Tias Eckhoff
Tias Eckhoff: design shaped by use
Tias Eckhoff (1926 to 2016) was a Norwegian ceramic and industrial designer from Vestre Slidre. He completed his diploma at the Norwegian National College of Art and Design in 1949 and subsequently worked for Porsgrunds Porselænsfabrik. His work spans tableware, cutlery, furniture and fittings, linking materials and industrial manufacture with everyday use.
Porcelain: distinguish form from decoration
Det riflede is associated with thin white porcelain and a worked surface. Norsk kunstnerleksikon dates the design itself to 1952. Glohane, from 1955, belongs to his ovenproof tableware. A model name should not replace a precise identification of the material and version being examined.
The National Museum's 2005 annual report records a Regent teapot and cup dated 1961, Glohane pieces dated 1955 and Det Riflede pieces dated 1953/54. These entries illustrate the difference between a design's origin and the dating of particular museum objects. The 2005 in an accession number is not their manufacture date.
Cutlery and changing manufacturers
Eckhoff designed Cypress for Georg Jensen and Eckhoff, Opus and Fuga for Dansk Knivfabrikk. Gense documents Fuga with rounded forms and a contrast between matt handles and polished working surfaces. A design's later appearance under another manufacturer does not make every old and new example identical.
Maya has broad, triangular handles. Stelton gives 1962, while other specialist overviews use 1960 or 1961. The sources therefore place the design in the early 1960s without establishing a single unambiguous year. Stelton also distinguishes Maya from the longer, slimmer Maya 2000. Today's retail specifications do not establish the production date or steel grade of an older piece.
Identification and condition
Compare the profile, handle, foot ring and underside of porcelain with a catalogue or museum reference. Cutlery length, handle width, finish and material markings help distinguish versions. Record maker's marks and measurements, and check cups and saucers together when completing a service. A Porsgrund mark alone does not establish the designer. Describe chips, cracks, wear, distortion and repairs specifically. Assess value for the particular model and version against documented comparable sales.
Further reading and assessment
Read about artist signatures and provenance and ownership history when examining an object's documentation. If you have an item to sell, contact OBA about buying, selling and assessment, preferably with photographs of the whole object, underside and marks.
Explore our selection of Porsgrund porcelain.
Sources
Norsk kunstnerleksikon: Tias Eckhoff; National Museum annual report 2005, page 78; Stelton: Maya and Maya 2000; Gense: Fuga; Norwegian Icons: design overview.
