Winter sports and mixed emotions – 
Mr Brisk makes a comeback in this winter’s Moomin mug

This winter, hot cocoa and hearty soups taste the best from the new Moomin mug. The Moomin by Arabia 2022 winter seasonal collection ’Winter Wonders’ marks the comeback of sports nut Mr Brisk. He encourages the Moomins to try out ice skating, which, despite their efforts, does not go smoothly. However, Mr Brisk’s athletic vigour appeals to Mymble. The new collection, which comes for sale on October 7th, includes a mug and bowl in pastel colours.

Mr Brisk’s visit evokes mixed emotions among the Moomins

The illustrations of the Winter Wonders seasonal collection are based on the story from Tove Jansson’s ’Moomin’s Winter Follies’ comic from 1955 where the Moomin family skips their annual hibernation tradition. When the peculiar sports nut, Mr Brisk, arrives in Moominvalley, the Moomins and the other inhabitants quickly find themselves amid winter sports challenges with poor success, and emotional turmoil cannot be avoided.

 

Mr Brisk succeeds in everything but is extremely competitive, which is received with either reserve or admiration among the Moomins. In the story, Mr Brisk’s fanatic approach to sports raises doubts, especially in Moomintroll. Moominmamma is concerned, too. However, younger Mymble as well as Snorkmaiden, both incurable romantics, immediately fall in love with the powerful athlete.

 

Where the Moomins fail at ice skating, Mymble secretly practises at night to impress Mr Brisk – just to find her efforts are left in vain, because, to Mr Brisk, sport and success come before everything else.

Based on this story and the illustrations from the comic, the front side of the new seasonal dishes features Moomintroll, Moominpappa, Moominmamma, and Snorkmaiden’s shaky ice skating tryouts. On the other side, Mymble is gazing mesmerized at Mr Brisk who’s trying to convince her of the health effects of swimming in ice-cold water.

Winter motif rarely seen in the illustrations

In the Moomin stories, the winter theme is a rare one, since the Moomins usually sleep through the winter season. To the Moomins, winter represents something new and wondrous, even foreign. Perhaps that is precisely why learning winter sports involves fumbling and mixed feelings. The Moomins, however, overcome the difficulties with an open mind, just like they usually do.

Also, Mr Brisk is rarely seen in the Moomin by Arabia collections. The character last appeared in the ’Skiing competition’ mug launched in 2010. In the new Winter Wonders dishes, differing from the original character and previous years, Mr Brisk wears striped winter overalls instead of a pullover and skiing pants.

Frosty pastels perfect for the season

The new seasonal collection glows in pastel shades in harmony with the winter seasonals of previous years. The pastel blue sky and pale pink ice give the dishes a magical look reminiscent of snowy and cold winter days. The bright red, warm yellow, muted green, and fuchsia details add a splash of freshness and fun. 

The illustrations are adapted from Tove Jansson’s original comics illustrations, and Jansson’s skillful use of line is visible.

The Winter Wonders collection includes a mug and a bowl. The collection comes for sale on October 7th, 2022 and is available for a limited time until the end of February 2023 or until sold out. Leave your email address on the product page and we’ll notify you when the collection is available!

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Collector’s plates 8/10

In addition to the Winter seasonals, Moomin by Arabia’s collection is growing with new Collector’s plates. Collector’s plates have been released two at a time since 2014, and they are produced to create a pair with previously released Moomin mugs. This time, the plates, which will come for sale on October 7th, match the mugs Office from 1996 and Winter Night from 2006.

The Moomins are always ready to try something new, even working. Moominpappa tries to be responsible and finds a job for himself and his family. Soon they realise that the various tasks are more fun to do if you call them something other than work. The illustrations of the Office collector’s plate appeared for the first time in an Arabia mug in 1996, and they are based on several different comic strip stories about writing, drawing and painting.

Moomintroll has been awake all winter. With the help of his friends, Little My and Too-ticky,
Moomintroll gains the courage to explore the frosty season. Come spring, he has many stories to tell his mother. The illustrations of the Winter Night collector’s plate are based on the illustrations of a mug from 2006. It shows an illustration from Tove Jansson’s 1957 book Moominland Midwinter where Moomintroll sits on the railing of the bridge.

The Collector’s plates come for sale on October 7th, but you can already leave your email on the product page to be notified when the products are in stock.

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