Søholm Kellinghusen Tea Canister by Ejvind Johansen, c. 1960s
Viridian Eclection
The Piece A sculptural Danish kitchen canister from Søholm's Kellinghusen series, with a squared architectural body, gently rounded corners and a softly tapered neck. A pale gray blue glaze covers ...
The Piece
A sculptural Danish kitchen canister from Søholm's Kellinghusen series, with a squared architectural body, gently rounded corners and a softly tapered neck.
A pale gray blue glaze covers the body, framed by loose cobalt blue borders and looping ornament around the hand painted word Tea. The intentionally simple lettering gives the piece the cheerful domestic character that made Scandinavian utility ceramics of the period so enduring, and the geometric silhouette holds it to modernist restraint.
The glaze has developed an extensive network of fine crazing, which gives the surface a softly aged texture without obscuring the decoration. The underside retains its blue Made in Søholm Denmark factory mark.
The original cork stopper is no longer present, which leaves the canister equally usable as a small utensil vessel, a bud vase or a decorative kitchen object.
History & Provenance
The Kellinghusen kitchen storage series was designed by Ejvind Johansen for Søholm in the early 1960s. Surviving examples include canisters labeled for tea, coffee, cocoa, flour, sugar and spices, typically finished in a gray glaze with freely painted blue lettering and fitted originally with substantial cork stoppers.
Søholm was established in Rønne on the Danish island of Bornholm in 1835 and remained in operation until 1996. The factory became one of Bornholm's most significant ceramic producers, moving between traditional household pottery and the increasingly expressive modern forms associated with postwar Danish design.
The blue underglaze factory stamp on the base confirms the maker, and the series and designer place the canister at circa 1960 to 1965.
Product Details
| Object | Kitchen storage canister, tea |
| Maker | Søholm Keramik, Bornholm, Denmark |
| Designer | Ejvind Johansen |
| Series | Kellinghusen |
| Era | c. 1960 to 1965 |
| Style | Danish Modern, Scandinavian folk modern |
| Materials | Glazed ceramic with cobalt blue hand painted decoration |
| Marks | Blue underglaze Made in Søholm Denmark factory stamp |
| Dimensions | Approximately 5.7 in high by 4.9 in wide by 4.9 in deep |
| Weight | Approximately 1.2 lb |
| Condition | Good vintage condition with pronounced glaze crazing, light discoloration around the foot and the opening, and expected surface wear. The original cork stopper is absent. No obvious chips or structural cracks are visible |
Why It Belongs in Your Home
This is Danish Modern at its most approachable, practical in origin, compact in scale, and animated by the slight irregularities of hand painted decoration.
Displayed on open shelving or repurposed as a vase, it introduces a genuine piece of Bornholm ceramic history to a kitchen or a dresser.
It sits well with plain wood, white ceramic and other Scandinavian utility ware, and it earns its place by being useful as well as handsome.
Every piece is packed with professional-grade materials: multiple foam layers, double-boxing, directional and fragile handling labels. For large furniture we use custom timber crating. We photograph packing before dispatch and can provide images on request.
White-glove delivery is complimentary within 100 miles of Reno, NV. National shipping quotes provided at checkout. All shipments are photographed and documented. Damage claims must be filed with the carrier; we provide all documentation needed to support your claim.
Local pickup is available at Viridian HQ (Reno, NV) with 2–4 days notice. Contact us to arrange. Private viewings also available.
All antique and vintage items are sold as described and all sales are final. Each listing includes detailed condition notes and photographs so you can make a fully informed decision. We encourage buyers to ask questions — about condition, dimensions, finish, provenance — before purchasing.
Antiques are irreplaceable and one-of-a-kind. Carrier handling is outside our control once a piece has left our facility, and major carriers including FedEx do not insure antiques. We do everything within our power to ensure safe transit, but cannot accept liability for carrier damage. If damage occurs in transit, we will provide full documentation to support your carrier claim.
Have a question? — we're happy to provide additional photos, condition detail, or discuss the piece directly.
