Along with architect Alvar Aalto, the designer Tapio Wirkkala was Finland’s leading contributor to the Scandinavian interpretation of modernism in the mid-20th century. Prolific and innovative, Wirkkala excelled in a wide range of fields, including glass, furniture, porcelain, jewelry and tableware. The hallmark of his talent was an ability to impart a craft aesthetic based on natural forms — leaves, ice, bubbles, birds — to industrially produced designs.
A native of Helsinki, Wirkkala studied at the national School of Applied Arts and took up a career in graphic design. After serving in the Finnish army during World War II, he joined the glassmaking firm Iittala, an association that would continue to the end of his life. Wirkkala learned every aspect of glassmaking in keeping with his belief that an artist-designer should be involved in all stages of production. His best-known works for Iittala are vases and drinking vessels that resemble either carved ice or icicles. In 1956, Wirkkala began a long relationship with the porcelain maker Rosenthal, for whom he designed elegant table pieces, such as the Finlandia coffee service and the biomorphic Pollo vases.
House Beautiful magazine declared Wirkkala’s Leaf platter the “most beautiful object” of 1951. (The acclaim led to his brief employment stint with industrial designer Raymond Loewy in New York.) That platter was one of the first designs Wirkkala made using laminated sheets of plywood sanded to a smooth surface that resembles an abstract leaf. It would go on to become a motif in many Wirkkala furniture pieces — most notably in inlaid coffee tables for Asko — and in a sense these are the works most emblematic of his personal aesthetic.
Wirkkala was a traditionalist in many ways, but he had a modernist’s practical approach, incorporating his leaf-like spirals into simple, functional objects. That is the core attraction of Wirkkala’s designs: They stand out with a striking, sculptural energy yet blend in as part of a warm and comfortable decor.
Find vintage Tapio Wirkkala furniture on 1stDibs.
ROSENTHAL - Tapio Wirkkala - Porcelain Tea Cup & Saucer - Germany - 20th Century
By Tapio Wirkkala, Rosenthal
Located in Chatham, ON
ROSENTHAL (Manufacturer) - STUDIO LINE (Series) - TAPIO WIRKKALA (Designer) - Mid Century porcelain tea cup and saucer - gilt decorated rims - raised whiplash pattern and handle - ea...
Porcelain
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal Studio-Linie. Six "Dragonfly" dinner plates, 1970s.
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in København, Copenhagen
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal, "Dragonfly" dinner plates. Set of six dinner plates from Rosenthal Studio-Linies iconic Polygon series, designed by renowned Finnish designer Tapio Wir...
Porcelain
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal Studio-Linie. Six "Dragonfly" dinner plates, 1970s.
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in København, Copenhagen
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal, "Dragonfly" dinner plates. Set of six dinner plates from Rosenthal Studio-Linies iconic Polygon series, designed by renowned Finnish designer Tapio Wir...
Porcelain
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal Studio-Linie. Six "Dragonfly" salad plates, 1970s.
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in København, Copenhagen
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal, "Dragonfly" salad plates. Set of six salad plates from Rosenthal Studio-Linies iconic Polygon series, designed by renowned Finnish designer Tapio Wirkk...
Porcelain
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal Studio-Linie. Five "Dragonfly" salad plates, 1970s.
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in København, Copenhagen
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal, "Dragonfly" salad plates. Set of five salad plates from Rosenthal Studio-Linies iconic Polygon series, designed by renowned Finnish designer Tapio Wirk...
Porcelain
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal Studio-Linie. Six "Dragonfly" deep plates. 1970s.
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in København, Copenhagen
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal, "Dragonfly" deep plates. Set of six deep plates from Rosenthal Studio-Linies iconic Polygon series, designed by Finnish master designer Tapio Wirkkala....
Porcelain
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal Studio-Linie. Six "Dragonfly" deep plates. 1970s.
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in København, Copenhagen
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal, "Dragonfly" deep plates. Set of six deep plates from Rosenthal Studio-Linies iconic Polygon series, designed by Finnish master designer Tapio Wirkkala....
Porcelain
$289Sale Price|30% Off
Tapio Wirkaala "Porcelaine Noire" Dish Plate for Rosenthal Studio Linie, 1970s
By Tapio Wirkkala, Rosenthal
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Vintage dish plate in black porcelain designed by Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal Studio Linie “Porcelaine Noire” serie with shiny and matte tone-on-tone dec...
Porcelain
Tapio Wirkkala Composition Secunda Grey Set 34 Piece
By Tapio Wirkkala, Rosenthal
Located in Geneva, CH
Rare coffee and cake set in Rosenthal (Germany) bone china designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Finland 1963. 6 mocha cups with their saucers 6 coffee cups with their saucers Coffee pot Milk jug Sugar bowl 6 cake plates 20cm...
