Postmodern Suomi Coffee Set by Timo Sarpaneva for Rosenthal, 1980s, Set of 12

One of postwar Finland’s most celebrated designers, Timo Sarpaneva was born to a family of blacksmiths and textiles artists in Helsinki in 1926. He studied graphic design and drafting at the Taideteollinen Korkeakoulu (now known as the Aalto University School of Arts, Design & Architecture) between 1941 and ’48. In 1949, he won a prize in glass design from Riihimäki Glassworks, and the following year Karhula-Iittala hired him as a designer and exhibition programmer. Sarpaneva’s designs for Iittala earned both the man and the company international acclaim, particularly through presentations at the Triennale di Milano in the 1950s.

Inspired by modernist principles of reduction and experimentation, Sarpaneva pioneered a number of new techniques and forms in glass design. Among his early innovations at Iittala was a steam-blowing technique that led to his famous Lansetti/Lancet (1952), Kajakki/Kayak (1953), and Orkidea/Orchid (1953) vessels. Around 1955-56, Sarpaneva developed his iconic, industrially produced, strikingly hued i-Linja series—alongside the lowercase “i” that remains Iittala’s logo today. Around the same time, US-based magazine House Beautiful called Sarpaneva’s Orkidea Vase “The Most Beautiful Object of the Year.” Another notable Sarpaneva project for Iittala was Finlandia (1964), a series of patterned glass vases that employ roughly hewn wood molds in the production process.

Though he’s best remembered for glass, Sarpaneva also created designs for textiles, carpets, ceramics, tableware, sculptures, and more. In 1960, he designed a cast-iron casserole pot—noted for its Japanese-inspired teak handle—for W. Rosenlew & Co. His Suomi Teapot for Rosenthal (1974) remains highly collectible today. Through his long career, Sarpaneva collaborated with Corning, Opa, Primo, Villayhtymä, and Venini, among others.

Among the honors bestowed upon Sarpaneva are multiple Grand Prix from the Triennale di Milano (two in 1954 and two in 1957), the Lunning Prize (1956), the International Design Award from the American Institute of Interior Designers (1963, 1969), and the Gold Medal from the President of Italy (1976). His work can be found in museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cooper-Hewitt, Victoria & Albert, Stedeliijk Museum, Nationalmuseum Stockholm, and Design Museum Helsinki.

Sarpaneva died in Helsinki in 2006.

German porcelain manufactory Rosenthal was originally founded as a ceramics-painting studio by Philipp Rosenthal Sr. (1855-1937) in 1879 at Schloss Erkersreuth in Bavaria, near the Czech border. Its first highly popular product was an ashtray inscribed with the words “Resting place for lit cigars.” In 1890, the company moved to the neighboring hamlet of Selb and, a year later, began to manufacture its own porcelain, since white porcelain was, at that time, in short supply. Rosenthal’s first complete table service was called Empire; it was exhibited along with other lines at Paris’s Exposition Universelle in 1900.

With the dawn of the 20th century, Rosenthal began producing porcelain tableware and services formed and decorated in the latest styles, like the Jugendstil Botticelli (1903), the Art Nouveau Darmstadt (1905), and the all-white Maria (1916) lines. Successes with this au courant approach led the company to launch an art pottery division in 1910, dedicated to luxury tableware, vases, and other decorative objects. By the 1930s, figurines were another important Rosenthal product, most notably the Disney-licensed Mickey Mouse pieces introduced in 1931.

In 1934, Philipp Rosenthal was forced to leave his company and country when his Jewish ancestry came under persecution by the Nazi regime. Despite the loss of its founder, the Rosenthal company remained the premier supplier of high-quality porcelain tableware to the Third Reich. After the war, in 1950, Philip Rosenthal Jr. (1916-2001) joined his father's company as an advertising manager. By 1958, he had become its CEO, continuing his father’s vision to produce high-quality porcelain in line with progressive tastes. Through the rest of the 20th century, Rosenthal was the most commercially successful porcelain producer in Germany.

In the postwar era, Rosenthal’s most famous tableware lines have included 2000 by Raymond Loewy and Richard Latham (1954), Magic Flute by Bjørn Wiinblad (1959), Suomi by Timo Sarpaneva (1976), and Moon by Jasper Morrison (1997). The company has enjoyed many popular and critically acclaimed collaborations with designers and brands, like Salvador Dalì, Tapio Wirkkala, Walter Gropius, Andy Warhol, Ron Arad, Enzo Mari, Konstantin Grcic, and Versace.

Rosenthal's product lines have encompassed more than ceramics over the years. In 1972, the company began producing furniture, under the subsidiary Rosenthal Einrichtung, in Espelkamp, Germany. Standouts from this arm of Rosenthal include Gunter Ferdinand Ris and Herbert Selldorf’s futuristic Sunball Lounge Chair (1969), Verner Panton’s Relaxer Rocking Chair (1974), Burchard Vogtherr's Vario Pillo Sectional Sofa (1970s), Vico Magistretti’s lightweight Faun Chair (1970s), and Erwin Nagel’s multifunctional Quadrondo Table (1980s). Later, Rosenthal focused on the production of high-quality office furniture, as well as decorative accessories for private interiors.

In 1997, Rosenthal became an independent arm of the Waterford Wedgwood holding company, but in 2009 faced bankruptcy as the Irish parent began to fall apart. At this time, Rosenthal was sold to Italian housewares group Sambonet Paderno Industrie. Unfortunately, Rosenthal Einrichtung was desolved and only a limited archive of the company's archive was kept intact.

Today, Rosenthal GmbH offers a small, exclusive range of furniture options under the label of Rosenthal Interieur, alongside its classic porcelain and tabletop collections.

* All images courtesy of Rosenthal GmbH.