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.
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Tapio Wirkkala 18ct Gold Kinetic Brooch 'Aurinko', Modernist Finland
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Bruxelles, BE
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Diamond, 18k Gold
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Gold, 18k Gold
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Gold, 18k Gold, Enamel
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Located in London, GB
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Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 18ct Yellow Gold, 1970s Ruby Eyed Dog Brooch
Located in Brighton, GB
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Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
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Located in Brighton, GB
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Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 18ct Gold Stamped, 1980s Diamond Cat Brooch
Located in Brighton, GB
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Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
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Located in Brighton, GB
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Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold
Antique 18ct Gold & Platinum Pink Pearl & Diamond Brooch - c.1920
Located in London, GB
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Diamond, Pearl, Gold, Platinum
Victorian 18ct Gold Rose Cut Diamond Heart Brooch Pendant, 1890
Located in Firenze, IT
Period: 1890 ca. Size: 24 x 21 mm Weight: 7,3 gr The Victorian brooch is made of 18k gold and features a heart shape. In the centre, two silver hearts interconnected, surmounted by ...
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver, Enamel, Gold
Edwardian 18ct Gold Ruby & Diamond Crescent Moon Brooch
Located in London, England
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18k Gold
33ct Aquamarine Croc Dragon Brooch/pendant in 18ct white gold
Located in Brisbane, AU
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Aquamarine, 18k Gold, White Gold
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Located in London, GB
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18k Gold