Tapio Wirkkala

Very delicate set of two leaf-shaped wooden dishes made of birch plywood, designed by eminent Tapio Wirkkala. Wirkkala was a Finnish designer and sculptor and a leading figure of post-war European design. His contributions include glasses for Venini and a fruitful cooperation with Rosenthal. The two-coloured wood rings on his laminated plywood dishes emphasize their shell-like shape, combining the at-once manmade and natural qualities of plywood with an organic inspiration. Wirkkala played with the straight lines made by the plywood’s layers by cutting the laminate into round-edged shapes that recall leaves or shells. His work is unique, but can be compared to that of Finn Juhl.