Artist/Designer: Hella Jongerius

 b. 1963,  De Meern, Holland

Title: Jonsberg Vase, 2005

Medium: Ceramic

Dimensions: 13 3/8" h x 11.75" diameter

Manufacturer: IKEA, Sweden. Made in China

Details: The Jonsberg Project for IKEA included production for 4 different ceramic vases in techniques that referred to specific parts of the world; Soviet-Union, Africa, Asia and Europe. This example is all white with an embroidery pattern referencing Europe. Additional versions include a black version with white and blue patterns, a pink version with a gold design and a terra-cotta version with a white decorative pattern (also available).

Notes from the Archive: Hella Jongerius’s Jonsberg Vase for IKEA is a perfect example of the fusion of nostalgia and the avant-garde through the use of embroidery in contemporary design. The vase itself has a clean-lined, classic shape that would be fitting in a minimalist modern setting without any embellishment. Jongerius, however, is known for reinterpreting conventions of craft to produce new hybrids that are imbued with warmth, nostalgia, and fun. Here her figurative floral pattern is pierced into the vase in a manner reminiscent of needlepoint. Jongerius notes that this kind of time-consuming craftsmanship is only possible at affordable prices when produced by manufacturers who can produce and distribute the objects in large quantities.  Numerous international museums own examples from this series including the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.