Tapio Wirkkala, Birdsculpture on Glass Stand, Model TW 513, Kultakeskus ca. 1975

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Tapio Wirkkala, Birdsculpture on Glass Stand, Model TW 513, Kultakeskus ca. 1975

About the Item

Tapio Wirkkala, Birdsculpture on glass stand, model TW 513, Kultakeskus, ca. 1975 Artist: Tapio Wirkkala (1915 Hanko, Finland-1985 Helsinki, Finland) A giant of Finnish design, Wirkkala was an artist of great diversity for whom no material was alien and who left no area of design unexplored. A glass design competition held by the Iittala glassworks in 1946 was the event that set his career in motion; the first prize went jointly to Wirkkala and Kaj Franck. With an oeuvre that ranges from exceptionally beautiful pieces of glass art to industrial design in the form of beer bottles and banknotes, Wirkkala also designed jewelry, sculptures, and furniture. More than any Finish designer from his era Wirkkala got his inspiration from the natural world. Together with his wife Rut Bryk, a famous artist or ceramist in her own right, he spent several months each year in his country house in Northern Lapland, situated directly at lake Paadar. The inspiration gained there, watching the changing seasons, Wirkkala incorporated in his many designs. The recipient of many awards, honorary titles, and a doctorate, Wirkkala several Grand Prix and gold medals at the Triennale di Milano. In 1951 together with Hans J. Wegner he was the first recipient of the prestigious Lunning prize, often referred to as “The Nobel prize of design”. His works are collected by many important museums in the world, among others: Museum of Modern Art, New York, Design Museum Helsinki, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Design Museum Gent and The British Museum, London. A sculpture of a bird, most resembling a snipe. The Finnish name for the sculpure is "Suokurppa", which translates into Bog or Marsh Snipe. Tapio Wirkkala sculpted these birdsculptures in 1975 and they are modelnumber TW513 in his oeuvre. The Finnish metalmaking firm, Kultakeskus made these sculptures by hand and only by order. They could be orderd in silver, bronze or aluminium on either a glass or wooden base. This particular sculpture was made of aluminium than painted with a silver colored paint and is mounted on a glass mount. The sculpture is marked underneath the tail: Kultakeskus Oy Design: Tapio Wirkkala (see pictures). The glass base is not marked but due to Wirkkala's long standing association with iittala glassworks it's save to say these bases were most likely made there. As these sculptures were never made in serial production they are rare and sought after. They have been included in many important museal and private collections. Execution: Kultakeskus Oy Hämeenlinna Finland, circa 1975. Handmade to order. Marked: Kultakeskus Oy Design: Tapio Wirkkala Condition: This Birdsculpture, TW 513 is in very good vintage condition. No malformations, some very minor scratches and a small stain on the side. All consistent with age and use. There are no cracks or chips on the base, some scratches underneath the base. Dimensions: Model TW 513 H 21.5 cm W 24.5 cm D 17.5 cm Weight 2575 grams Literature: Marianne Aav, TAPIO WIRKKALA eye, hand and thought: p. 10, p. 17, p. 86, p.244, p. 245, p. 290, p. 369.

Creator:
Kultakeskus Oy (Maker),Tapio Wirkkala (Artist)
Dimensions:
Height: 8.47 in (21.5 cm)Width: 9.65 in (24.5 cm)Depth: 6.89 in (17.5 cm)
Style:
Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Aluminum,Glass,Cast,Hand-Crafted,Polished
Place of Origin:
Finland
Period:
1970-1979
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1975
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. This Birdsculpture, TW 513 is in very good vintage condition. No malformations, some very minor scratches and a small stain on the side. All consistent with age and use. There are no cracks or chips on the base, some scratches underneath the base.
Seller Location:
EL Waalre, NL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU5141223041592

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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