Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Finnish, 1915-1985
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.
Color: Brown
Creator: Tapio Wirkkala
Tapio Wirkkala Rare Ceiling Lamp by Idman Oy Finland 1959-1961
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Espoo, FI
Rare ceiling lamp by Tapio Wirkkala with perforated brass shade and satin lacquered metal body,
Designed and manufactured between 1959 and 1961
The model is from a limited edition ...
Category
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Metal, Brass
Set of 3 Paper Bag Vases by Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal, Germany, 1960s
By Tapio Wirkkala, Rosenthal
Located in Nürnberg, Bayern
Set of three paper bag vases designed by Tapio Wirkkala and manufactured by Rosenthal, Germany, 1977.
The large vase is 15cm high, 10cm wide and 6cm deep.
The small vase is 10cm h...
Category
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
Tapio Wirkkala "K10-47" Floor Lamp for Idman Oy, Finland 1960s
By Tapio Wirkkala, Idman Oy
Located in Utrecht, NL
Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) was a multitalented design genius, widely considered a leading figure of modern Finnish industrial art. This lamp model is one of the cornerstones of Tapio Wirkkala´s repertoire; this groundbreaking piece is one of the original adjustable lamps with angular opal light...
Category
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Metal, Brass
Tapio Wirkkala Carving set for Hackman - special edition
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Klintehamn, SE
A carving set in brushed steel having a stained oak handle attached to the blade by wooden pegs. The oak comes from the Swedish ship Riksvasa, that sank in 1623, and was famously exp...
Category
1970s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Stainless Steel
iconic tapio wirkkala rythmic wood leaf
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Munich, DE
wonderful art object by the master of design. who ever saw the book tapio wirkkala will know, what i mean. and if you see a picture of him you will be as amused as i was. he designed...
Category
1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Plywood
Tapio Wirkkala, Rare Leaf Inlay Coffee Table for Asko, Finland, 1950s, Branded
By Asko, Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Rare leaf inlay coffee table, designed by Tapio Wirkkala and manufactured by Asko, Finland, 1950s, branded
Walnut with birch inlays, on adju...
Category
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Birch, Walnut
Tapio Wirkkala Huge Paper Back Vase for Rosentahl, 1977
By Tapio Wirkkala, Rosenthal
Located in Munich, DE
Rare large paper bag vase designed by Tapio Wirkkala and manufactured by Rosenthal, Germany 1977. This vase is made of porcelain (stoneware) and looks like a paper bag. The vase is m...
Category
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Ceramic Paper Bag Vase Designed by Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal, Germany, 1970s
By Tapio Wirkkala, Rosenthal
Located in Barcelona, ES
Tapio Wirkkalas playful ceramic paper bag vase in Kraft brown color. Original 1970s edition.
Category
Mid-20th Century German Post-Modern Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
Tapio Wirkkala Freeform Molded Plywood Tray, 1950s
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in San Diego, CA
Fincraft molded plywood tray designed in the 1950s by Tapio Wirkkala for Soinne et Kni, Helsinki. Embossed stamp on the bottom. Finland
Category
1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Plywood
Tapio Wirkkala Set of Six 'Nikke' Dining Chairs with Metal Frames
By Tapio Wirkkala, Asko
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Tapio Wirkkala for Asko, set of six dining chairs, black lacquered plywood, metal, Finland, 1950s
Beautiful 'Nikke' set of six dining chairs design by the Finnish designer Tapio Wir...
Category
1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Metal
Sculptural Swedish Modern Teak "Gondola" Tray by Tapio Wirkkala for Kalmar
By J.T. Kalmar, Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Gondola-form teakwood tray manufactured in the 1960s by Tapio Wirkkala for Kalmar of Sweden.
Elegant, graceful form with rich color and vibrant teakwood grain.
Conservatively ref...
Category
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Teak
Dish Designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Finland, 1950s
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Stockholm, SE
Dish 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
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Birch
Tapio Wirkkala Finnish Hand Carved Leaf Platter
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Countryside, IL
Tapio Wirkkala Finnish Hand Carved Leaf Platter
This piece measures: 6.5 wide x 4.5 deep x 1.25 inches high
This platter is in excellent vintag...
Category
1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Wood
Bolle Vase in Grass Green, Amber-Yellow and Violet by Tapio Wirkkala
By Venini, Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A vase turns into a bottle for Tapio Wirkkala. Apple green, yellow and purple. Three distinct spaces of colour that blend together thanks to the "Incalmo" technique, a process by whi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Glass
Tapio Wirkkala Tray Produced by Soinne et Kni in Finland
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Very rare tray designed by Tapio Wirkkala. Produced by Soinne et Kni in Finland.
