles worth mentioning are that the glazing slightly lightens as you approach the middle of the piece — but this effect is “spiraled" in a way that is extremely beautiful and ombre-like in parts (Pictures 4 & 8).  Also, there are a few inconsequential “pinpoints” on the base of the interior’s floor, which is a fairly common anomaly to find in most Blå Eld / Röd Eld teapots.  The interior is otherwise extremely clean and free of any tea tannin residue or odors.  There is also a raised “pinpoint” noted near the backstamp (Picture 9, 4 o’clock).  The lid is intact, uniformly colored, and otherwise unremarkable.  This striking piece is numbered and stamped “Rörstrand Sweden” and was manufactured in 1957.

Chocolate Cups (Picture 11):   These are also two very excellent examples of this difficult-to-find size cup.  The glazing is moderate and allows the herringbone relief pattern to display beautifully.  Both rims and handles are smooth to the touch and free of chips and fleabites.  Oblique lighting reveals no signs of deep scratching or crazing (craquelure).  Both footrings show very light signs of wear but are remarkably clean and free of brown discoloration or the “creep” that is often seen in white Blå Eld items.  One cup has very tiny, inconsequential, raised nub in the glaze noted near the base base of the handle that is smooth and glazed over.  These beautiful pieces are numbered and marked “Rörstrand Sweden” and were both manufactured in 1966, towards the end of the Blå Eld production run.

Plate Trio No. 1 (Pictures 13-18):  The saucer has a heavy glaze that captures the light beautifully but still allows the herringbone relief pattern to be seen.  When held on an oblique tilt, moderate scratches are noted, none of which are so deep as to catch the nail.  (The most significant scratches in the glaze are where you’d expect to find them — in the recessed medallion where the foot of the teacup would rest, Picture 14).  The edges of this item are smooth, the underside has just a few minor scratches on the sloped outer rim.  This item is numbered and stamped “Rörstrand Sweden” and was manufactured in 1959.   This Grå Eld dessert plate is an excellent copy of this impossible-to-find item (which manufactured primarily for the overseas market).  Oblique lighting reveals no evidence of crazing (craquelure), and the edges are smooth and free of fleabites or noticeable discoloration.  This plate has been used, and when held on an oblique tilt, the plate’s utensil marks — which are largely hidden by the herringbone relief pattern — do become apparent (Picture 16).  Apart from the expected kiln marks, the plate's underside is unremarkable.  This amazing copy is numbered and stamped “Rörstrand Sweden” and was manufactured in 1959.   The luncheon plate is in truly excellent shape, free of any fleabites or crazing (craquelure).  Even when held on an oblique tilt, the plates exhibits virtually no utensil marks (Picture 18).  The underside has a glazed footring, and apart from the expected kiln marks, is otherwise unremarkable.   This beautiful plate is numbered and stamped "Rörstrand Sweden” and was manufactured in 1962.

Plate Trio No. 2 (Pictures 19-24:  This saucer also has a heavy glaze treatment that captures the light beautifully but still allows the herringbone relief pattern to be seen.  This saucer has slightly more utensil marks than the saucer in the other trio, with most contained to the recessed center medallion where the foot of the teacup would rest, Picture 20).  The edges of this item are smooth, and apart from the expected kiln marks, the underside is unremarkable.  This item is numbered and stamped “Rörstrand Sweden” and was manufactured in 1959.   The Grå Eld dessert plate is similar to the other Grå Eld plate in this lot, and in excellent shape.  Oblique lighting reveals no evidence of crazing (craquelure) that I could find, and the edges are smooth and free of fleabites or noticeable discoloration.  This plate has been used more than the other plate in the previous trio, and when held on an oblique tilt, the plate’s utensil marks — which are also largely hidden by the herringbone relief pattern — do become visible (Picture 22).  Apart from the expected kiln marks, the plate's underside is unremarkable.  This amazing copy is numbered and stamped “Rörstrand Sweden” and was also manufactured in 1959.   The luncheon plate is free of any fleabites or crazing (craquelure).  However, when held on an oblique tilt, the plates does exhibit moderate utensil scapes.  There is also a small raised nub in the glaze towards the rim of the plate (Picture 24, 8 o’clock).  The underside has a glazed footring that does show small signs of wear.  This item is numbered and stamped "Rörstrand Sweden” and was manufactured in 1953.

As always, please refer to all furnished photographs in this listing, as they form an integral, supplemental part of the description.  I try to “over describe” my items, pointing out any irregularities that a buyer of vintage goods might find objectionable.  I am certainly happy to provide additional photography upon request.

Shipping:

The listed shipping is for buyers in the contiguous United States.  If you reside in Alaska or Hawaii, please contact me for a shipping quote.  My auctions are currently closed to international customers, but if you reside outside the US and are interested in bidding, please reach out to me.  (Please understand that I am not responsible for any duties or delays imposed by Customs in your country, and I cannot declare any items shipped to you for less than their sale price.)

Since I am a new seller, for auction lots with more than one item, I may use an outside packing service in order to help ensure that your purchase arrives damage-free.  Fragile collectibles will be double-boxed where appropriate and practical.

Return Policy:

As a longtime buyer of vintage pottery, I understand that disappointments sometimes happen.  Terms like “excellent” and “near mint” are subjective, meaning wildly different things to different people.  And it can be difficult to agree on when “wear and tear consistent with age” has ventured into the territory of actual damage.  Rather than quibble,  if you are dissatisfied with any item that you purchase from me, for any reason, simply return it to me within 14 days in the condition in which it was sent, and I will happily refund your money.  I will pay for return shipping costs, but regrettably, I cannot refund outbound shipping and handling fees in such cases.  Of course, should an item sustain any damage during transit, you will receive a complete refund.  (In the event that a multi-item shipment sustains only partial damage, please contact me so that we can work out a satisfactory solution.)  All I ask in return is that you document any damage, retain all packing materials, and assist me during the claims process. 

In my experience, the best transactions are ones where there is open, honest communication on both sides.  My goal is to find happy homes for these treasures, with the hope that they will bring their new owners as much joy as they’ve brought me.

About Me:

I have been an avid Blue Fire (Blå Eld) and Koka Blue (Koka Blå) collector for almost 20 years.  I own over 400 pieces in each line, so if you are hunting for something in particular, please reach out to me – there’s a good chance that I have what you’re looking for.  I absolutely love chatting with other Rorstrand enthusiasts!

Finally, don’t be afraid to ask questions.  I’d rather be deluged with questions than to have my buyers experience one drop of regret with any item that I sell.