Francesca Mascitti Lindh Colossal Bottle Vase

A colossally tall art vase designed and made by Francesca Mascitti Lindh at Arabia, Finland, circa 1960.

Mascitti Lindh was born to a Finnish-Italian family in Anversa degli Abruzzi, a village known for its ceramics, 80 miles East of Rome. She studied in Rome, 1946 -48, at the Liceo Artistico delle belle Arti before moving to Finland at the age of 16 to continue her studies at Finland’s Institute of Industrial Arts, 1949-52.

From 1953 to 1955, Mascitti Lindh and her husband Richard Lindh ran their own workshop producing functional ceramics. In 1955, they were invited to join the art department at Arabia, where Mascitti Lindh worked for the next 34 years until 1989.

Mascitti-Lindh's ceramics are playful yet imposing. This majestic tension is achieved by Mascitti-Lindh infusing wholesome rusticity, surprising shapes, and innovative glazes within her work.

Often, rusticity stems from her combining different techniques and clays. Her unexpected forms, that incorporate multiple spouts, wide brimmed mouths, and bulbous sections, show inspiration from elements of traditional utilitarian Mediterranean pottery. Whilst her arresting glazes are part of the collective phenomenal achievements of the Arabia art department that jointly pioneered clashing earthy tones with bright zany colours, especially cobalt blue.

This vase stands at a striking 44 cm, the form is irregular and a medley of two shapes. The main body is a rectangle whilst the neck is cylindrical. The evidently handmade, asymmetric structure commands that your eye properly inspects the vase, as does the luminous glaze. Best described as similar to the skin of a Mackerel fish the glaze features tiger-like stripes that alternate harmoniously between glossy and matt. 

Mascitti-Lindh’s ceramics received numerous domestic & internationally awards, and her work is held in the collections of museums worldwide including Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris. Victoria & Albert Museum, London. Museum of Modern Art, New York. Syracuse University Art Museum, New York. Nationalmuseum, Stockholm. International Museum of Ceramics, Faenza. Museo Della Ceramica, Gualdo Tadino. Design Museum, Helsinki. Design Museum, Arabia. Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Espoo.