At my last flea market outing, I was prepared to leave empty handed but spotted two beautiful goblets just at the last moment. Could they be original Marimekko maribowls, classic Finnish goblets designed way back in the 50s ? These are just as iconic as the Mommins of Finland and are hugely popular in Japan. Well they were really the real thing, based on the word Marimekko etched onto its base. Fancy finding something Scandinavian in a flea market that has loads of vintage Chinese ware and the occasional colonial English stuff. Besides Nokia, Singaporeans are really not that familiar with Finnish brands.
I remember a flood of Maribowl lookalikes in the market a few years back though not in the rich colours these bowls are famous for. The candy hues of Maribowls give a very happy vibe. They remind me of having ice cream sundaes in different flavours every day of the week. The one I bought from the flea market costs me $20 and based on a Japanese website, the colour I had was known as parsley beer orange. The Maribowl in red was the highly prized one as it was the most difficult to make. I am tempted to start a collection but I rather take things in a more serendipity mode. Coming across one makes it more fun !