Items Similar to `Suokurppa`or Bog Snipe bird sculpture by Tapio Wirkkala for Kultakeskus

Tapio Wirkkala, Bronze Bird Sculpture, Kultakeskus

A Pair of Tapio Wirkkala, Bronze Bird Sculptures, Kultakeskus

Bird sculpture by Tapio Wirkkala Glass & Metal for Kultakeskus 1970s

Set Of Tapio Wirkkala Bronze Bowls, Kultakeskus Oy 1970s

Tapio Wirkkala Set of Candle Holders In Silver, Kultakeskus Oy

Set of Trumpet Silver Candle Holders, Tapio Wirkkala, Kultakeskus Oy

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

`Suokurppa`or Bog Snipe bird sculpture by Tapio Wirkkala for Kultakeskus

About the Item

Tapio wirkkala was a genious designer who was in his element regardless of the material used. Although he is mostly recognized for his Art glass objects, a number of which won Grand Prix awards in the Milan Triennials in the 1950s, he did use a number of other materials including wood, ceramics, textiles, different metals including bronze, brass and silver and so on. The true success of Finnish design actually arose exactly from the triennials that were held in the 1950s, and Tapio Wirkkala became an international star because of these exhibitions. Tapio and a lot of his fellow Finnish designers took a lot of their inspiration for their designs from nature. Bird motifs were used by almost all designers. There is a Finnish saying that goes, ` something humble and simple is better than something imaginative but tasteless. ` This is exactly what we see in this masterful piece of design . Don`t let the pictures fool you, this is quite a sizeable piece that will attract attention in any interior.

Creator:

Kultakeskus Oy (Manufacturer),Tapio Wirkkala (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 10.63 in (27 cm)Diameter: 10.63 in (27 cm)

Style:

Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Aluminum,Glass

Place of Origin:

Finland

Period:

1970-1979

Date of Manufacture:

1970s

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use. The overall impression is good.

Seller Location:

Helsinki, FI

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU6346236483782

Shop All Tapio Wirkkala

Tapio Wirkkala

Along with architect Alvar Aalto, the designer Tapio Wirkkala was Finland’s leading contributor to the Scandinavian interpretation of modernism in the mid-20th century. Prolific and innovative, Wirkkala excelled in a wide range of fields, including glass, furniture, porcelain, jewelry and tableware. The hallmark of his talent was an ability to impart a craft aesthetic based on natural forms — leaves, ice, bubbles, birds — to industrially produced designs.

A native of Helsinki, Wirkkala studied at the national School of Applied Arts and took up a career in graphic design. After serving in the Finnish army during World War II, he joined the glassmaking firm Iittala, an association that would continue to the end of his life. Wirkkala learned every aspect of glassmaking in keeping with his belief that an artist-designer should be involved in all stages of production. His best-known works for Iittala are vases and drinking vessels that resemble either carved ice or icicles. In 1956, Wirkkala began a long relationship with the porcelain maker Rosenthal, for whom he designed elegant table pieces, such as the Finlandia coffee service and the biomorphic Pollo vases.

House Beautiful magazine declared Wirkkala’s Leaf platter the “most beautiful object” of 1951. (The acclaim led to his brief employment stint with industrial designer Raymond Loewy in New York.) That platter was one of the first designs Wirkkala made using laminated sheets of plywood sanded to a smooth surface that resembles an abstract leaf. It would go on to become a motif in many Wirkkala furniture pieces — most notably in inlaid coffee tables for Asko — and in a sense these are the works most emblematic of his personal aesthetic.

Wirkkala was a traditionalist in many ways, but he had a modernist’s practical approach, incorporating his leaf-like spirals into simple, functional objects. That is the core attraction of Wirkkala’s designs: They stand out with a striking, sculptural energy yet blend in as part of a warm and comfortable decor.

Find vintage Tapio Wirkkala furniture on 1stDibs.