Topic: Looking for example of Wirkkala "Niva" Plate

[firebuild]

Hello,

I recently got some plates I'm fairly certain are Tapio Wirkkala for Ittala, but I've had a hard time identifying the pattern. I think they are a pattern called Niva but I can't find a single example of this plate on the internet anywhere. Drinking glasses, yes, lots of them, but no plates. I'm attaching a picture of the plate, a close up of the edge where the variations are most visible, and a close up of a glass, so you can see where my theoretical ID comes from. Does anyone have this plate, or is there another pattern I should be looking at? Thanks!

[Paul S.]

hi  -  I can't find a picture of Niva in my books, so unsure of what that pattern is supposed to look like, although in view of your comments then presumably something like your plate.            I hadn't realized the extent of Wirkkala's design foray into these bark like or abstract surface textured inventions - it does seem there are a few, and some are rather similar, which makes for a problem when trying to id something.
Unfortunately, your 'close up' picture isn't very close up, and tends to blur when magnified  -  perhaps if you take that one again and make the first dimension 700, then hopefully if might possibly help.
You sound as though you know what your talking about when it comes to these particular designs, so assume you've discounted your piece as being from the Ultima Thule series - the Aslak design - the Solaris pattern  ..................   after which I'm fresh out of ideas so I'm not remotely helpful.
Must admit your plate does have some similarity to the Solaris pattern.

[firebuild]

HI, thanks for replying The plate does look like Solaris in the photo but in reality is nothing like it; Solaris has that "ice cube" look, and is in kind of chunky sections, and this one is more like a very evenly shattered window. I'm attaching a shot against a dark background, the difference may be more obvious there. Funny, the close up looks right on my end, and I was getting error messages left and right trying to upload these so I kept making them smaller and smaller. I will try to get a better one when I get back to the shop tomorrow.

I've spent the better part of a day on this, which is kinda silly when I think about it but I definitely like to know what I've got. I don't honestly even know if Niva has plates; I've seen, as I said, lots of drinking glasses, a bowl or two, an ice bucket I think. Not any plates in any size. But the shape of these is clearly Iitala (well, in my opinion it is - I don't want to be absolute because if someone hops on here and says otherwise I want to give myself at least a sliver of an out).

I sent a message to the contemporary company but I've done that many times as I come across things in my vintage store, and most companies don't have a historian on staff so they usually aren't that helpful with patterns that are out of production. This one seems to be waaaay out.  I'll post if they do come back with anything useful, and meanwhile, if anyone recognizes this or has an example of a Niva plate that would rule this out, even, I'd appreciate it!