An Overview of Gunnar Nylund’s Uggly Series

Gunnar Nylund (1904–1997) designed many classics for the Swedish ceramic factory Rörstrand. One of the most well-known series is Uggly from 1965. It consists of stoneware bowls and vases. They have robust forms and thick mottled glazes in earthy colors.

The series’ name is a word play on the Swedish word for owl, ”Uggla”. It was crafted until 1970. The objects are marked on the lower side with Rörstrand’s symbol (R), GN, Sweden, and the model number. Which of Gunnar’s Uggly pieces is your favorite?

Uggly Bowls

Bowl (model 1), diameter 19 cm

Bowl (model 2)

Uggly Vases

Vase (model 3), height 17 cm

Vase (model 4), height 28 cm

Vase (model 5), height 9 cm / 3.5 in

Uggly Decor and Lower Side

The Uggly decor

The lower side of a Uggly object