Ateenan aamu

Kaj Franck created Ateenan Aamu (Finnish for “morning in Athens”) after being inspired by the beauty of Greece and wanting to find a way to bring a piece of it back home with him. The sculpture is made of glass pendants and when moved by the wind, the delicate bubbles make a soft, melodic sound reminiscent of church bells ringing in Athens on a Sunday morning. In 2011, Iittala relaunched Ateenan Aamu in honor of Franck’s 100th birthday.

Iittala Designer Oiva Toikka

OIVA TOIKKA

Oiva Toikka (1931-2019) is one of the great personas of Finnish glass design. His imaginative, rich and bold glass art is a departure from mainstream Nordic design. Toikka’s individual style is also evident in the utility objects he creates as they often deviate from the traditional clean-lined puritanism of Finnish design aesthetics. In addition to glass, his artistic activities cover staging, fashion design and plastic interior design elements.

Toikka has gained a solid international reputation throughout his prolific career, which dates back to the 1950s, having worked with well-known designers and artists both in Finland and abroad. He has won several prestigious awards including the Kaj Franck Design Prize and the Prince Eugen Medal. In 1993, Toikka was given the honorary title of Professor of the Arts by the state of Finland. Birds by Toikka series combines the artist’s limitless imagination with his expertise in the characteristics of glass. The unique and colorful birds, which are all handmade, have become the passion of collector’s worldwide.