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Tapio Wirkkala Chairs

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.

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Creator: Tapio Wirkkala
Side Chair by Tapio Wirkkala for Asko
Side Chair by Tapio Wirkkala for Asko

Side Chair by Tapio Wirkkala for Asko

By Asko, Tapio Wirkkala

Located in Sagaponack, NY

A side chair with a warm-toned undulating laminated teak seat on a chromed steel base.

Category

1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Chairs

Materials

Steel

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Tapio Wirkkala chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Tapio Wirkkala chairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Tapio Wirkkala chairs, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original chairs by Tapio Wirkkala were created in the mid-century modern style in finland during the mid-20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider chairs by Esko Pajamies, Ilmari Tapiovaara, and Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy. Prices for Tapio Wirkkala chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $550 and can go as high as $4,400, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,300.

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