Festivo candleholder 215 mm

Timo Sarpaneva originally designed the Festivo candle holder as a wine glass for himself. His goal was to be able to fit an entire bottle of wine into a single glass. The result was a rough surfaced, ice-like glass with the bowl and base sections blown separately. One day when noticing the base sections sitting on their own in the factory, they were inspired to turn them into candle holders-- and so the prototype of a new classic was born. In production since 1967, the Festivo series has become a true icon of the Finnish home.

Timo Sarpaneva (1926-2006) was an international force in Finnish design. A designer, sculptor and educator, Sarpaneva’s pioneering glass work merged art with utilitarian design. Besides glass, he also worked with textiles, wood, porcelain and metal. Sarpaneva’s unique industrial design that helped to pioneer Finland’s global design reputation. Sarpaneva’s works are exhibited internationally. He has received much recognition throughout his illustrious career including the Lunning Prize and was twice awarded at the Milan Triennale. In 1976, Sarpaneva received the honorary title of Professor from the Finnish government.

Throughout his long collaboration with Iittala, Sarpaneva was responsible for creating key hallmarks of the company’s style. He designed the “i” logo which serves as the symbol of the company. In addition, Iittala’s Sarpaneva, a cast-iron pot, is a timeless classic that has been recognized as an international design icon.