Set of Serving Cutlery Designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Finland, 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Tapio Wirkkala (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 14.18 in (36 cm)Width: 3.15 in (8 cm)Depth: 0.12 in (3 mm)
- Sold As:Set of 8
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Stockholm, SE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1006619144312
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Stockholm, Sweden
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Dish Designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Finland, 1950sBy Tapio WirkkalaLocated in Stockholm, SEDish designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Finland, 1950s. Laminated birch. Signed. Dimensions: W: 19.4 cm/ 7 2/3" L: 36.7 cm/ 14 1/2" Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) can be described as one of the icons of Finnish design and a symbol of the international success of post-war Finnish design. Tapio Wirkkala studied sculpture at the Helsinki Central School of Industrial Design from 1933 until 1936, but he was also a self-studied artist in many areas, including glass design. His success as a glass artist began in 1946 when he designed one of his most famous works, the Kantarelli vase, for Iittala. Wirkkala gained worldwide success in 1951 at the Milan Triennial, where he received three Grand Prix awards: for the exhibition architecture, glass design and wooden sculptures. Tapio Wirkkala felt a deep relationship with nature and his absolute favourite spot was located in Finland's deepest forests. From the beautiful landscape, Tapio Wirkkala could find inspiration for his works, often characterised by organic shapes. Leaves, birds, ice and water are recurring themes in his design. Tapio Wirkkala was also a furniture designer and a sculptor. He started his career as a sculptor in the 1930s but abandoned the traditional sculpture in the post-war years – in the early 1950s, alongside with other works, he started to develop an entirely new relationship with sculpture and a new technique to be used. The result was a series of unique plywood sculptures which combined form and movement in the vibrant, densely lineated surface of plywood. Wirkkala’s sculptures represented exceptional abstractism and gave Finnish sculpture...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
MaterialsBirch
- Wall Panel Designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Finland, 1950sBy Tapio WirkkalaLocated in Stockholm, SEVeneer wood relief. Tapio Wirkkala originally designed these panels as tabletops for the company Asko. He created several different marquetry patterns; some panels had a dark base a...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Contemporary Art
MaterialsWood
- Vase Designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Finland, 1957By Tapio WirkkalaLocated in Stockholm, SEVase designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Sweden, 1957. Sterling silver. Dimensions: H: 24 cm/ 9 3/8" W: 9 cm/ 3 1/2" D: 4 cm/ 1 1/2" Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) can be described as one of the icons of Finnish design and a symbol of the international success of post-war Finnish design. Tapio Wirkkala studied sculpture at the Helsinki Central School of Industrial Design from 1933 until 1936, but he was also a self-studied artist in many areas, including glass design. His success as a glass artist began in 1946 when he designed one of his most famous works, the Kantarelli vase, for Iittala. Wirkkala gained worldwide success in 1951 at the Milan Triennial, where he received three Grand Prix awards: for the exhibition architecture, glass design and wooden sculptures. Tapio Wirkkala felt a deep relationship with nature and his absolute favourite spot was located in Finland's deepest forests. From the beautiful landscape, Tapio Wirkkala could find inspiration for his works, often characterised by organic shapes. Leaves, birds, ice and water are recurring themes in his design. Tapio Wirkkala was also a furniture designer and a sculptor. He started his career as a sculptor in the 1930s but abandoned the traditional sculpture in the post-war years – in the early 1950s, alongside with other works, he started to develop an entirely new relationship with sculpture and a new technique to be used. The result was a series of unique plywood sculptures which combined form and movement in the vibrant, densely lineated surface of plywood. Wirkkala’s sculptures represented exceptional abstractism and gave Finnish sculpture...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vases
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Set of Ten Dining Chairs Designed by Aino Aalto for Artek, Finland, 1950sBy Aino AaltoLocated in Stockholm, SESet of ten dining chairs designed by Aino Aalto for Artek, Finland, 1950s. Birch and cane. Very rare model. Measurements: H: 74 cm/ 29" W: 58 cm/ 22 3/4" D: 42 cm/ 16 1/2" Prove...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Furniture
MaterialsCane, Birch
- Vase Designed by Liisa Hallamaa for Arabia, Finland, 1950sBy Liisa HallamaaLocated in Stockholm, SEVase designed by Liisa Hallamaa for Arabia, Finland, 1950's. Stoneware. Measurements: H: 58,5 cm/ 1' 11 1/2" D: 18 cm/ 7"Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Ceramics
MaterialsStoneware
- Ceiling Lamp Designed by Alvar Aalto for Idman, Finland, 1950sBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Stockholm, SECeiling lamp designed by Alvar Aalto for Idman, Finland. 1950s Lacquered metal. H: 21 cm / 8 1/8" W: 115 cm / 3' 9 1/8" D: 33 cm / 8 1/8" Provenance: From Stora Enso's head office...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal
- Composition Cutlery Set, Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal, Germany 1963By Tapio WirkkalaLocated in St Ouen, FRComplete set of 58 place settings by the famous Finnish designer created for Rosenthal and part, since 1963, of the permanent collections of MOMA. Executed in stainless steel it comb...Category
Vintage 1960s German Scandinavian Modern Tableware
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Carving Knife by Tapio WirkkalaBy Tapio Wirkkala, HackmanLocated in Sagaponack, NYA carving knife in brushed steel having a stained oak handle attached to the blade by wooden pegs. A silver tag on the handle documents the materials came from the Swedish ship...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Tableware
MaterialsSteel
- Tapio Wirkkala, Trays, Birch Plywood, Finland, 1950sBy Tapio WirkkalaLocated in High Point, NCA pair of birch plywood trays designed by Tapio Wirkkala and produced by Soinne & Knioy, Finland, 1950sCategory
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Serving Pieces
MaterialsBirch
- Tapio Wirkkala, Tray, Birch Plywood, Finland, 1950sBy Tapio WirkkalaLocated in High Point, NCA birch plywood tray designed by Tapio Wirkkala and produced by Soinne & Knioy, Finland, 1950sCategory
Vintage 1950s Finnish Serving Pieces
MaterialsBirch
- Tapio Wirkkala Serving Dish In Silver, 1950sBy Tapio WirkkalaLocated in Helsinki, FITapio Wirkkala serving dish in silver with wooden handles, made in the 1950s. This piece displays one of Wirkkala's many beautiful designs almost resembling a seashell. The bottom of...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
MaterialsSilver
- Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal Flatware, Extensive 92 Piece SetBy Tapio Wirkkala, RosenthalLocated in Atlanta, GAModernist stainless steel flatware set, designed by Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal, Austria, circa 1963. This is a large set containing 92 pieces total. They are constructed of dishwas...Category
Vintage 1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
MaterialsStainless Steel
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Tapio Wirkkala Bucked the Trends of Mid-Century Nordic Design
The Finnish talent created nature-inspired pieces, from furniture to jewelry, with phenomenal staying power.
What Makes Scandinavian Modernism and Nordic Design So Irresistible?
Andrew Duncanson, founder of the Stockholm- and London-based gallery Modernity, weighs in on the masters of mid-century furniture and decorative arts.