Porcelain
German Rosenthal Porcelain Tea Pot Model Barocco by Versace
By Rosenthal, Versace
Located in Vilnius, LT
German Rosenthal porcelain tea pot. Model: Versace Barocco. Stamped on the bottom.
Porcelain
$220Sale Price|20% Off
H 1.5 in Dm 13 in
Large Porcelain Charger / Plate by Bjorn Wiinblad for Rosenthal Studio Line
By Bjørn Wiinblad, Nymolle
Located in San Diego, CA
A very nice 13" porcelain charger / plate by Danish designer Bjorn Wiinblad for Rosenthal Studio Line, circa 1970s. The piece is signed and in excellent condition.
Porcelain
$436Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 0.4 in Dm 11.03 in
Casquets, Six Contemporary Porcelain Dinner Plates with Decorative Design
By Vito Nesta
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Casquets collection of dishes tells the vicissitudes of the vessel HMS Victory, shipwrecked in the channel tunnel, recalling the 18th century wars between England and France. The com...
Porcelain
$65
H 2.5 in W 5 in D 5 in
Rosenthal Footed Demitasse Cup and Saucer Set Moss Rose Pompadour Porcelain 1958
By Rosenthal
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Rosenthal Porcelain Footed Demitasse Cup and Saucer Set Moss Rose Pompadour.Rosenthal - Continental China in the lovely Moss Rose Pompadour Pattern on an ivory background with off ce...
Porcelain
Rosenthal Porcelain Coffee Cup And Saucer Demitasse Black And Gold 1940
By Rosenthal
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique Rosenthal Porcelain Tea Cup or Coffee Cup And Saucer Demitasse Black And Gold Art Nouveau Venetian Style. Rare antique porcelain go...
Porcelain
Raymond Loewy After Dinner Coffee Set for "Rosenthal 2000", 1961
By Raymond Loewy, Rosenthal
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful 20 piece 'After Dinner' coffee set by Rosenthal 2000 from the Secunda series. Coffee pot, sugar bowl, creamer and complete set of service with six cups, six saucers and six...
Porcelain
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal Flatware, Extensive 91 Piece Set
By Tapio Wirkkala, Rosenthal
Located in Atlanta, GA
Modernist stainless steel flatware set, designed by Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal, Austria, circa 1963. This is a large set containing 91 pieces total. They are constructed of dishwas...
Stainless Steel
$370 / set
H 2.75 in Dm 4.13 in
Collection 5 Espresso Coffee Cup and Saucer Art Porcelain Rosenthal Studio Linie
By Rosenthal
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Collection of Five Rosenthal Studio Line Art Porcelain Espresso Cups and Saucers, Germany, circa 1980s A beautiful and rare collection of six porcelain espresso cups and saucers from...
Porcelain
$436Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 0.4 in Dm 11.03 in
Galtaji, Six Contemporary Porcelain Dinner Plates with Decorative Design
By Vito Nesta
Located in Milano, Lombardia
In the vicinity of a Buddhist temple, the slow and cyclical flow of time is outlined. The Galtaji collection tells an Indian astronomical garden, where monkeys populate the branches...
Porcelain
$320 / set
H 2.75 in Dm 4.13 in
Collection 4 Espresso Coffee Cup and Saucer Art Porcelain Rosenthal Studio Linie
By Rosenthal
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Collection of Four Rosenthal Studio Line Art Porcelain Espresso Cups and Saucers, Germany, circa 1980s A beautiful and rare collection of six porcelain espresso cups and saucers from...
Porcelain
$380 / set
H 2.75 in Dm 4.13 in
Collection 6 Espresso Coffee Cup and Saucer Art Porcelain Rosenthal Studio Linie
By Rosenthal
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Collection of Six Rosenthal Studio Line Art Porcelain Espresso Cups and Saucers, Germany, circa 1980s A beautiful and rare collection of six porcelain espresso cups and saucers from ...
Porcelain
$360 / set
H 2.37 in Dm 1.97 in
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal, Five Porcelain Noire Mocha Cups with Saucers
Located in København, Copenhagen
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal. Five porcelain noire mocha cups with saucers and sugar bowl in black and white fluted porcelain. Designed in 1962. The c...
Porcelain
$1,910
H 6.89 in W 11.82 in D 11.42 in
Tapio Wirkkala Melting Ice Vase, Miracus Model 3433, Iittala 1970s Finland
By Iittala, Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Helsinki, FI
A beautiful art glass vase "Miracus", model 3433, designed by Tapio Wirkkala and manufactured by Iittala in Finland in the 1970s. The vase is mouth blown into an engraved wooden mold...
Art Glass
$380 / set
H 3 in Dm 4.5 in
Collection 6 Espresso Coffee Cup and Saucer Art Porcelain Rosenthal Studio Line
By Rosenthal
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Collection of Six Rosenthal Studio Line Art Porcelain Espresso Cups and Saucers, Germany, circa 1980s A beautiful and rare collection of six porcelain espresso cups and saucers from ...
