Timo Sarpaneva Heart Vase

Iittala are widely regarded as the most important post-war glass manufacturer in the world. Their huge success was accelerated in the 1950's when innovative designs by Tapio Wirkkala and Timo Sarpaneva took the Milan Triennale's by storm. This secured the glassworks' reputation as innovators in modernist design, and positioned Finland as a beacon of progressive ideas for the modern world. 

The sheer energy and enthusiasm at the factory during the mid 20th century can be attributed to the rivalry between the two aforementioned designers. This conflict only brought out the very best in each designer, defining the language of modernism in the process.

This elegant vase was designed in 1953 by Timo Sarpaneva. The organic shape gently takes the form of a heart, and suspended within floats a small cavity to take a stem of a small flower. This is an excellent example of Sarpaneva's artistic capabilities, exploiting the unique liquid properties of the medium of glass to create an object of poetry.