Iittala, Finland Tapio Wirkkala Set of 8 Side Plates Mid Century Unused in Box
View Similar Items
Iittala, Finland Tapio Wirkkala Set of 8 Side Plates Mid Century Unused in Box
About the Item
- Creator:Tapio Wirkkala (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 0.63 in (1.61 cm)Diameter: 6 in (15.24 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU921314734131
Tapio Wirkkala
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.
- 1952 Tapio Wirkkala Iittala Finland Set of 4 Martini Cocktail GlassesBy Tapio Wirkkala, IittalaLocated in Chula Vista, CATapio Wirkkala Iittala Finland Set of 4 Martini Cocktail Glasses Design Tapio Wirkkala 1952 4.5 diameter x 6.25 tall An elegant silhouette is...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Glass
MaterialsCrystal
- Tapio Wirkkala Iittala Finnish Modernist Kanttarelli VaseBy Tapio WirkkalaLocated in Palm Springs, CAIittala Kanttarelli vase designed by Tapio Wirkkala. Vase measures 5" by 4.5" and is signed on the bottom Tapio Wirkkala, Iitala. In very good vintage condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Glass
MaterialsGlass
$600 Sale Price20% Off - Gien 1950s French Set of 6 Green Majolica Oyster Plates in Original Wood BoxBy GienLocated in New York, NYA Mid-Century Modern set of six French Faience oyster plates, circa 1950-1960, signed Gien in glazed barbotine ceramic with textured earth tones of moss green, this set is very speci...Category
Mid-20th Century French Organic Modern Dinner Plates
MaterialsMajolica, Wood, Faience, Earthenware
- Tapio Wirkkala Rosenthal Studio-Line White Variations Cups, Set of 6By Tapio Wirkkala, RosenthalLocated in New York, NYA set of 6 (six) Tapio Wirkkala Rosenthal Studio-line porcelain cups in the variations pattern. Signed. White porcelain with a ribbed design. Dimensions: 2-1/4 inches H x 3-...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern More Dining and Entertaining
MaterialsCeramic, Porcelain
- 1970s Tapio Wirkkala Set of 6 Niva Liquor Shot Glasses Iittala FinlandBy Tapio Wirkkala, IittalaLocated in Chula Vista, CA1970s Tapio Wirkkala Set of 6 Niva Liquor Shot Glasses Iittala Finland 2.75 h x 2.13 diameter Preowned vintage condition Please see all images.Category
Vintage 1970s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Crystal Serveware
MaterialsArt Glass
- Set of Eight Homer Laughlin PlatesBy Homer LaughlinLocated in East Hampton, NYSet of eight large dinner plates by Homer Laughlin.Category
20th Century American Dinner Plates
MaterialsCeramic
$695 / set