"TUPA" TUMBLER 5213/2381 200ml

The TUPA series is the only product designed by Kaj Franck during his four years at IITTALA (from 1946 to 1950), inspired by his second and third place awards in the KARHULA-IITTALA design competition in 1946. It was also the first glass product he designed in his career. It was unveiled at the Stockmann department store in 1948 and subsequently manufactured until 1954.

The TUPA series is a reproduction of 'WALDGLAS' (forest glass), which was produced in Finland until the mid-19th century. The glass, called "antique green," was specially developed for this series.

This is a tumbler from the TUPA series, manufactured from 1949 to 1954.

'WALDGLAS' (forest glass) is a green glass primarily made from forest ash and sand. It is not uniform or high-quality glass, often containing air bubbles, wrinkles, and impurities.

We have handled many TUPA series products, and most of them have had scratches, scuffs, and stains. This phenomenon is not observed in IITTALA products from the same era and is likely a characteristic of this type of glass. Even with the same product number, there are individual differences in glass thickness and form. Please be aware of this.

*There are signs of use, such as scuffs and scratches.

KAJ FRANCK｜Kaj Franck｜1911–1989｜FINLAND

Kaj Franck is one of the leading designers representing 20th-century Finnish modern design. He studied under Arttu Brummer at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in Helsinki (now Aalto University). After graduation, he worked in a wide range of fields, including furniture, interior design, and textiles.

In 1945, he was invited to Arabia as chief designer at the request of Kurt Ekholm, where he was responsible for refreshing tableware necessary for post-war daily life. In 1946, he became a glass designer at Iittala after winning an award in the Karhula-Iittala competition. However, in 1950, he moved to Nuutajärvi, a group company under Wärtsilä (the same parent company as Arabia), and as director, began designing glassware with a shared philosophy with Arabia.

Kaj Franck's design philosophy, also known as 'the conscience of Finland,' is based on the ideas of "design for the masses" and "the social responsibility of designers." He designed many universal products that could be used for a long time, using simple geometric forms and color expressions without ornamentation.

Arabia's KILTA (now TEEMA) series and Nuutajärvi's tumbler 5027 (now KARTIO) series are long-selling products that are still manufactured by Iittala today. On the other hand, Franck also created many highly artistic unique glass pieces at Nuutajärvi through an artisanal approach, which shows his artistic side.

From 1960, he was also involved in education at the School of Art and Design in Helsinki (now Aalto University), having a significant impact on Finnish design education. He received numerous awards, including the Lunning Prize (1955), the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale (1957), and the Compasso d'Oro (1957).