Savoy thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Glass, Room 131

Savoy

Vase
1937 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Vase, Finland, designed by Alvar Aalto, for Karhula glassworks, 1937


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleSavoy (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Mould-blown glass
Brief description
Vase, Finland, designed by Alvar Aalto, for Karhula glassworks, 1937
Dimensions
  • Height: 14.5cm
  • Width: 18.1cm
  • Length: 17.9cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
'Karhula 22 IX 37' acid etched (Makers's mark)
Gallery label
The design for the Savoy Restaurant and its furnishings were commissioned by the Ahlström corporation which included the Karhula and Iittala glassworks. The vase is one of a group of designs which won first prize in a competition organised by Karhula Iittala in 1936. The series was first shown internationally at Paris in 1937. See also C.194 and 195-1987 for examples in the same series made in 1986. Designed by Aalto for the Savoy Restaurant in Helsinki; this example is one of the first made of bottle glass and blown into a wooden mould
Object history
This vase was one of 60 made to be given to journalists on their visit to the factory in 1937. The date etched on the base of the vase indicates the date of this visit. It is rare to find vases surviving from this series, especially outside of Finland. (Notes after meeting with Timo Riekko, Curator at the Alvar Aalto Museum, Finland, 25/04/2017).
Bibliographic reference
Opie,J: Scandinavia; ceramics & glass in the 20thC, cat 189
Other number
9601 - Glass gallery number
Collection
Accession number
C.226-1987

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Record createdDecember 13, 1997
Record URL
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