Klaus Haapaniemi’s magic continues: Iittala’s Taika Sato blooms with new tableware
The popular Iittala Taika series expands in 2024 with illustrations named Sato.
THIS YEAR'S HARVEST SEASON IS YET TO COME, but Iittala's spring 2024 novelties already enjoy its bounties at full speed.
Iittala's new tableware series, Taika Sato, continues the story of Klaus Haapaniemi's Taika collection, this time inspired by the harvest season's offerings. Like the previous Taika dishes, the novelties offer visual charm for both art and design enthusiasts.
Behind the illustrations of the Taika Sato series is artist Klaus Haapaniemi. The first Taika dishes were introduced in 2007.
In addition to the familiar Taika forms, the Taika Sato collection includes new striking vases and jars. Just imagine these in a table setting, wow!
Timeless tales of Taika
Iittala introduced the Taika collection for the first time in 2007, and over the years, it has grown into one of Iittala's most popular and recognizable tableware series. In the series, Heikki Orvola's streamlined dishes serve as a canvas for Haapaniemi's captivating fantasy world inspired by fairy tales and folklore – the name Taika is Finnish and translates to ”magic”.
Alongside the familiar Orvola-designed Taika shapes – mugs, bowls, and plates – now come entirely new objects from Haapaniemi's pen. As novelties, Iittala introduces fascinatingly sculptural vases and jars, as well as square and rectangular serving dishes. Additionally, there are eagerly awaited new sizes for both mugs and cups.
The Taika series is available in various tones from deep blue to graphic black and white. You can hunt for old Taika mugs, like the 15th-anniversary mug, secondhand on Franckly.
The patterns of the new Taika Sato dishes depict the garden's offerings in the spirit of still life and botanical drawings. Haapaniemi has deliberately left room for interpretation.
Harvested from the garden
The moniker of the new additions, Sato, translates to ”harvest”. Indeed, Klaus Haapaniemi says he drew inspiration for the Taika Sato illustrations from still life art, botanical drawings, and the offerings of his own garden.
”I wanted to elevate vegetables and fruits into the spotlight in a powerful way that allows one to use some imagination and to interpret shapes and colors intuitively. My rich and ripe compositions can be seen as colored textures or abstract arrangements,” the designer explains.
The color palette includes Iittala's 2024 annual colors, green and calluna red.
One of the jars and both vases have a sculptural, tower-like shape that tapers upward. The jars can also be used without a lid as serving bowls.
Together and separately
The color palette of Taika Sato repeats Iittala's 2024 colors green and calluna red, also seen in drinking glasses and vases, among other Iittala items. Like the rest of the Taika series, Taika Sato dishes are colorful, and tinted also with bright shades of blue, red, and yellow, as well as earthy brown.
The collection's items are adorned with multiple different illustrations, each with its own shapes and colors. At the same time, the illustrations and items seamlessly complement each other – they can be freely combined. Like the previous Taika tableware, Taika Sato pieces are also perfect for adding a bit of oomph to an otherwise more subdued table setting.
”These arrangements and compositions create their own universe where each object has its own unique essence instead of repetitive patterns. The objects are separate individuals, but together they complement each other,” says Haapaniemi.
See also:
• Taika Sato collection >
• All Iittala products >
Edit: Emmi Ratilainen Images: Iittala
Published on 4 Jan, 2024
