Kaija Aarikka Sculptures and Carvings

Large 11 1/4 x 6 in. Medium 7 1/4 x 7 1/4 in. Small 5 3/8 x 5 3/8 in. An ingenious and unusual wooden and metal wire rod trivet from the Finnish designer Kaija Aarikka. The Aarikka design house is over 50 years old, started in 1954 by Kaija Aarikka who, as a textile design student, was unable to find suitably attractive buttons for a suit she had created for a final assignment. She decided to carve her own - and was surprised that her five buttons turned out to be the star of the day. That same year she and her husband founded their company, called Aarikka Oy, and opened their first sales outlet in Helsinki. In the ensuing years the company has focused on creating unique decorative and household designs showcasing local Finnish materials - which entails quite a bit of birch wood. The wooden circles are echoed by the circular wire loops at the end of each row of rings. The construction allows it to be slightly flexible but quite sturdy, while the open loops allow air to circulate under the pot. The wires can be rotated. The Aarikka Finland...