Rosenthal Christmas plates – Bjoern Wiinblad's Christmas universe
Rosenthal Christmas plates by Bjoern Wiinblad are something special in the world of Christmas plates. While the classic Danish Christmas plates from, for example, Bing & Groendahl and Royal Copenhagen often depict winter landscapes, churches, and Christmas traditions, Bjoern Wiinblad presents angels, stars, music, and stories from the Christmas history.
The colorful motifs and many details make the plates easy to recognize, and over the years they have gained a loyal group of collectors. For many, Rosenthal Christmas plates are not just part of the Christmas decoration but a series they look forward to bringing out year after year.
Rosenthal and Bjoern Wiinblad
The collaboration between the Danish artist Bjoern Wiinblad and the German porcelain factory Rosenthal began in 1957 and lasted for several decades.
Bjoern Wiinblad's colorful and detailed style fit perfectly with Rosenthal, and the collaboration resulted in a long series of popular collections in porcelain, glass, and applied arts. Among the best known are the Christmas plates, which were released from 1971 to 1994.
Today, Rosenthal Christmas plates are among the most popular collectibles from the collaboration between Rosenthal and Bjoern Wiinblad.
Three different series – one artist
Rosenthal released three different Christmas plate series designed by Bjoern Wiinblad over the years. The first tells the Christmas gospel through twelve porcelain plates, the second interprets the same stories in glass, while the third is based on classic Christmas songs and carols.
The Nativity Story 1971-1982
The first series of Rosenthal Christmas plates was issued between 1971 and 1982.
Rather than creating individual Christmas motifs, Bjørn Wiinblad chose to tell the Nativity story through a connected series. Each Christmas plate illustrates a new chapter of the story, and together they form a series of twelve plates that follows the Nativity from beginning to end.
The first Christmas plate from 1971 depicts Mary with the Christ Child, followed in 1972, 1973 and 1974 by the Three Wise Men: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. In the following years, motifs include the shepherds and angels, all interpreted in Bjørn Wiinblad's distinctive style.
Many collectors seek to complete the entire series, as the plates together tell a continuous story while also illustrating the development of Wiinblad's motifs over the years.
Motif: Mary with Baby
Motif: Three Wise Men
Motif: Melchior
Motif: Three Wise Men
Motif: Annunciation
Motif: Angel with trumpet
Motif: Arrival of the shepherds
Motif: Angel with harp
Motif: Flight to Egypt
Motif: Angel with chimes
Motif: Child with the learned at the temple
Motif: Christ and John the Baptist
Christmas Song Series 1983-1994
After the conclusion of the Christmas Gospel series, Rosenthal continued the tradition with another series of Christmas plates by Bjoern Wiinblad.
From 1983 to 1994, he drew inspiration from classic Christmas songs and carols. The first plate in the series is based on Silent Night, Holy Night, and on the back of each plate, the first verse of the respective carol is written in German.
The motifs are filled with music, singing, angels, and Christmas spirit and differ in several ways from the earlier series.
At the same time, the plates changed shape. While the Christmas Gospel series consists of round plates, the Christmas Song series has a soft, rounded square shape that makes it easy to recognize.
Motif: Silent Night, Holy Night
Motif: Jingle Bells
Motif: Lovely Is the Blue Sky
Motif: O Tannenbaum
Motif: Süßer die Glocken nie Klingen
Motif: The Bells Are Now Ringing for Christmas
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Motif: Softly Falls the Snow
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Motif: Every Year Again
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Rosenthal Christmas Plates in Glass
Besides the porcelain series, Rosenthal also released a series of Christmas plates in glass between 1976 and 1981.
These plates are made of transparent glass and decorated in blue, white, turquoise, and gold. The plates come with a black background plate that highlights the motif and makes them suitable for hanging.
The motifs, like the porcelain plates, are based on the Christmas Gospel, but the glass and gold give them a completely different expression than traditional Christmas plates. The series stands out clearly from most other productions of the period and has become an exciting collector's area in its own right.
Motif: Mary with Child
Motif: Annunciation to Mary
Motif: Three Wise Men
Motif: The Holy Family
Motif: The Angels Appear to the Shepherds in the Field
Motif: Annunciation to Mary
Bjoern Wiinblad – More Than Christmas Plates
Rosenthal Christmas plates are closely linked to Bjoern Wiinblad's name, but the plates represent only a small part of his total production.
Many also know his popular ceramics from Nymolle, including wall plates, annual plates, reliefs, and vases. Others collect works from Bjoern Wiinblad's own workshop or his many porcelain series for Rosenthal.
Whether the motif is on a Christmas plate, a vase, or a wall decoration, the style is easy to recognize. The many details, decorative patterns, and characteristic figures run consistently throughout his production.
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