Ilmari Tapiovaara "Pikku-Pikku" Floor Lamp for Hienoteräs, Finland 1960s

Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) was a multitalented design genius, widely considered a leading figure of modern Finnish industrial art. This lamp model is one of the cornerstones of Tapio Wirkkala´s repertoire; this groundbreaking piece is one of the original adjustable lamps with angular opal light...

Paavo Tynell is one of Finland’s best known and collected mid-century designers. Tynell was a pioneer of European lighting design and a founder of the ...

Swedish Modern, with its simplified lines and lack of excessive ornamentation, was a counter reaction to the earlier, more decorative design movements such as Art Deco. In comparison, as this floor lamp demonstrates, the midcentury era brought streamlined modernism to Sweden as well. This model was created by the Swedish firm, ÖIA during the golden age of Scandinavian lighting design. The design is characterized by its simplified forms, and stylishly contrasting materials. The body is composed of a beautiful, patinated brass structure with the lower part of the tube wrapped in leather. The round, brass column frames the leather thus highlighting the beautiful handiwork. The contrasting materials are the main appeal of this model and bring the aesthetic into modernism. The shade has a Classic shape that is ideal to direct the light, with a beautiful brass colour and a decorative ring. The head is adjustable thanks to the OMI made joints at the neck, making this lamp perfect spotlight lighting. The OMI company (Otto Meinzer GmbH & Co Metallwarenfabrik from Iserlohn in Germany) was a manufacturer of chromed brass joints for the European and the USA lighting...

Finnish designer, Carin Lisa Johansson-Pape, was among the most significant Finnish lighting designers in the second half of the 1900s. She designed furniture for Stockmann from 1937...

The “Crane” is evidence why Tapio Wirkkala can be described as one of the icons of Finnish design and a symbol of the international success of post-war Finnish design. He was a versatile designer and artist who could shift fluently between different materials and crossed established professional boundaries. Wirkkala’s far-reaching career spanned multiple fields, from furniture design to sculpture and other art objects, and this can be clearly traced in this floor lamp. It functions as an art object just as much as a utilitarian lamp. With its slender shape and a brass and black lacquered body, this lamp is a great modernist piece that stands out in any space. The ingenious structure allows the height to be adjustable, and the design customizable. The main design elements are placed around the main functional parts, namely the shade, the adjusting rod, and the base. The sculptural brass rods cross each other similarly to a crane, and inspired the nickname of this model. The black lacquered conical shade and base, as well as the spherical counterweight stand out against the bright brass and add a modern edge to the design. The shade is lacquered white inside, creating a pleasant effect when the lamp is lit. Idman’s label engraved on the brass handle. Idman produced the models of some of the most renowned Finnish lighting designers of the time, including Tapio Wirkkala, Mauri Almari and Maria Lindeman. Unlike other aesthetic movements, Mid-Century Modern design was streamlined, while highlighting the materials used. The vibe of this “Crane” floor lamp is fresh, retro-tinged, and completely alluring with its dedication to quality and practicality wrapped up in beautiful design that will never go out of style. Condition: In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. The brass has a beautiful patina. Dimensions: 26.37 in W x 7.08 in D x 51.39 in H (height is adjustable) 67 cm W x 18 cm D x 128 cm H (height is adjustable) Literature: Tuula Sakalari, Katri Lehtova, Werner Söderström, “Suomalaisia Tuolej”, Osakeyhtio, Helsinki, 2012, pp. 96 & 97 About the designer: Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) can be described as one of the icons of Finnish design and a symbol of the international success of post-war Finnish design. He was a versatile designer and artist who could shift fluently between different materials and crossed established professional boundaries: he worked on everything from refrigerators to banknotes and from furniture to striking jewels. The most important materials for Wirkkala were wood and glass – he never ceased to explore the possibilities they offer. Tapio Wirkkala studied sculpture at the Helsinki Central School of Industrial Design from 1933 until 1936, but he was also a self-studied artist in many areas, including glass design. His success as a glass artist began in 1946 when he designed one of his most famous works, the Kantarelli vase, for Iittala. Wirkkala gained worldwide success in 1951 at the Milan Triennial, where he received three Grand Prix awards: for the exhibition architecture, glass design and wooden sculptures. Many of his glass works for Iittala were also awarded later in the 1950s at the Milan Triennial. In the years 1951-1954, Wirkkala worked as the artistic director of Helsinki Central School of Industrial Design. In 1955, he received a Pro Finlandia medal and in 1972 the Academy of Finland's honorary title of academician. The first mass-production glassware range designed by Wirkkala was the Tapio series launched in 1954. The popular Ultima Thule glassware range, created in 1968, was based on the so-called ice glass technique, and the designer himself was involved in developing it at the Iittala glass factory. Wirkkala also received important commissions from abroad: in the mid-1960s he started to design glass objects for Venini Glassworks in Italy, where he created the Bolle bottles for the Venice Biennale collection in 1966. One of Wirkkala’s most significant commissions abroad was the work at the Rosenthal porcelain factory in Germany: he worked as a freelance designer for Rosenthal for almost 30 years, and the most influential result was the Paper Bag vase (1977), still today one of Rosenthal’s best-selling products. Tapio Wirkkala was also a furniture designer and a sculptor. He started his career as a sculptor in the 1930s, but abandoned the traditional sculpture in the post-war years. The result was a series of unique plywood sculptures which combined form and movement in the vibrant, densely lineated surface of plywood. Wirkkala’s sculptures represented exceptional abstractionism and gave Finnish sculpture...

Paavo Tynell is one of Finland’s best known and collected mid-century designers. Tynell was a pioneer of European lighting design and a founder of the ...

Rare and early floor lamp “Maija the bee” / Maija Mehiläinen designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara. Produced by Hienoteras in Finland.

Rare and early floor lamp “Maija the bee” / Maija Mehiläinen designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara. Produced by Hienoteräs in Finland.

Rare and early floor lamp “Maija the bee” / Maija Mehiläinen designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara. Produced by Hienoteräs in Finland.

A beautiful version of the "Maya the Bee " (Maija Mehiläinen) floor lamp by Ilmari Tapiovaara, one of the leading interior architects and furniture design...

A Beautiful and large version of the Maya The Bee (Maija Mehiläinen) floor lamp by Ilmari Tapiovaara, one of the leading interior architects and furniture designers in Finland. This ...

Rare and early floor lamp “Maija the bee” / Maija Mehiläinen designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara. Produced by Hienoteräs in Finland.