At the request of 1616 / Arita, one of the oldest Japanese porcelain manufacturers, Scholten & Baijings has designed a very comprehensive porcelain service that was launched at Spazio Rossana Orlandi during the 2012 Salone del Mobile. The collection consists of three series: Minimal, Colourful and Extraordinary.

The distinctive Japanese Arita porcelain is renowned for its superb quality, where fine hand-painted decorations play a central role. The tradition of porcelain painting dates back to 1616, when the abducted Korean potter Yi Sam-Sam-Pyeong discovered a superior quality clay in Arita.

For the collection of 1616 / Arita, Scholten & Baijings prepared a colour analysis involving historical masterpieces. Typical Japanese colours, such as aquarelle blue, light green, red-orange and yellow ochre, were the ones that played a prominent role.

These colours have been used individually in the new designs, but together they form the specific Arita colour spectrum.

The results are layered colour compositions, executed in different shades of glaze, in combination with the natural porcelain colour. The latter has a special delicate grey-white hue, which makes it unique in the world.The names of the series refer to the amount of colour, details and patterns used. ‘Colour Porcelain – Extraordinary’ is the most elaborately finished version.

By applying the compositions to an extremely functional service, an interesting dialogue has been created between applied art and everyday use. The combination of this traditional craftsmanship and Scholten & Baijings’ recognizable signature style has resulted in a unique mix of Asian and European culture.

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