Coffee Table by Tapio Wirkkala for Asko, 1958

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Coffee Table by Tapio Wirkkala for Asko, 1958

About the Item

Coffee table by Tapio Wirkkala for Asko Finland, 1958. Model Asko 9013, the laminated birch tree leaf inlaid in the dark padouk. Black lacquered metal legs. Dimensions: height 20.8 in. (53 cm), length 48.8 in. (124 cm), depth 24.4 in. (62 cm). Thickness of the blade: 1.0 inches (2,5 cm). Marked with the Asko - Wirkkala brand. Very rare beautiful condition. No scratches or dents. As you can see in the photos the wood is not discolored and it still has its original drawing. The plywood inlay is also in excellent condition, without damage or discoloration by furniture oil or other liquids. Few minor spots to the side of the table top, easy to apply with lacquer if you wish (see last photos). Comes with some original screws for the legs plus a few replacement ones. Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) is perhaps the greatest Finnish designer of the last century. His body of work is very extensive and includes all disciplines of the profession: ceramics, (precious) metal, jewelry, graphic design, lamps, furniture and even city planning. Wirkkala had his breakthrough with the Kantarelli vase which he designed in 1946 for Iittala, a company for which he would deliver countless designs. IIttala was also the company that produced the glass for the Idman K2-40 lamp, which won Wirkkala his first gold medal at the Milan Triennale in 1951. (Two more gold medals were to follow in 1954 and 1957) In the same year 1951 - together with Hans Wegner - Wirkkala was also the first winner of the most important Scandinavian design award: the Lunning Prize. Although Wirkkala's oeuvre is extraordinarily extensive and varied, there is one theme that is central to his work: nature and its patterns. One of the shapes that Wirkkala regularly used in his work is the leaf shape. Around 1950 he already designed a laminated wooden dish in this form. (According to the American magazine House Beautiful 'The most beautiful object of the year') The leaf shape is also reflected in his glassware, his ceramics (Rosenthal) and his silverware (Kultakeskus). However, the most beautiful and refined application of the leaf shape can be found in the coffee tables that Wirkkala designed in 1958 for the furniture manufacturer Asko. Especially in this model - Asko 9013 - the beautiful contrast between the light laminated birch tree leaf and the dark padouk in which it is inlaid can be seen. Literature: - M. Aav (ed.), Tapio Wirkkala: Eye, Hand and Thought (Helsinki 2000), p. 380.

Creator:
Asko (Manufacturer),Tapio Wirkkala (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 20.87 in (53 cm)Width: 48.82 in (124 cm)Depth: 24.41 in (62 cm)
Style:
Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Birch,Metal,Padouk
Place of Origin:
Finland
Period:
1950-1959
Date of Manufacture:
Circa 1958
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. The wood is not discolored and it still has its original drawing. The plywood inlay is also in excellent condition, without damage or discoloration by furniture oil or other liquids. Few minor dents to the side of the table (see last pictures).
Seller Location:
JM Haarlem, NL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU930327895962

Shop All Tapio Wirkkala

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.

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