Arabia Moomin Mug #18
Millennium (1999–2000)
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Arabia wanted to celebrate the new Millennium by releasing a special mug. Millennium has become a rare collector’s item, and it was only manufactured from 1999 to 2000. The mug is seen as a part of...
Arabia wanted to celebrate the new Millennium by releasing a special mug. Millennium has become a rare collector’s item, and it was only manufactured from 1999 to 2000. The mug is seen as a part of the special mug series started by the Christmas Greetings mug. This mug is the first one to have a special text accompanying the normal bottom stamp. The images were chosen and subtly edited by Tove Slotte. The original images can be found in Tove and Lars Jansson’s comic #20 Moomin under Sail, Tove Jansson’s book Who will comfort Toffle? and from a Christmas calendar image published in 1973. Tove Slotte replaced Nibling with Little My for the Moomin family picture.
Additional information
Name
Millennium
Product category
Moomin Mug
Mug number
18
Production period
1999–2000
Theme
Special products
Brand
Arabia
Bottom stamp
1 different
Product designer
Kaj Franck
Graphic designer
Tove Slotte
Characters
Hemulen
Little My
Moominmamma
Moominpappa
Moomintroll
Snorkmaiden
Too-Ticky
Original images
Comic strip #20 - Moomin under Sail (1959) - Tove Jansson, Lars Jansson
Book - Who Will Comfort Toffle? (1960) - Tove Jansson
Measurements
Height: 8.1, Width: 11.2, Diameter: 8.3 cm
Weight
250 g
Volume
300 ml
Colors
Blue, Light blue, Multicolor
Material
Vitro porcelain
Type
Mug
Bottom stamps (1)
Designers
Kaj Franck
Kaj Franck was born on November 9, 1911 in Vyborg. He was one of the most internationally known Finnish glass and ceramic designers. In 1932, Franck graduated from the School of Art and Design as a furniture designer. After graduation, Franck worked as a catalog designer, interior designer, and furniture designer. Franck was the artistic director of the Nuutajärvi glass factory from 1950 to 1973. In addition to this, he worked as a teacher at the Art School in 1945 and later as its artistic director from 1960–1969. Kaj Franck has designed products for Arabia, Iittala and Artek, among others. Franck's best-known works are the Kilta series, the Teema series and the Kartio glasses. During his career, Kaj Franck won several awards and received recognition for his design work at the Milan Triennial in 1951, 1954 and the Milan Triennial Grand Prix in 1957. He has also received the Compasso d’Oro Prize, the Lunning Prize, the Prince Eugen Medal and Pro Finlandia. In 1972, he was awarded the title of Professor and Honorary Doctor of the Royal College of Art in London in 1983. Kaj Franck died at the age of 77 in 1989.
Tove Slotte
Tove Slotte, born in 1957, is a Finnish artist and a graphic designer. She is a professional ceramist. Tove Slotte worked at Arabia from 1985 to 1990, after which she has worked as a freelance designer. She is best known for designing and illustrating the Moomin products for Iittala and Arabia ceramics. Tove Slotte has been a Moomin fan since her childhood. She says her favourite Moomin book is The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My. Tove Slotte has designed the Moomin products for Arabia for more than 30 years.
Characters
Too-Ticky
Too-Ticky is a wise and helpful friend of the Moomins. Unlike most of the inhabitants of Moominvalley, she doesn’t hibernate. Too-Ticky is skilled at solving problems, and she is quite perky by nature. Too-Ticky spends her winters in the Moomin bath house, with invisible shrews to keep her company! Too-Ticky believes that everyone learns through their experiences and mistakes. She likes repairing things. Too-Ticky wears a striped shirt, dark trousers and a cap with a tussle. She first appeared in Tove Jansson’s novel Moominland Midwinter.
Moominmamma
Moominmamma is the lovable and gentle mother figure, and her peaceful character brings some stability to the colourful and lively Moomin family. Moominmamma is a caring and loving personality, who only wishes all living creatures well. Moominmamma appreciates uniqueness in everyone and is always just. Amongst the inhabitants of Moomin Valley, Moominmamma is considered a very reliable and helpful person. She is never out of chores and she loves to keep busy in her kitchen and the garden. Moominmamma has an astonishing ability to see that every cloud has a silver lining. The apron and the handbag are very important accessories to Moominmamma. In the handbag she carries supplies for all possible occasions. Moominmamma appears in almost all of the Moomin books.
Moominpappa
Moominpappa is the decisive and fair patriarch of the Moomin family. Moominpappa is known to be adventurous by nature, with thousands of experiences and stories from his younger years. He is also a thinker, who writes his chronicles and always wants to know what is going on around him. Family is everything to Moominpappa, and he is willing to do whatever it takes for his family. He is settled in Moominvalley and enjoys the quiet life, but still remembers his days of wild adventure. Moominpappa loves the sea and considers himself a great sailor and a fisherman. He uses a cane, and is hardly ever seen without his top hat. Moominpappa first appeared in Tove Jansson’s book The Moomins and the Great Flood.
Moomintroll
Moomintroll is a lovable and happy creature, and he longs for adventure. He is always at the heart of the event. He cares for his friends very much, and wants everyone around him to be happy. Just like the other Moomins, Moomintroll loves the sea. Moomintroll is a great combination of his parents: He is brave and adventurous like Moominpappa, as well as kind and compassionate like Moominmamma. The best place in the world for Moomintroll is Moominvalley, and he never fails to find an adventure. His fearlessness and longing for adventure sometimes carry him out of the Valley. Moomintroll is a roundish character, and he has a tussle at the end of his tail. In spite of his young age, Moomintroll has experienced the highs and lows of romance with his girlfriend Snorkmaiden. Moomintroll first appeared in Tove Jansson’s novel The Moomins and the Great Flood.
Snorkmaiden
Snorkmaiden is young and a bit of an erratic personality, always full of surprises. Snorkmaiden is Moomintroll’s friend and his love interest. Snorkmaiden has a brother called Snork, and they belong in the family of Snorks. The snorks change their colouring according to their emotions, and Snorkmaiden turns pale green when she gets upset. Snorkmaiden is an eternal dreamer, who often daydreams of romance and the prince of her dreams. Her vain and flirtatious nature might seem annoying to the others from time to time, but sometimes her stubbornness turns out to be very useful. Snorkmaiden has lovely golden coloured bangs, and a golden anklet. Snorkmaiden first appeared in Tove Jansson’s novel Comet in Moominland.
Little My
Little My lives in the Moomin house and is a part of the Moomin family, even though she is not really related to the Moomins. Mymble older is her mother, Mymble her sister, and Snufkin his half-brother. In spite of her small size, Little My is very courageous, fearless and brave. Little My is known for being quite feisty and having a sharp sense of humour. Little My always makes her own decisions and acts as she sees fit. She doesn’t let any kind of mayhem disturb her, and loves spending time in narrow and unusual places that most can’t even fit into. Little My is also very curious, she loves secrets and is good at keeping them. Little My has an orange bun of hair and a red dress. Little My first appeared in Tove Jansson’s book The Memoirs of Moominpappa.
Hemulen
In the Moominvalley the Hemulens are known as quite stubborn, bossy and very organized characters. Hemulens are not very good at taking others’ opinions into consideration, and they have absolutely no sense of humour. Hemulen loves all his collections and is profoundly immersed in his work. He likes to collect stamps and plants. He can get quite obsessive about perfecting his collection. Once the collection is complete, he quickly discovers something new to start collecting. Hemulen first appeared in Tove Jansson’s book The Moomins and the Great Flood.
