Ultima Thule Vase
Vintage 1970s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vases
Crystal
Vintage 1980s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vases
Crystal
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vases
Art Glass
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vases
Art Glass
Vintage 1970s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Decorative Bowls
Silver
Vintage 1950s Table Lamps
Glass, Wood
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1970s German Other Decorative Bowls
Ceramic
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Decorative Bowls
Art Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
Aluminum, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
Brass, Aluminum
Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Brass
People Also Browsed
20th Century French Vases
Crystal
Mid-20th Century German Art Deco Vases
Crystal
Vintage 1950s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Glass
Art Glass, Blown Glass
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Vases
Art Glass
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vases
Blown Glass
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Vases
Blown Glass, Uranium Glass
Mid-20th Century Vases
Glass, Art Glass
Late 20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vases
Art Glass
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vases
Art Glass
Late 20th Century Irish Modern Crystal Serveware
Crystal
20th Century French Vases
Crystal
2010s Italian Organic Modern Vases
Brass
Antique 19th Century Czech Victorian Garniture
Crystal
2010s German Modern Vases
Crystal
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
Blown Glass, Art Glass, Murano Glass
20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Glass
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Serving Bowls
Glass
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Vases
Murano Glass
Ultima Thule Vase For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Ultima Thule Vase?
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.