Established in 2006
Item No.: OIVA044
Designer: OIVA TOIKKA
Maker: Nuutajärvi
Size: H:240mm W:80mm D: 80mm
A unique goblet designed by Oiva Toikka.
In 1970, Oiva Toikka received the prestigious Lunning Prize, awarded to Nordic designers. As part of the prize, he undertook a four-month study tour abroad, traveling through Central and South America (Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru) and East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda).
The nature, indigenous cultures, distinctive patterns, and crafts he encountered on this journey became a lasting source of inspiration, and the experience was reflected in a number of his later works.
This piece is one such example. Like the series works “IGLU” (1973), “PUTELI” (1975), and “PIENNAR” (1975), it uses bubble-filled glass. This type of glass was inspired by the glass Toikka saw during his visit to Mexico, made with simple equipment and materials containing impurities.
The work combines a solid geometric form composed of rectangular and cylindrical elements with the softer texture of bubble-filled glass.
It is thought to date from the 1970s. Cut-signed “Oiva Toikka Nuutajärvi Notsjö.” A highly rare piece.
* In good condition with no noticeable damage.
Oiva Toikka was a Finnish designer, artist, and educator. He studied ceramics at the School of Art and Design in Helsinki under Elsa Elenius.
After completing his ceramics studies in 1956, Toikka began his career as a designer at Arabia, moving to its Art Department six months later. In 1957, he also designed glass products for Nuutajärvi, which, like Arabia, was then part of Wärtsilä. In 1958, he held his first solo exhibition, presenting ceramic works with expressive animal motifs full of humor and strength. The exhibition was highly regarded and marked a new direction in Finnish ceramics.
After leaving Arabia in 1959, Toikka returned to the School of Art and Design to study in the art teacher training program. He later taught at several institutions while continuing his design work, including projects for Marimekko. In 1963, he was invited to join Nuutajärvi as a glass designer. After Nuutajärvi and Iittala merged in 1988, he continued as an in-house designer until 1996, and thereafter remained involved in glass production as an artistic consultant until 2019.
Among his product designs are well-known series such as “Kastehelmi” and “Fauna.” In art glass, he created many widely recognized works, including bird sculptures beginning with “Sieppo,” as well as “Lollipop” and “Pom Pom.” He also designed unique pieces for exhibitions, pursuing forms of artistic expression distinct from mass-produced objects.
Toikka’s glass works were not realized through design concepts and ideas alone; they took shape through close collaboration with glassblowers. Through dialogue and experimentation in the workshop, he incorporated the skills and knowledge of individual craftspeople into his work. The technical, chromatic, and formal discoveries made in his unique pieces were applied not only to art glass but also to product design, allowing his work to move fluidly across the boundaries of art and design.
By bringing humor, fantasy, and ornament into glass, Toikka positioned himself apart from the functional and rational currents often associated with Nordic design. He pursued forms that embraced chance, material behavior, and the visible traces of handwork.
His practice extended beyond ceramics and glass to textile design, graphic design, exhibition design, opera stage design, and costume design.
As an educator, Toikka was also deeply involved in mentoring younger generations. He taught at several institutions, including the School of Art and Design in Helsinki, Konstfack in Stockholm, and the University of Sunderland in the United Kingdom. At Nuutajärvi, he also contributed to the transmission of glassmaking skills and to the glassblower training program launched in 1993.
His many awards include the Lunning Prize in 1970, the Pro Finlandia Medal in 1980, the Kaj Franck Design Prize in 1992, and the Prince Eugen Medal in 2001.
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This is a vintage / pre-owned item. We take great care in our sourcing and select only pieces in good condition.
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