Rosenthal and Timo Sarpaneva

Timeless Finnish aesthetics

The collaboration between Rosenthal and Finnish designer Timo Sarpaneva resulted in the iconic Suomi tableware collection. Suomi combines Scandinavian design with the world of porcelain and is an integral part of the Rosenthal product range. A timeless classic, the tableware collection combines Nordic design and functionality for everyday use.

Designer, sculptor, teacher, visionary - Timo Sarpaneva (1926-2006) is one of the most influential Finnish artists of the 20th century and achieved international recognition in particular through his work in glass, ceramics and metal.

Scandinavian design for everyday life: Timo Sarpaneva's clear design language

Timo Sarpaneva embodies the clarity and versatility of Scandinavian design like no other and is regarded as a pioneer of modern design and modern aesthetics.

Born in Helsinki, the talented Sarpaneva studied design and graphics at the School of Arts and Crafts in his home city. Sarpaneva's design artworks made of glass, ceramics and porcelain are world-famous. This is not least due to the organic, natural shapes and high functionality of his products. Designer Timo Sarpaneva knew how to translate the nature of Finland and the clarity of the Scandinavian landscape into everyday objects. Sarpaneva's work is characterized by minimalist elegance and a timeless, clear design language that beautifies everyday life.

Timo Sarpaneva: a Scandinavian design career

Through his work for the glass manufacturer Iittala, for which he designed the iconic “i” collection, for example, he became a defining figure in Scandinavian design. His works received numerous awards worldwide:

1954: Grand Prix at the Triennale di Milano for his glass works.

1956: Lunning Prize, an important award for Scandinavian design.

1957: Two Grand Prix at the Triennale di Milano, both for his glass designs and for the design of the Finnish pavilion.

1958: Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland for his services to Finnish design.

1960: Silver medal at the Triennale di Milano for the cast-iron pot Sarpaneva for Iitalla.

1976: Gold medal at the Concorso Internazionale della Ceramica d'Arte Contemporanea in Faenza for the Suomi porcelain service for Rosenthal.

The gold medal at the Concorso Internazionale della Ceramica d'Arte Contemporanea in Faenza, Italy, is an important international award for ceramic art. This award recognizes Timo Sarpaneva's design for Rosenthal's Suomi porcelain service for its artistic and functional quality. In addition to glass and ceramics, Sarpaneva has also designed textiles and metal objects, which demonstrates his broad creative spectrum.

The development of the Suomi shape and Rosenthal's creative environment

The development of the Suomi collection was significantly supported by the creative environment at the Rosenthal Creative Center in Selb, which Philip Rosenthal created in the 1960s as a place for exchange and experimentation between artists and designers. In the 1950s, Scandinavian design began to establish itself worldwide and also left its mark on Rosenthal. Timo Sarpaneva's Suomi is thus an expression of this new, modern spectrum of influence at Rosenthal.

Philip Rosenthal appreciated the innovations and minimalist design language that Sarpaneva and his Scandinavian colleagues brought with them. Philip Rosenthal summarized the development of the tableware collection:

“We have never worked so long and so intensively on any other shape since the Rosenthal Studio line began. This shape is the foundation stone for a new idea: art on the table.”

Art and design on the table: the artist editions of Suomi

With the introduction of the Suomi shape in 1976, Rosenthal began to create exclusive artist's editions. This idea made it possible to combine art and everyday life and abolished the separation between art objects and everyday objects. Artists such as Victor Vasarely, Eduardo Paolozzi, HAP Grieshaber and Salvador Dalí designed limited edition decors for the Suomi shape, creating works of art that find their place in everyday use.