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Tapio Wirkkala for Idman Rare Desk Lamp in Brass and Glass

$26,400

£19,955.13

€22,931.99

CA$36,761.84

A$40,896.04

CHF 21,438.22

MX$499,739.60

NOK 272,988.93

SEK 256,981.31

DKK 171,178.60

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About the Item

Tapio Wirkkala for Idman Oy, desk lamp, brass, glass, Finland, circa 1960 Among the nearly 100 lighting designs Tapio Wirkkala created for serial production, the majority were developed between 1959 and 1961. However, his earliest known lighting design dates back to 1951 – a conical-shaped suspended lamp made of opal glass, originally designed for the Finnish pavilion at the Milan Triennale. The present desk lamp, produced by Idman Oy, does not appear in the period’s official catalogues. However, when examined in relation to Wirkkala’s documented designs, it exhibits key stylistic elements characteristic of his work. The cantilever mechanism with its distinctive handle, for instance, was notably featured in the iconic K10-11 floor lamp (1958). The truncated cone form first appeared in the K10-47 floor lamp in 1960, while the simple cylindrical shade also dates to the same year. By integrating these hallmark features, this lamp exemplifies Wirkkala’s ability to synthesize existing design elements into a cohesive and innovative new form. Notably, the lamp incorporates Wirkkala’s specially designed incandescent bulb, model WIR105, introduced in 1959 and intended to be used without shades. That year, Wirkkala designed a series of angular opal glass incandescent bulbs for Airam Oy, each assigned a unique WIR serial code. The original series consisted of three models, but by the mid-1960s, only two remained in production (WIR85 and WIR105), continuing to be manufactured until 1991. From 1959 onward, all of Wirkkala’s lighting designs were based on these distinctive bulbs. His approach to lighting design often involved creating modular series, where initial models functioned as foundational elements. By combining and varying different components, he was able to produce a wide array of lighting variations. While Idman Oy manufactured the lamp structures and armatures, the lampshades were produced by Iittala Glassworks. Biography One of Finland's leading designers was Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) who made a great contribution to Scandinavian mid-century modern design of the 20th century. Born and raised in Helsinki, Wirkkala started his education at the National School of Applied Arts in the capital. Afterwards, he began his career in graphic design. At the age of twenty-five, the outbreak of the Second World War started and Wirkkala soon served the Finnish army. As the war ended in 1945, Wirkkala continued his work as a designer by joining the glass manufacturer ‘Iittala’, where he worked on numerous designs till the end of his life. Wirkkala's approach to design was highly innovative and ranged from furniture, porcelain, glass, jewelry and tableware. His talent excelled in combining organic forms into industrial manufactured designs. A striking example are his inlaid coffee tables that he designed for Asko. For this, he used laminated sheets of plywood sanded to a smooth surface that resembles an abstract leaf. It represents the main approach in his designs; a sculptural and elegant modern exterior that blends perfectly with simplicity and functionality.

Creator:
Tapio Wirkkala (Designer),Idman Oy (Manufacturer)
Dimensions:
Height: 29.14 in (74 cm)Width: 14.18 in (36 cm)Depth: 3.94 in (10 cm)
Style:
Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Brass,Glass
Place of Origin:
Finland
Period:
1950-1959
Date of Manufacture:
1960s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Every item Morentz offers is checked by our team of 30 craftspeople in our in-house workshop. Special restoration or reupholstery requests can be done. Check ‘About the item’ or ask our design specialists for detailed information on the condition.
Seller Location:
Waalwijk, NL
Reference Number:
Seller: 501168971stDibs: LU933144056112

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.

Materials

Brass

Vintage brass desk lamp in the style of Finish designer Paavo Tynell, made in Scandinavia in the 1930s The obliquely cut brass shade has a perforated pattern of small stars, the ins...

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