Vintage glass bowl from the brutalist modernist Lunar Eclipse series, featuring bold bronze Pitsi (Finnish for lace) decoration. The substantial vases and bowls from this series were designed as both functional objects and works of art by Finnish designer and jeweler Pentti Sarpaneva.
Signed: Pentti Sarpaneva Oy Kumela.
Sarpaneva’s interior designs were known for their monumental character. His vases and bowls often incorporated elements reminiscent of the architectural decoration of the period. This particular piece evokes the forms and textures of modernist buildings of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
At the same time, its composition has a distinctly cosmic quality, suggesting the moon in different phases of an eclipse. It is an unusually complex and fascinating example of Sarpaneva’s work.
Period: 1960s Manufacturer: Kumela glassworks, Finland Height and side length: 14.5 cm
Condition: Very good vintage condition, minimal traces of use.
This series is mentioned in the book on 20th-century Scandinavian glass by American researchers L. Pina and L. Vigier, titledScandinavian Glass 1930-2000: Ice and Fire.
