Friedl Holzer-Kjellberg 'Rice' Porcelain Vase

A small handmade porcelain vase with pierced 'rice' decoration designed by Friedl Holzer-Kjellberg, circa 1955.

We believe this to be an earlier piece as earlier designs tend to be more elaborate, with the pattern often covering the entire surface, as we see here.

Born in Austria, Holzer-Kjellberg trained in ceramics at the Arts & Crafts School (Kunstgewerbe-Schule) in Graz. She moved to Finland in 1924 to work for Arabia where she was successful in reviving the age-old ‘rice technique’ in porcelain that became the factory's best-selling range for an entire decade (between 1942 - 1952), and a Finnish design success story.

Holzer-Kjellberg began experimenting with the rice technique in the 1930s, following seeing a small 18th century dish from the Qianlong reign of China in the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna. After years of work, she perfected the process in the late-1930s, and by 1942 she headed a department established especially to produce her designs at Arabia.

Originally developed in China, 'rice' or 'rice grain' porcelain takes its name from the shape of the pierced holes which resemble rice grains. ‘Rice’ objects are wheel thrown in white porcelain with very thin walls. Once cut with a pattern of holes items are fired, glazed and refired; during the second firing the glaze forms a film over the holes, remaining transparent.

The labour to produce ‘rice’ porcelain was intensive, requiring a team of 20 people, and the waste percentage was great. Nevertheless, the technique’s popularity saw production run from 1942 until 1974.

Holzer-Kjellberg received numerous awards for her work including a Gold Medal in Brussels, 1935, a  Gold Medal at the 1954 Triennale di Milano,a Gold Medal in Cannes, 1955, and in 1962 she was decorated with the Pro Finlandia medal for her artistic achievements.