Category
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Birch, Laminate
Porcelain Wall Decoration by Tapio Wirkkala, Yearly Limited Edition 1971
By Tapio Wirkkala, Rosenthal
Located in Brussels, BE
This porcelain wall decoration designed by Tapio Wirkkala is composed of inverted half bubbles on a gilded paint top surface, it is a lunar and poetic vision that Tapio Wirkkala offe...
Category
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Tapio Wirkkala Dining Chairs 'Nikke' with Metal Frames
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Tapio Wirkkala for Asko, dining chairs, black lacquered plywood, metal, Finland, 1950s
Beautiful 'Nikke' dining chairs design by the Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala. This model is a...
Category
1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Metal
Set of Serving Cutlery Designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Finland, 1950s
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Stockholm, SE
Set of serving cutlery designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Finland, 1950s.
A set of serving spoons and olive forks.
Measures: Forks:
L 26 cm/ 10 1/8"
Spoons...
Category
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Wood
Giotto Stoppino 'Maia' Table in Walnut with Tapio Wirkkala ‘Nikke’ Dining Chairs
By Bernini, Giotto Stoppino, Tapio Wirkkala, Asko
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Tapio Wirkkala for Asko, set of six dining chairs, plywood, nickel-plated steel, Finland, 1950s
Beautiful set of 'Nikke' chairs design by the Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala. This ...
Category
1960s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Steel, Chrome, Nickel
Wall Panel Designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Finland, 1950s
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Stockholm, SE
Veneer 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
1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Wood
Unusual Floor Lamp by Tapio Wirkkala
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Such an unusual example of Tapio Wirkkala's coveted lighting.
This model has an adjustable light source which is controlled by a sliding bar on the l...
Category
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Metal, Brass
Tapio Wirkkala for Asko Coffee Table in Birch with Inlays
By Tapio Wirkkala, Asko
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Tapio Wirkkala for Asko, side table, birch, plywood, steel, brass, Finland, 1960s
Coffee table with plywood inlays designed by Tapio Wirkkala, manufactured by Asko. This rectangular...
Category
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Brass, Steel
Rare Tapio Wirkkala Pair of Dining Chairs
By Tapio Wirkkala, Asko
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Tapio Wirkkala, pair of dining chairs, metal, plywood, Finland, 1960s
This exceptional pair of chairs by Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala shows a...
Category
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Metal
Tapio Wirkkala for Asko Cocktail Table in Birch
By Tapio Wirkkala, Asko
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Tapio Wirkkala for Asko, coffee table, birch, metal, Finland, 1960s.
Coffee table with wooden inlay motifs designed by Tapio Wirkkala. The table is produced by Asko. This coffee table is one of Wirkkala's iconic furniture designs. Made with four oval shaped wood inlays that are made of the core of a tree with annual rings. Elegantly designed tapered legs with solid brass details.
One of Finland's leading designers was Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) who made a great contribution to Scandinavian mid-century modern design of the 20th century. Born and raised in Helsinki, Wirkkala started his education at the National School of Applied Arts in the capital. Afterwards, he began his career in graphic design. At the age of twenty-five, the outbreak of the Second World War started and Wirkkala soon served the Finnish army. As the war ended in 1945, Wirkkala continued his work as a designer by joining the glass manufacturer ‘Iittala’, where he worked on numerous designs till the end of his life. Wirkkala's approach to design was highly innovative and ranged from furniture, porcelain, glass, jewelry and tableware. His talent excelled in combining organic forms into industrial manufactured designs. A striking example are his inlaid coffee tables that he designed for Asko. For this, he used laminated sheets of plywood sanded to a smooth surface that resembles an abstract leaf. It represents the main approach in his designs; a sculptural and elegant modern exterior...
Category
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Metal
Rosewood and Inlaid Wood Coffee Table by Tapio Wirkkala for Asko
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Stockholm, SE
Stunning coffee table by Tapio Wirkkala, with a rosewood top inlayed with an oval shape of contrasting wood that has a growth ring-like pattern. Exquisitely restored. Sturdy base mad...
Category
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Beech, Rosewood
Tapio Wirkkala for Asko "Rhythmic" Coffee Table, 1950s
By Tapio Wirkkala, Asko
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Tapio Wirkkala Asko Finland birch and exotic wood veneer coffee table, circa 1958. Featuring a squared multi layered wood surface, supported by four chrome-plated steel legs and bras...
