HÄRANSILMÄ bowls, Kaj Franck (Nuutajärvi Notsjö, 1956)

I always say i don't like to get the same item in different colours, but then I'm human and full of contradictions mysef, so there are certain items I quite enjoy having in different colours, such as Harri Koskinen's ATLAS or HALO candleholers or these Kaj Franck's HÄRÄNSILMÄ bowls.

I always thought HÄRÄNSILMÄ meant "ox's eye" but just googled it and it seems that it means "sunny-side up". Well, at least I'm glad i learnt something today, just 28 minutes after getting up from bed! :)

The very first one I got was the greenish blue one on the first pic. Then the amber and grey ones followed and in time I found out it was made in other colours: cobalt, light blue, green... so far I've got all of the colours I've seen except for an olive or moss green one I saw at the Riihimäki glass fair: I saw it in the distance (ok, 5 or 6 meters far) and when I arrived to the stand where it was... an awful lady had taken it and was asking the seller for its price. Awful, awful mean old lady!!! :(

Well, I never knew what these were meant to.. ashtrays, maybe? salt bowls? The only other refference I've got for a bowl this size (häränsilmäs are 4 cm. high, 7'5 wide) is the small FUGA bowl from Sven Palmqvist whic I have always seen refered to as salt cups but I then saw the original package and it is part of a smoking set, so it must be an ashtray- I'll post FUGA bowls here soon anyway). Also, these Häränsilmäs were sold in hexagonal boxes containing six bowls (same colour or assorted colours), so the ashtray option seems to be the winner (who wants six identical salt cups all at once?, haha)