Tanssi for Iittala

Tanssi means ‘dance’ in Finnish, and this new tableware collection, illustrated by London-based Finnish artist Klaus Haapaniemi, has been inspired by the visual designs he has created for the Finnish National Opera production of The Cunning Little Vixen, a Czech opera by Leoš Janáček. The production will be premiered in January 2015.

The sad yet beautiful story exploring the co-existence of animals, humans and the eternal cycle of life, comes alive in Haapaniemi’s rich designs on tableware created by pre-eminent Finnish designer Heikki Orvola.

The colourful inhabitants of the mystical forest captured on the tableware include a deer charming the forest with the sounds from his flute, a badger showing off in his fur coat and silk shoes, and the vixen and a fox dancing in the shadows of the trees. Reflections from both ancient Oriental and Slavic imagery, as well as traditional stories, shape this collection.