Timo Sarpaneva Building and Garden Elements
Celebrated glassmaker Timo Sarpaneva was a pioneer of Finnish postwar design. He led the formation of the utilitarian and artistic side of mid-century modern style. Sarpaneva’s glass vases, serveware and table lamps have a sculptural yet functional quality, making them adaptable for both decorative and utilitarian use.
Sarpaneva was born in 1926 in Helsinki and spent his childhood visiting his grandparents in the countryside. There, he was influenced by a barter economy where everything was made by hand and traded for services and wares.
In 1948, Sarpaneva graduated from the Institute for Industrial Arts in Helsinki (now the University of Art and Design Helsinki). He participated in the 1951 Triennale di Milano, submitting an embroidered coffee cozy that confused but delighted the judges and garnered a silver medal.
Around this time, Sarpaneva began experimenting with glassblowing. He transformed the traditional wet-stick method by creating a bubble within the molten glass, allowing him to work from the inside out. In 1954, he returned to the Triennale di Milano and won his first Grand Prize.
In the 1950s, Sarpaneva was hired at the glassware company Iittala, where he became a leading glass designer. Sarpaneva even designed the company logo, which is still used today. He worked for the company for over four decades until his death in 2006 at 79.
Sarpaneva’s illustrious career earned international recognition. His honors included being named Honorary Royal Designer for Industry by the Royal Society of Arts in London in 1963. He received honorary doctorates from the Royal College of Art in London in 1967 and the University of Art and Design Helsinki in 1993.
In 2018, the Helsinki Design Museum exhibited a retrospective of “the golden boy of Finland’s Golden Age of design”.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Timo Sarpaneva decorative objects, serveware, lighting and more.
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Timo Sarpaneva Building and Garden Elements
Metal
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Timo Sarpaneva Building and Garden Elements
Brass, Iron
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Timo Sarpaneva Building and Garden Elements
Brass
2010s Australian Modern Timo Sarpaneva Building and Garden Elements
Aluminum
1930s European Bauhaus Vintage Timo Sarpaneva Building and Garden Elements
Brass
15th Century and Earlier Italian Mid-Century Modern Antique Timo Sarpaneva Building and Garden Elements
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Timo Sarpaneva Building and Garden Elements
Metal, Brass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Timo Sarpaneva Building and Garden Elements
Brass, Bronze
20th Century Danish Art Deco Timo Sarpaneva Building and Garden Elements
Bronze
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Timo Sarpaneva Building and Garden Elements
Brass
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Timo Sarpaneva Building and Garden Elements
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Art Nouveau Timo Sarpaneva Building and Garden Elements
Brass
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Timo Sarpaneva Building and Garden Elements
Chrome
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Timo Sarpaneva Building and Garden Elements
Brass
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Timo Sarpaneva Building and Garden Elements
Brass, Iron
