Lancet II thumbnail 1
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Lancet II

Form
1952 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Iittala Glassworks (manufacturer)
Sarpaneva, Timo (designer)
Place of origin
Finland (made)

This piece is one of the exclusive 'Lansetti' (Lancet) series made by the Finnish Iittala glassworks. The series was made in two versions. Lansetti I did not have the base or the slimmed foot you can see here on Lansetti II. The designer, Timo Sarpaneva, worked with a wide variety of materials. In 1950 he joined Iittala, where he designed both sculptural pieces, such as the Lansetti series, and popular everyday glass. He also created the distinctive red 'i' symbol that has become the Iittala logo.

Object details

Categories
ELISE
Glass
Object type
Form
Titles
  • Lancet II (manufacturer's title)
  • Lansetti II (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Cased glass, clear over opaque white
Brief description
Form, Finland, designed by Timo Sarpaneva, for Iittala glassworks, 1952
Dimensions
  • Height: 25.5cm
Style
20TH CONT
Marks and inscriptions
'Timo Sarpaneva Iittala' incised (Makers's mark)
Gallery label
This design was shown at the Triennale, Milan 1954, where it was awarded a grand prix. The 'Lansetti' series were made in two versions; Lansetti I does not have the slimmed foot, or base. This example, Lansetti II, was purchased from the exhibition 'Modern Art in Finland' which travelled to London, Leeds, Brighton and Dublin in 1953. The series was almost instantly translated into classics of their time. Timo Sarpaneva (b.1926) joined Iittala in 1950 and, like Wirkkala (see 9576 etc), he designs for a wide variety of other materials. In glass he has produced designs for the most exclusive of Iittala production, as here, and for the most popular as in the ubiquitous 'Festivo' series of candlesticks (see 0197). He was also responsible for the red 'i' symbol, the Iittala logo.
Summary
This piece is one of the exclusive 'Lansetti' (Lancet) series made by the Finnish Iittala glassworks. The series was made in two versions. Lansetti I did not have the base or the slimmed foot you can see here on Lansetti II. The designer, Timo Sarpaneva, worked with a wide variety of materials. In 1950 he joined Iittala, where he designed both sculptural pieces, such as the Lansetti series, and popular everyday glass. He also created the distinctive red 'i' symbol that has become the Iittala logo.
Bibliographic reference
Opie,J: Scandinavia; ceramics & glass in the 20thC Sarpaneva's own book R Craig Miller ....(see handlist guff)
Other number
9629 - Glass gallery number
Collection
Ceramics Collection
Accession number
CIRC.458-1954

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Record createdDecember 13, 1997
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O6866/lancet-ii-form-sarpaneva-timo/
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