Iceberg thumbnail 1
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Iceberg

Vase
1950 (designed), 1962-1963 (made)
Artist/Maker
Iittala Glassworks (manufacturer)
Wirkkala, Tapio (designer)
Place of origin
Finland (made)

Vase, Finland, designed by Tapio Wirkkala, for Iittala glassworks, 1950-1969

Object details

Categories
Glass
Vases
Object type
Vase
Titles
  • Iceberg (manufacturer's title)
  • Jäävuori (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Mould-blown glass
Brief description
Vase, Finland, designed by Tapio Wirkkala, for Iittala glassworks, 1950-1969
Dimensions
  • Height: 20.2cm
Style
20TH CONT
Marks and inscriptions
'Tapio Wirkkala J3825' incised (Makers's mark)
Gallery label
Tapio Wirkkala (1915-85) is the most famous of the multi-talented Finnish designers of the post-war period. He joined Iittala in 1946 and won numerous awards throughout his career. He trained as a sculptor and was a wood-carver of great sensitivity, bringing those skills to his work in glass, ceramics and metal, as well as a larger-than-life personality and an unshakeable devotion to the rigours of northern Finland. He was one of the most subtle and brilliant of those designers inspired by Finland's landscape and the several series based on ice-like forms are some of the best known. This design and (9592) Jääpala were in the exhibition 'Finlandia' (designed by Timo Sarpaneva) which toured Europe and was held in the Museum in 1961. It was followed by the travelling exhibition 'Glass Today' organised by the Museum's Department of Circulation in 1963
Production
in production 1952-69, this example made about 1962-63
Bibliographic reference
1) Opie,J: Scandinavia; ceramics & glass in the 20thC, V&A.M>, 1989, cat.no.198. 2) Helsinki, Finnish Society of Arts & Crafts: 'Tapio Wirkkala', (exhibition catalogue), 1985
Other number
9594 - Glass gallery number
Collection
Ceramics Collection
Accession number
CIRC.438-1964

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Record createdDecember 13, 1997
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O6842/iceberg-vase-wirkkala-tapio/
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