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Arabia

Arabia, the Finnish ceramics manufacturer was established in 1873, by the Swedish ceramic company Rörstrand. The name “Arabia” was derived from the Helsinki district in which the first factory was located, Arabianranta. Although many people think that Arabianranta (the coast or shoreline of Arabia in Finnish) derives its name from the ceramics and glassware factory, the name Arabia or rather “Arabian ja Kaanaan maa” (the land of Arabia and Canaan) is already found in documents dated back to the 18th century whereas the Arabia factory wasn’t founded yet.

Manufacturing commenced in 1874 with assistance from skilled Rörstrand staff, with the primary market being Russia. Production facilities expanded in the late 1880s and 1890s with about one third of output destined for the Russian market. By the 1930s Arabia was the largest porcelain manufacturer in Europe.