Kaj Franck KF240 Sommerso Vase

This piece was designed by Kaj Franck for Nuutajärvi Notsjö, Finland, in 1956.

Kaj Franck is best known for his highly successful homewares of the early 1950's. These utilitarian designs were so influential that, even today, Franck remains a quiet part in the everyday life of many Finns.

Franck's art objects, such as this piece, made a slightly smaller contribution to Finland's domestic aesthetic of the mid-20th century, but they instead helped to solidify the formidable artistic position of Finland's glass industry on the world stage.

This strikingly modernist vase utilises the sommerso technique, where coloured molten glass is dipped into glass of a different colour, to create contrasting layers. For this piece, Franck has chosen a deep red glass & green-grey smoke. The softly ovoid vase has been cased also in clear glass.

Of the many art pieces designed by Franck throughout the 1950's & 60's, this design is one of the hardest to find.