1970s Norwegian ceramic dish or wall plaque

Measuring a substantial 17.5 x 44.5 cm (6.75 x 17.5 inches), this large ceramic dish was hand-painted in the 1970s by Arnold Rakeng at Arnold Wiigs Fabrikker in Halden, Norway. With integral holes and wire for wall-mounting to the reverse side, the dish doubles as a decorative wall plaque, the high-gloss glazes of the artwork providing a pleasing contrast in colour and texture to the matte, dark-brown background. The piece is in excellent condition with no damage, and is marked twice with the maker's details on the underside – once with AWF 1717 II scratched into the glaze and additionally impressed into the ceramic AWF 1717 along with the designer's initials AR for Arnold Rakeng.