Category
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Brass, Steel
Tapio Wirkkala Large Tray Produced by Soinne et Kni in Finland
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Very rare and large tray designed by Tapio Wirkkala. Produced by Soinne et Kni in Finland.
Category
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Birch
Tapio Wirkkala Coffee Table
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Designed for Asko, Finland in 1958.
These tables are highly sought after and regarded as Tapio Wirkkala's most important production furniture.
Made from hand-sculpted solid el...
Category
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Elm
Wonderful Rythmic Veneer Coffee Table by Tapio Wirkkala
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Munich, DE
Rarest variation of this table. Very rare size ands unusual wood legs. Branded Asko stamp.
Category
1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Wood
Tapio Wirkkala Coffee Tea Service for Hopeakeskus
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Houston, TX
Tapio Wirkkala.
Coffee service TW 182-184,
Finland, 1958,
Hopeakeskus,
copper, teak and inside silver plate.
Measures: 5 D x 20.5 H in.
12.7 D x 52.07 H cm.
Coffee pot, ...
Category
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Copper, Silver Plate
Tapio Wirkkala Coffee Table Model 9020 by Asko in Finland
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Very rare coffee table model 9020 designed by Tapio Wirkkala. Produced by Asko in Finland.
Category
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Glass, Oak
Modernist Medallion by Tapio Wirkkala
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A rare two-sided medallion in copper having abstracted and geometric decoration, housed in a rosewood and copper presentation case.
Category
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Copper, Bronze
Handmade Bowls
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Munich, DE
beautiful hand made on order bowls by tapio wirkkala for kultakeskus oy. bowls are stamped with makers maker and in good condition.
located in hamburg.
Category
1970s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Tapio Wirkkala Copper and Silver Coffee Set
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Toronto, Ontario
A solid copper coffee set including coffee pot, creamer, sugar pot, and very hard to find solid copper serving tray.
Lined in silver, these sets wer...
Category
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Copper
Modernist Bowl by Tapio Wirkkala
By Tapio Wirkkala, Kultakeskus Oy
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An impeccably crafted sculptural small bowl having a bold asymmetrical form and rendered in warmly patinated copper.
Category
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Copper
Carving Knife by Tapio Wirkkala
By Tapio Wirkkala, Hackman
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A 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
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Steel
Tapio Wirkkala's TW 476 Bowl in Bronze
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Toronto, Ontario
A terrific handmade Bronze bowl for Kultakeskus Oy.
These bowls are custom ordered and hand hammered to shape. An exceptional piece.
Executed in 1974.
Category
1970s Finnish Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Bronze
Rare Tapio Wirkkala Coffee Table for Asko
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Toronto, Ontario
A great example of Tapio Wirkkala's iconic coffee table for Asko Finland.
This piece has two leaf motif decorations on the tabletop.
Branded Asko.
Category
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Metal
Exotic Wood Coffee Table by Tapio Wirkkala
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Toronto, Ontario
A very exciting coffee table in rare woods by Tapio Wirkkala for Asko, circa 1958.
This example has a taller base than most which is very well suited for the display of small obje...
Category
1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Metal
SIlver Tapio Wirkkala bowl TW 282
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Toronto, Ontario
A beautiful handmade to order solid silver bowl by Tapio Wirkkala for Kultakeskus .
Category
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Tapio Wirkkala Bronze Bowl TW491
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Toronto, Ontario
A very nice and rather large solid bronze bowl by Tapio Wirkkala for Kultakeskus Oy, ca. 1974
Sculpted and hand turned with applied bronze feet.
Stamped to bottom .
Category
1970s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Bronze
Original Huge 1977 Tapio Wirkkala "Paper Bag" Ceramic Vase for Rosenthal
By Rosenthal, Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
Paper or plastic or…Wirkkala’s fun and whimsical 1977 Pop Art take on tromp l’oeil, something that is not what it appears to be. Here, a used paper bag ...
Category
1970s German Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Furniture
Materials
Ceramic, Porcelain
Tapio Wirkkala furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Tapio Wirkkala furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of glass and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Tapio Wirkkala furniture, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 263 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 19 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Tapio Wirkkala were created in the Scandinavian Modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Timo Sarpaneva, Kaj Franck, and Nuutajärvi Notsjõ. Prices for Tapio Wirkkala furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $57 and can go as high as $37,426, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,945.
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