| Marked | Marked underneath the base: Stig L – G (Gustavsberg) Studio Hand |
|---|---|
| Execution | Gustavsberg, Sweden late 1950's |
| Condition | This sculpture is in good condition. Negligible surface wear. Some minor stains. |
| Literature | Magnus Palm and Viveca Carlsson, Stora Boken om Stig Lindberg : porslin, keramik, industridesign, textil |
| Dimensions | Height 25,5 cm |
Stig Lindberg – A large stoneware sculpture of a horse “Springare” (Knight) – Gustavsberg Sweden 1950’s
Price Upon Request
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A large stoneware sculpture of a horse, ‘Springare’ (Knight), designed by Stig Lindberg and hand-decorated at the Gustavsberg studio in the late 1950s.
The model was created in 1958 after Lindberg was inspired by ‘Springaren’, a mystery novel by the Swedish author Stieg Trenter. Set at the Gustavsberg porcelain factory, the story revolves around the forgery of a valuable Tang Dynasty horse sculpture. Lindberg and Trenter were close friends, and the designer created his own interpretation of the horse as a tribute to the author. The Springare sculpture was introduced later that same year.
Today, the ‘Springare’ horses are among Lindberg’s most recognised and sought-after ceramic works. They were produced in two sizes and with three different hand-painted decorations. This example is the rarer large version, decorated with black dots on a warm brown ground and contrasted by a white head and legs with expressive graphic details.
About Stig Lindberg
Stig Lindberg (1916–1982) was a Swedish designer and ceramic artist whose work spanned a wide range of disciplines, from ceramics and illustration to industrial design and textiles. He is known for blending playfulness with functionality, and for helping to define Swedish design in the postwar era.
Born in Umeå, Sweden, Lindberg studied at the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design (Konstfack) in Stockholm. In the late 1930s, he joined the Gustavsberg porcelain factory, where he worked under Wilhelm Kåge. After World War II, Lindberg became one of the factory’s leading designers and eventually took over as artistic director.
Lindberg’s ceramics ranged from everyday tableware to one-off art pieces. He was especially known for his imaginative, sometimes whimsical designs, as well as for his ability to balance mass production with artistic expression. In addition to ceramics, he designed textiles for Nordiska Kompaniet (NK), illustrated children’s books, and created iconic industrial designs, including radio and television casings.
His work was widely exhibited during his lifetime and attracted international attention. Today, his ceramics and other designs are included in the collections of several major museums, such as the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, the Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York.