Porcelain
$280Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 3 in Dm 2.38 in
Set of 4 1970s Icicle Art Aslak Whiskey Glasses by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala
By Iittala, Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Chicago, IL
Set of 4 Icicle Art Aslak Whiskey Glasses designed by Tapio Wirkkala for renowned Finnish glass company Iittala. These are small and could also be shot or aperitif glasses. Perfect ...
Glass, Art Glass
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal Porcelain Noir, 1960
By Tapio Wirkkala, Rosenthal
Located in Los Angeles, CA
wonderful cylindrical black matte porcelain vase designed by Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal/Siemens, with sublime relief of beaded pearls running down vertical lines, marked.
Porcelain
Tapio Wirkkala Tea Set for Rosenthal Series Noire
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of 8 cups with saucers plus pitcher with brass handle. No chips!
Porcelain
Vase Rosenthal Paper Bag Tapio Wirkkala
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Decorative porcelain vase in a form of a paper bag by Tapio wirkkala for Rosenthal.
Porcelain
Signed Modernist Hourglass Form Porcelain Vase by Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal
By Tapio Wirkkala, Rosenthal
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful porcelain vase was realized by the esteemed designer Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal in Germany, during the latter half of the 20th century. It features a white channeled...
Gold
Sold
H 7.88 in W 10.63 in D 8.67 in
Tapio Wirkkala White Porcelaine "Pollo" Vase for Rosenthal Studio Linie, 1970s
By Tapio Wirkkala, Rosenthal
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Big porcelaine “Pollo” vase designed by Tapio Wirkala for Rosenthal Studio Linie, Germany, 1970s. Marked ‘Rosenthal Studio Linie Germany’ and signed below ...
Porcelain
Set of 12 Mid-Century Noir Dinner Plates by Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal
By Tapio Wirkkala, Rosenthal
Located in New York, NY
This set of 12 black porcelain Noir dinner plates was designed by Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal, circa 1970. Each round plate features a slim high-gloss lip, a wide rim rendered in Wi...
Porcelain
Tapio Wirkkala Jahresteller Plate for Rosenthal
By Tapio Wirkkala, Rosenthal
Located in New York, NY
Round porcelain plate or plaque with indented "bubbles" and a gilt-glazed top surface. Designed by Tapio Wirkkala and produced by Rosenthal Studio Line in 1971 in a limited edition o...
Porcelain
Tapio Wirkkala 'Pollo' Vases for Rosenthal Studio Line, 1970
By Tapio Wirkkala, Rosenthal
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Wonderful bisque 'Pollo' bud vases designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Finland for Rosenthal Studio Line,.1973, marked. Priced individually.
Porcelain
Tapio Wirrkala for Rosenthal Studio Line
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Hugh 144 piece set of Tapio Wirrkala for Rosenthal's Studio Line in black and white porcelain. inventory: 12 Bread and Butters, 12 Salad Plates, 12 Dinne...
Rosenthal, Porcelain Mocha Service, Wirkkala Variation after 1963
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in København, Copenhagen
Rosenthal, porcelain mocha service, Wirkkala variation after 1963. 15-piece mocha service for six people. The designer Tapio Wirkkala designed this tea service with the name ‘Variation’ in 1963. The shape adorn fluted carcasses and flags. In addition a purple fond. The 15-piece mocha service for six people is comprised of: One mocha pot...
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal, Coffee Service "Variation, " 1970s
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in København, Copenhagen
Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal, coffee service "Variation," 1970s. Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) Finnish designer. Consisting of: One co...
Pair of Rosenthal Vases by Tapio Wirkkala
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Wilton, CT
Pair of matte porcelain vases by Rosenthal Studio-Line, designed by Tapio Wirkkala circa 1960. Featuring a pearl drop pattern with pleats, these oval vases offer contrasting glazed f...
Porcelain
Tapio Wirkkala "Pearl Drop" Vase
By Rosenthal, Tapio Wirkkala
Located in New York, NY
Porcelain vase with applied and incised "Pearl Drop" motif to the matte-glazed exterior, and high-glazed interior. Designed by Tapio Wirkkala for the Rosenthal Studio Line in 1971. ...
Porcelain
Rosenthal Studio Linie Vase Tapio Wirkkala
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Dronten, NL
This vintage item dates to the 1970's and was made in Germany by Rosenthal. This is the Studio Linie Vase in the Polygon shape with the floral decoration ...
Porcelain
Sold
H 8 in W 10.5 in D 8.5 in
Ceramics, Four Rosenthal "Pollo" Vases Studio Line Designed by Tapio Wirkkala
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in New York, NY
A group of four beautiful "Pollo" vases designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Finland for Rosenthal Studio Line, circa 1973. One large, two medium and one small. All signed. The large one is ...
Porcelain