Gustavsberg's Parian Objects –
An Overview of 100 Years

British Influences for the First Parian Pieces

The Gustavsberg parian production was highly influenced by the British ceramic industry. The parian porcelain was first developed by the English company Copeland & Garret in the 1840s. It was named after the legendary Parisian marble of the antique world. Parian is characterized by its white, matte surface, similar to something between plaster and marble.

Gustavsberg parian pitcher from the 1860s

Drawing of Gustavsberg porcelain factory in the 1870s

The Start of Gustavsberg's Parian Production

In Sweden, the Gustavsberg porcelain factory started producing parian in 1861. It was initiated by the British George Barlow, who then worked as a factory foreman for many decades. Initially, Gustavsberg fetched workers, patterns, models, and materials from Great Britain. Within a decade, the Gustavsberg parian production developed a more distinctive Swedish style.

Public art sculpture "Baltesspannarna" (The Duellists) by J.P. Mollin

Public art sculpture "Bältesspannarna" (The Duellists) by J.P. Mollin

Gustavsberg parian sculpture "Bältesspannarna" (The Duellists). Early 20th century.

The Scope of the Parian Production

The original Gustavsberg parian series was crafted until 1933. It comprises about 250 objects, mainly sculptures ranging from well-known motifs from ancient times, to sentimental child figures. The most well-known parian sculptures are smaller versions of famous public Swedish artworks, like the "Bältespannarna" (The Duellists) by Johan Peter Molin.

Parian sculpture "Ariadne". 1868–1925. Height 45 cm / 17.7 inches.

Kaolin clay

The Production Process

The Gustavsberg parian was made of 1/3 kaolin clay, 1/3 Swedish feldspar and 1/3 Cornwall stone (English feldspar). The raw materials were ground down and mixed with water. The early items were modeled by hand, but later molds were used for production. A parian sculpture was casted in many different parts, which were then merged with a thicker parian mass. The objects were marked with the factory stamp and the parian maker's signature. The burning then occurred at about 1200°C (2200°F) for 50 hours.

A Selection of Gustavsberg's Original Production Parian Objects

Parian sculpture "Skonheten" (The Beauty). 1889-1899. Height 23 cm / 9.1 inches.

Parian sculpture "Skönheten" (The Beauty). 1889–1899. Height 23 cm / 9.1 inches.

Parian sculpture "Solrosen" (Sunflower). 1918–1925. Height 50 cm / 19.7 inches.

Parian sculpture "Amor och Psyche" (Amor an Psyche). 1860-1890. Height 28 cm / 11.0 inches.

Parian sculpture "Amor och Psyche" (Amor and Psyche). 1860–1890. Height 28 cm / 11.0 inches.

Parian sculpture "Orleansk jungfru" (Maiden from Orleans). 1900–1925. Height 29 cm / 11.4 inches

Parian sculpture "Kristus" (Christ). 1872–1925. Height 30 cm / 11.8 inches.

Parian sculpture "Hager i vass" (Heron in the reed). 1860-1890. Height 28 cm / 11.0 inches

Parian sculpture "Häger i vass" (Heron in the reed). 1860–1890. Height 28 cm / 11.0 inches

Parian sculpture "Viking" (Viking). 1899-
–1925. Height 34 cm / 13.4 inches

Parian sculpture "Leendet" (The smile). 1907–1925. Height 25 cm / 9.8 inches

Parian sculpture "Neapolitansk fiskargosse" (Neapolitan fisherboy). 1868–1925. Height 27 cm / 10.6 inches

Stig Lindberg's Parian Series

Gustavsberg's legendary artistic leader Stig Lindberg (1916–1982) rediscovered the Parian material in the 1960s. His parian series consists of seven sculptures in a limited edition of 500–1000 pieces. These modernistic interpretations of the older parian production are today highly sought after by the collectors.