Alvar Aalto 'Aalto' vase for Iittala - the best-known glass object in the world

This was described by Magnus Englund and Chrystina Schmidt in their book, "Scandinavian Modern" (Ryland, Peters & Small, London and New York, 2003) as "Perhaps the best-known glass object in the world..."  It is certainly an absolute classic of modern glass design.  It was designed in 1936 by architect Alvar Aalto as an entry in a competition at the Karhula-iitala glassworks, and won first prize.  The firm was seeking designs for the Paris World's Fair of 1937, and this was the winning entry. 

One of the first purchasers of the vase was the Savoy restaurant in Helsinki (which Aalto had designed) and the vase was known until 1970 as the 'Savoy' vase.  In 1970 it was changed to "Aalto".  The vase is still produced at iittala in various sizes and colours. 

Width: 15 cm (6 inches)
Height: 12 cm
Weight: 670 g
Marked ALVAR ALTO to the base
Condition: very light wear to the base, a 1mm fleabite to the inner rim, three lines from manufacture, a few small scratches to the exterior (longest 2mm)

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Our Reference: 2535

This item has sold for US $80.00

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