Set of 4 Niva shot glasses by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala, Finland, 1970s.
Each Niva glass is a miniature landscape — hand-blown into a hand-carved mould that captures the texture of water in motion, of melting ice and shifting currents. Designed by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala, this series embodies his ability to translate the Nordic environment into tactile form.
The surface relief evokes the moment when ice begins to dissolve, when solidity gives way to fluidity. These shot glasses carry the same sculptural precision as Wirkkala’s larger works, turning a functional object into an atmospheric experience.
Only one set available.
OBJECT SPECIFICATIONS
PRODUCT: Set of 4 Niva shot 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 water in motion / melting ice-like relief, signature of the Niva series
CONDITION: Excellent condition — unused
DIMENSIONS: (+/–) Height: 8.5 cm; Diameter: 3.5 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.