Bjorn Wiinblad Christmas Plates

Beginning in 1971, Rosenthal produced a series of Christmas plates designed by the Danish artist Bjorn Wiinblad.  These plates are quite large (almost 12"), very modern and colorful.  Rosenthal produced these on a thin, nearly flat plate, with a deep cobalt blue background, very saturated colors, and lots of gold.  The Issue Price for the last plates in this series was $375 in 1981 and 1982, which reflects the quality and workmanship that went into their production.  They make a truly stunning collection.

All plates listed on this page are in Excellent Condition -- no chips, cracks, repairs, or other significant defect.  In most cases, you can click on the pictures below to get a larger picture; hit the BACK button to get BACK to this page.  Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see additional Rosenthal plate series designed by Bjorn Wiinblad.

1971 Madonna & Child Sold

1972        Caspar        $95

1973       Melchior       Sold

1974      Balthazar        $50

1975 The Annunciation  Sold

1976 Angel w/Trumpet  Sold

1977 Adoration/Shepherds  $45

1978    Angel w/Harp    $45

1979   Exodus from Egypt $45

1980  Angel with Bell  $45

1981  Christ at Temple $45

1982 Christening of Christ $45

 

                     

Beginning in 1975, the Rosenthal Studio Line produced series of six Christmas plates in Crystal Glass, also designed by Bjorn Wiinblad.  They are of similar design to the porcelain plates, also quite large (more than 11 inches across, 12 inches on the diagonal), executed in vivid tones of blue, with almost every aspect of the design highlighted in gold.  The vibrant gold design catches the light, and the clear glass allows the shadow of the design to be seen through the plate, so that the plates seem to shimmer and shift appearance as the light and the angle of viewing change, an effect impossible to achieve with a typical porcelain plate. They were issued in very Limited Editions of just 2,000 plates per year.  The 1978 plate had an original Issue Price of $225; adjusted for inflation, that would be more than $600 today.  

1976  Madonna and Child  (same plate shown against three different backgrounds)  Sold

1977 The Annunciation Sold

1978 Three Wise Men Sold

1979  The Holy Family Sold

A dark background is used for these photos to reduce shadows and highlight the gold.

E-mail me at stan@tillotson.com  or  Return to Stan's Porcelain Home Page

Beginning in 1983, Rosenthal introduced a new series of twelve porcelain Christmas plates that features scenes from famous Christmas Carols.  These are about the same size as the 1971 to 1982 series, with the same cobalt background, brilliant colors, and lots of gold, but they are a slightly different shape. Please ask about photos and availability.  The motivs for these plates are:

1983  Silent Night, Holy Night

1984  Jingle Bells

1985  We Three Kings of Orient Are

1986  Oh Christmas Tree!

1987  Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!

1988  I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

1989  Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

1990  I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

1991  Oh Come All Ye Shepherds

1992  Joy to the World

1993  Away in the Manger

1994  Lo! How a Rose e'er Blooming

Bjorn Wiinblad, born 1919, is one of the most imaginative and versatile artists of our time. His creativity is reflected in his incredibly vast productiveness in many different artistic fields: Wiinblad began as a painter, but achieved fame through the unmistakable style of his ceramic work. He also designs posters, theatrical scenery, book illustrations, furniture and tapestries. Quite by chance Philip Rosenthal met Bjorn Wiinblad in Jutland in 1957, a meeting which was to mark the beginning of a longstanding and fruitful relationship. Today a wide variety of Wiinblad creations form a large part of the Rosenthal Studio-Linie collection.

E-mail me at stan@tillotson.com  or  Return to Stan's Porcelain Home Page

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