The winter 2022 Moomin mug features the athletic Mr. Brisk trying to get the Moomins into ice-skating
Moomin by Arabia's winter 2022 seasonal tableware features Mr. Brink, a sports fanatic, who encourages the Moomins to try ice-skating.
THE MOOMIN BY ARABIA WINTER TABLEWARE often features illustrations in which the Moomins are somewhat taken aback by winter, experiencing mixed feelings about it all – and no wonder, as they usually hibernate and rarely get to see snow or feel the cold. This is also the reason why there are relatively few original Moomin illustrations by Tove Jansson in which the Moomins are out and about during wintertime. In the seasonal tableware set for winter 2022, the Moomins’ mixed feelings arise from ice-skating and the peculiar character Mr. Brisk.
The seasonal set for winter 2022 is called Winter Wonders. The winter mug and bowl are available for a limited time only.
Wintery scenes and illustrations are rare in Moomin stories, as the Moomin family usually hibernates through the season.
Moomins try their hand at winter sports
The illustrations of the winter 2022 tableware are based on the 1955 comic “Moomin’s Winter Follies”. In the story, the sports enthusiast Mr. Brisk arrives at Moominvalley and starts teaching the Moomins how to ski and ice-skate. But since the Moomins are used to slumbering through the winter, they don’t exactly share Mr. Brisk’s love for winter sports.
The competitive and almost fanatic Mr. Brisk raises some doubts in the Moomins, especially in Moomintroll and Moominmamma. Mymble and Snorkmaiden, however, fall head over heels for the athletic stranger, and Mymble is the only one who really tries to learn to ice-skate to impress her crush.
When the peculiar sports enthusiast, Mr. Brisk, arrives in Moominvalley, the Moomins find themselves amid winter sports challenges – with little success.
The illustrations feature a number of characters from the lesser-known Mr. Brisk to fan favorites like Moomintroll and Mymble.
The arrival of the extremely competitive Mr. Brisk is received with either reserve or admiration: Mymble and Snorkmaiden are entirely infatuated with the athletic newcomer.
Winter landscape in pastel colors
The color palette of the tableware is mostly pastel, but the light-colored, blue and pink background is complemented by yellow, green, and bright pink details of the characters' clothing and, of course, the red stripes of Moominmamma’s apron.
The other side of the mug features Moomintroll, Moominpappa, Moominmamma, and Snorkmaiden trying their hand at ice-skating – mostly not very successfully – and on the other, Mr. Brisk is trying to persuade Mymble to try cold water swimming. As always, the winter tableware set also contains a bowl.
Unlike in previous Moomin mug illustrations, Mr. Brisk is dressed in a striped winter overall in the 2022 illustration. Older Moomin mugs can be found, for example, at Franckly.
The illustrations are adapted from Tove Jansson’s original drawings, showcasing Jansson’s skillful use of line.
Good old Mr. Brisk
Although Mr. Brisk is a rarely seen character, this isn’t the first time he has appeared in Arabia’s Moomin tableware. The winter tableware of both 2010 and 2014 featured illustrations in which Mr. Brisk and the Moomins were skiing. The mugs were called Skiing competition and Skiing with Mr. Brisk, respectively.
In both these illustrations, Mr. Brisk is wearing a pullover and skiing pants, but on the Winter Wonders mug, he is dressed in striped winter overalls. The character is easy to recognize, though, by his bobble hat and a wide grin that perfectly conveys his endless enthusiasm for winter sports.
The Winter Wonders Moomin tableware will be sold for a limited time only.
See also:
• The Winter Wonders Moomin mug >
• All Moomin products >
Edit: Emmi Ratilainen Images: Arabia
Published on 14 Sep, 2022
