Skip to main content

Tapio Wirkkala

Finnish, 1915-1985

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.

Find vintage Tapio Wirkkala furniture on 1stDibs.

Average Sold Price
$843
Styles
Materials
Related Creators
Venini Medium Bolle Glass Vase in White and Green by Tapio Wirkkala
By Venini, Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase in white and green designed by Tapio Wirkkala in 1966. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or statement piece for any room...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tapio Wirkkala

Materials

Art Glass

Venini Bolle Tall Glass Vase in Grey and Blue-Green by Tapio Wirkkala
By Venini, Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase in grey and blue-green designed by Tapio Wirkkala in 1966. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or statement piece for any room. Dimensions: 10 cm diameter...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tapio Wirkkala

Materials

Art Glass

Large Tapio Wirkkala 'Stellaria' 3450 Vase/Bowl SKÅL for Iittala, 1960s
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Brescia , Brescia
Elevate your collection with this stunning Tapio Wirkkala 'Stellaria' 3450 vase/bowl SKÅL, crafted for Iittala in the 1960s. This iconic piece, designed by the legendary Finnish desi...
Category

1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala

Materials

Art Glass

Ice Glass Vase / bowl / centerpiece by Tapio Wirkkala for Humppila, 1960s
By Tapio Wirkkala, Humppila 1
Located in Buffalo, NY
Ice Glass Vase / bowl / centerpiece by Tapio Wirkkala for Humppila, 1960s,, Stunning brutalist design,, Amazing blue color,, Retains original label.
Category

1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala

Materials

Art Glass

Tapio Wirkkala by Soinne et Kni Leaf Tray
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Ferndale, MI
Iconic and rare Tapio Wirkkala rythmic aeroplan / plywood range leaf tray awarded as most beautiful object of the world at the triennale IX in 1951 and received the gold medal. Produ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Tapio Wirkkala

Materials

Wood

Large 'Stellaria' Bowl by Tapio Wirkkala
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Dronten, NL
Large Tapio Wirkkala Stellaria bowl #3450 by Iittala in mould-blown clear glass. Engraved: Tapio Wirkkala 3450. Marked with a remnant of an Iittala sticker. Tapio Wirkkala (1915-198...
Category

1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala

Materials

Glass

Tapio Wirkkala Blown and Frosted Glass Vase
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABA
Tapio Wirkkala Blown and Frosted Glass Vase Beautiful Vase from the fifties, with an innovative shape and modernist colors where red predominates but I cut it with that light blue th...
Category

20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Tapio Wirkkala

Materials

Art Glass

Fine Midcentury Tapio Wirkkala Rosenthal Coffee Set Gilt White Porcelain 1960s
By Rosenthal, Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Nierstein am Rhein, DE
Fine and exquisite Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal studio-linie gilt white porcelain coffee set for 6 persons, Germany around 1960s to 1970s. This set belongs to the cabinet pieces so r...
Category

1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapio Wirkkala

Materials

Porcelain

Browse all Furniture from Tapio Wirkkala
Shop Now

Creators Similar to Tapio Wirkkala

More Tapio Wirkkala Designs
Tapio Wirkkala Triennale Pendant Light
Tapio Wirkkala Triennale Pendant Light
Average Price
$4,376
Number Available
11
Tapio Wirkkala Triennale Pendant Light
By Tapio Wirkkala
Materials
Glass
Styles
Mid Century Modern, Scandinavian Modern
Shop All

Tapio Wirkkala furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Tapio Wirkkala furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of glass and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Tapio Wirkkala furniture, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 263 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 19 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Tapio Wirkkala were created in the Scandinavian Modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Timo Sarpaneva, Kaj Franck, and Nuutajärvi Notsjõ. Prices for Tapio Wirkkala furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $57 and can go as high as $37,426, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,945.

Recently Viewed

View All