Tapio Wirkkala, Two Silver Bowls, Kultakeskus & Hopeatehdas, Finland 1959 & 1960

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Tapio Wirkkala, Two Silver Bowls, Kultakeskus & Hopeatehdas, Finland 1959 & 1960

About the Item

Tapio Wirkkala, two silver bowls, Kultakeskus & Hopeatehdas, Finland, 1959 and 1960 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 jewellery, 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. Description Small spiraled sterling silver bowl, model TW 111, handmade to order by the craftsmen of Kultakeskus Oy, Hämeenlinna Finland, in 1959. Silver-fineness is 916H (916/1000), weight 60 grams. The bowl has an organic oval shape, from the front it spirals to the centre. Small silver bowl in the form of an abstracted seashell, handmade by the craftsmen of Hopeatehdas Oy, Helsinki in 1960. Silver fineness is 813H (813/1000), weight 72 grams. The bowl has a rounded triangular shape, a part of the surface has been hammered into waves resembling the surface of a seashell. The bowl itself is mounted on three half-ballfeet. The "Seashell" is one of the very few pieces by Tapio Wirkkala that are mentioned in this Catalogue Raissonné but not illustrated in it. The reason for this is that the documentation for the designs Wirkkala made for Hopeatehdas were lost. This is also the reason why these designs were not given modelnumbers. Execution Kultakeskus Oy Hämeenlinna Finland, 1959. Handmade to order. Hopeatehdas Oy Helsinki Finland 1960. Handmade. Marked TW (Tapio Wirkkala), 916H (916/1000 silver-fineness), reclining lion (Kultakeskus Oy mark), crown in heart (Finish National control mark), F7 (Year mark for 1959) and three stylized towers (Hämeenlinna city hallmark). Tapio Wirkkala, 813H (813/1000 silver-fineness), Hopeatehdas Oy mark, crown in heart (Finish National control mark), G7 (Year mark for 1960) stylized boat (Helsinki city hallmark). Condition Model TW 111 is in good vintage condition. No malformations, some minor scratches and small stains. One minor dent on the rim. Minor wear consistent with age and use. The "Seashell" is in good vintage condition. No malformations, some minor scratches. The ballfeet are dented, due to use and there is a personalized engraving on the reverse not visible when placed on a surface. Dimensions Model TW 111 H. 2.4 cm W. 11.9 cm D. 8.8 cm Weight 60 grams "Seashell" H. 2.5 cm W. 13.1 cm D. 11.3 cm Weight 72 grams Literature Marianne Aav, TAPIO WIRKKALA eye, hand and thought: P. 165 p. 362.

Creator:
Kultakeskus Oy (Maker),Tapio Wirkkala (Artist)
Dimensions:
Height: 0.95 in (2.4 cm)Width: 3.47 in (8.8 cm)Depth: 4.69 in (11.9 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Silver,Sterling Silver,Hammered,Hand-Crafted,Polished
Place of Origin:
Finland
Period:
1950-1959
Date of Manufacture:
1959 and 1960
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. These bowls are in good vintage condition. No malformations, some minor scratches and minor stains. Minor wear consistent with age and use. TW 111 has one minor dent on the rim. "Seashell" has dented ballfeet and personalised inscription.
Seller Location:
EL Waalre, NL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU5141222771892

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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