Vintage Art Glass Vase by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala, 1954

About the Item

Vintage Art glass vase by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala 1954 A large vintage art glass vase designed by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala Glassworks in 1951, produced in 1954. Mold blown crystal clear glass with fine vertical line cuttings. Marked with incised signature 'TAPIO WIRKKALA IITTALA 54' on the base. Iittala model number 3520. An authentic piece of Finnish glass design of the 1950s. Tapio Wirkkala (1915 – 1985) was a Finnish designer and sculptor. He was one of the most famous post-war designers. Wirkkala's work ranges from designs of product packagings and metalware to glass, advertising grafics, ceramics, jewellery, furniture and plywood dishes. In 1946 he designed the iconic Kantarelli vase for Iittala. Wirkkala made designs for many companies such as Venini, Rosenthal, Asco Oy and others. Measures: Height: 10.83" (27.5 cm) Diameter: 5.91" (15 cm) Literature Reference: Werner Soderstrom, Tapio Wirkkala Eye, Hand and Thought, Helsinki 2000, Page 300 Suomalaista Lasa, Finnish Glass, Riihimaeki 1994, page 5 artfour is an owner-managed trading company dealing with fancy pieces of Murano and Scandinavian art glass. Our passion for the beauty of these works of art drives us to become your preferred partner for the expansion of your collection. We have been dealing with 20th century art glass since the 1980s and have great experience. We guarantee the authenticity of all items we offer. We operate worldwide with well-packed and money back guarantee service.

Creator:

Iittala (Manufacturer),Tapio Wirkkala (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 10.83 in (27.5 cm)Diameter: 5.91 in (15 cm)

Style:

Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Art Glass,Cast,Hand-Crafted

Place of Origin:

Finland

Period:

Mid-20th Century

Date of Manufacture:

1954

Condition:

All of our items are in very good condition. They have been utilised and therefore may show age-related traces of usage. If not mentioned in the item description they don't have defects. Feel free to contact us for a detailled condition report.

Seller Location:

Berghuelen, DE

Reference Number:

Seller: e67741stDibs: LU988732552062

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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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