The Moomin mug Midsummer #79 is inspired by the magic of Midsummer.
Mug #79 – Midsummer
Produced: 2016
Illustrated by Tove Slotte and manufactured in Finland or Thailand by Arabia.
The original artwork can be found in the book Moominsummer Madness & comic Winter Follies.
Seasonal ceramics from Arabia: Midsummer magic with Snorkmaiden
The new seasonal ceramics by Arabia enchant Midsummer with the Moominvalley ladies: Snorkmaiden, Mymble, and Fillyjonk. These lovely ladies collect flowers from meadows to put under their pillows. The illustrations are true to the ladies’ natural characters: Snorkmaiden is charmed by Moomintroll, as always; Mymble longs after the feeling of love; and Fillyjonk concentrates on dreaming. Arabia’s illustrator Tove Slotte has given a new, light appearance to the ceramics by using a red outline. This year, the seasonal mug can be bought together with a matching plate.
The new ceramics capture the light moments of a Midsummer night. The original illustration on which they are based is from the book “Moominsummer Madness” (1954), and the story is about following a Midsummer magic ritual, in order to see your future husband in a dream. Fillyjonk and Snorkmaiden collect flowers from meadows and put the blossoms under their pillows. They are not allowed to talk to each other during that time, which makes the whole event exciting and magical.
The Moominvalley ladies show their usual characteristics in the drawings: Mymble is dreaming about the feeling of love, Snorkmaiden is charmed by Moomintroll and Fillyjonk values traditions, although she is secretly a bit jealous of the Moomins and their exciting lives.
Why the red outline?
Arabia wanted to bring a whole new look to the new summer seasonal ceramics in 2016. Illustator Tove Slotte has created a new light feeling with a touch of red outline and her use of a white background:
“Together with Arabia, we tested how different colours look with the outline,” explains Slotte. The objective was to create a sensitive and fresh look around the story of a light summer night. We chose red because it created a nice contrast with the green colours of the meadow. Some of the outlines were left black because the red didn’t fit everywhere, such as on the edges of Snorkmaiden’s form. Nora Haatainen, Product and Marketing Manager of the Fiskars Licence business unit, thinks it is important to maintain the authentic feeling that comes from creator Tove Jansson, but also to improve and refresh the Moomin ceramics. The summer season gave an opportunity to refresh the look.
“Tove Jansson used black outline very carefully in all her Moomin artwork,” says Haatainen. “It is important to value and cherish that, even when something new is created.”
Tove Slotte has based her career around the Moomins. She has illustrated Moomin by Arabia ceramics since 1989. In the beginning, Tove Jansson herself approved all the drawings.
Text source: Fiskars