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Some products do not merely outlast their own time – they define it. Bogstad Stråmønster (Straw Pattern) from Porsgrund Porcelain Factory is one of them. Since its very first firing in 1887, this dinnerware has been in continuous production, hand-painted by straw painters at our factory in Porsgrunn. Today, over 135 years later, every single piece is still painted by hand – just as it always has been.
Photo: Guro Jovall
Bogstad Stråmønster is Porsgrund's oldest and most traditional dinnerware. The decor is hand-painted by the factory's brush painters in line with old tradition and design, and the dinnerware has been produced continuously since production started in 1887. It is referred to by experts as the "eternal pattern," and is believed to be one of the world's oldest porcelain patterns.
The dinnerware is made from high-fired feldspar porcelain – what in Norwegian tradition is called "white gold" – and combines the chalky, translucent white porcelain with the characteristic blue floral decor which is the very core of Porsgrund's visual identity.
The straw pattern has roots that go far back in European porcelain history. The German factory Meissen – Europe's first porcelain factory – began producing the pattern around 1740, inspired by the Ming Dynasty's blue-painted porcelain art and the simple, perfectly formed brushstrokes of Chinese calligraphers. The light, stylized floral decor was quickly copied and continued at porcelain factories across Europe.
In Norway, Porsgrunds Porselænsfabrik adopted the tradition from the start. The Bogstad dinnerware set was launched in 1887 – the same year as the first firing – with curved shapes inspired by the rococo idiom. The blue color used at Porsgrunds Porselænsfabrik is somewhat lighter than that found at, for example, the Royal Copenhagen porcelain factory in Denmark, giving the pattern its own distinct Norwegian character.
What makes Bogstad Straw Pattern unique today is not only its age, but also that it is still made in exactly the same way as when the factory started. The straw painters at Porsgrunds Porselænsfabrik hand-paint each individual piece using the underglaze technique – the color is applied directly to the unglazed porcelain, and the glaze is fired over it, permanently sealing the motif. The result is a decoration that is everlasting and can withstand daily use in a dishwasher without the color or pattern deteriorating.
Mastering straw painting requires years of training and practice. The painter uses a special brush with a narrow tip – similar to a fountain pen – which holds a lot of color and enables the long, precise strokes that characterize the pattern. The technique is time-consuming and requires high concentration.
Each hand-painted product bears the painter's own initials, so that each piece can always be traced back to the specific artisan who created it. This makes Bogstad Straw Pattern more than just a dinner service – it is a signed craft object.
The porcelain used for Bogstad Stråmønster is high-fired feldspar porcelain – the same quality of porcelain that Porsgrunds Porselænsfabrik has used since 1887, and considered the noblest. It is characterized by:
Porsgrund's white porcelain has traditionally been called "white gold" – a name that reflects both the material's value and the care put into every single product.
Bogstad Stråmønster belongs to Porsgrund's family of blue dinnerware classics, along with Bølge Stråmønster – also hand-painted by the straw pattern artists in Porsgrunn – as well as Ministrå, Maxistrå, and Bluebird. All the series share the same blue and white color palette and are produced in high-fired feldspar porcelain, so they can be freely combined on the table.
With roots in one of the world's oldest porcelain patterns, produced and hand-painted by Norwegian "straw painters" at the factory in Porsgrunn since 1887, Bogstad Stråmønster is not only Porsgrund's most important dinnerware set. It is a living part of Norwegian cultural heritage.
Photo: Marianne Haga Kinder
