3550 art glass vase by Tapio Wirkkala, Iittala

Iittala art glass object and vase, model 3550, designed by Tapio Wirkkala and made in Finland in 1954. The model was produced from 1952 to 1959. This example is handmade and signed Tapio Wirkkala Iittala 1954.

Fine parallel lines are cut across the clear glass, running vertically from the heavy base towards the sculpted pointed rim. The narrow waist and changing outline give the small vase an unusually architectural presence.

Model 3550 and Wirkkala's Engraved Glass

Wirkkala began developing his distinctive language of organic glass forms and fine line engraving in the late 1940s. These ideas reached an international audience at the Milan Triennale in 1951, where his work in glass formed part of the success that established him as a major figure in postwar Finnish design.

Model 3550 belongs directly to this important period. Despite its compact size, it contains many of the qualities associated with Wirkkala's early Iittala art glass: a carefully shaped silhouette, controlled asymmetry and surface decoration that follows the form of the vessel.

The model is documented in design literature and represented in museum collections, including the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

Details

Designer: Tapio Wirkkala
Manufacturer: Iittala
Model: 3550
Country: Finland
Production: 1952 to 1959
This example: 1954
Material: Glass
Technique: Handmade glass with fine line cut decoration
Colour: Clear
Signature: Tapio Wirkkala Iittala 1954
Height: approx. 11 cm

Condition

Very good vintage condition with light traces of use. Some watermarks are present.

Reference

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, collection, Tapio Wirkkala, model 3550.