Set of 2 Aslak glasses by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala, Finland, 1970s.
The Aslak series by Tapio Wirkkala transforms the Nordic landscape into geometry — each glass pressed in a mould that captures the sensation of fractured ice and frozen movement. The surface texture — dense, sculptural, and refractive — turns light into matter. Held in the hand, the glass feels both raw and precise, like a fragment carved from the Arctic itself.
Each piece is slightly different, revealing the imprint of the handmade mould and the pressure of the pressing process. More than drinking vessels, they are micro-architectures of glass — functional yet deeply poetic.
Only one set available.
OBJECT SPECIFICATIONS
PRODUCT: Set of 2 Aslak tumbler glasses
DESIGNER: Tapio Wirkkala
MANUFACTURER: Iittala
ORIGIN: Finland
PERIOD: 1970s
MATERIAL & TECHNIQUE: Pressed glass | hand-blown into a hand-carved mould
COLOR: Clear
TEXTURE: Texture of ice-like relief, signature of the Aslak series
CONDITION: Excellent condition — unused
DIMENSIONS: (+/–) Height: 14.5 cm; Diameter: 8 cm
Tapio Wirkkala
A pioneer of 20th-century design, Tapio Wirkkala (1915–1985) transformed everyday objects into lasting icons. No other designer captured the northern landscape as a material experience quite like him. His glassworks — carved like wind over snow, melting into glacial textures — seem to hold breath rather than boast.
With Wirkkala, glass forgets its transparency. It thickens, fractures, freezes — like a lake caught in the moment before thaw. His glass objects, designed for the Finnish company Iittala, does not imitate nature — it distills it. Every ripple, bubble, and edge recalls glacial forms not as decoration, but as memory in solid state.
Today, Wirkkala’s textured glass pieces are highly prized by collectors and design lovers worldwide. They represent a perfect synthesis of art, design, and nature, influencing generations of glassmakers. His works serve not only as functional tableware or decorative objects but also as timeless art pieces embodying the spirit of Scandinavian and Nordic modernism.