Hopeakuu Wirkkala
Vintage 1970s Swedish Collectible Jewelry
Silver
Vintage 1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Collectible Jewelry
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s Finnish Modernist Pendant Necklaces
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s Finnish Modernist Hoop Earrings
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s Finnish Modernist Hoop Earrings
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s Finnish Modernist Pendant Necklaces
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s Finnish Modernist Pendant Necklaces
Sterling Silver
People Also Browsed
1990s French Gothic Revival Collectible Jewelry
Gold Plate
Vintage 1980s Unknown Cuff Bracelets
Early 20th Century German Jugendstil Jewelry Boxes
Brass
Vintage 1960s Finnish Choker Necklaces
Moonstone, Silver
Mid-20th Century Korean Paintings and Screens
Silk, Paper
1970s Pop Art Figurative Prints
Lithograph, Offset
20th Century French Art Deco Dining Room Tables
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood, Satinwood
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Glass
Crystal
Vintage 1970s Unknown Solitaire Rings
Pearl, Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1980s French Modernist Dangle Earrings
Gold Plate, Brass, Gilt Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Organic Modern Decorative Bowls
Silver
Vintage 1960s Norwegian Brutalist Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Pewter
Vintage 1970s Canadian Brutalist Collectible Jewelry
Metal, Pewter
Antique Late 19th Century Danish Art Nouveau Porcelain
1990s American Modernist Cuff Bracelets
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s Danish Modernist Drop Necklaces
Amber, Sterling Silver
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century Finnish Modernist Pendant Necklaces
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Collectible Jewelry
Silver
Vintage 1970s Finnish Modern Chain Necklaces
Silver
Vintage 1970s Finnish Modern Pendant Necklaces
Silver
Vintage 1970s Finnish Modern Pendant Necklaces
Silver
Vintage 1970s Finnish Modernist Hoop Earrings
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s Finnish Modernist Drop Necklaces
Sterling Silver
Tapio Wirkkala for sale on 1stDibs
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.