Kastehelmi tea towel 47 x 70 cm

Kastehelmi (“dewdrop” in Finnish) draws inspiration from dewdrops glistening like a string of pearls under the morning sun and refers to the circles of delicate bubbles in the pressed glass that give each piece in the collection its distinct character. Originally designed by Oiva Toikka in 1964, the Kastehelmi series was relaunched in 2010. Toikka came up with the idea to use droplets of glass as decoration when trying to find a way to hide joint marks left in the production process. The result was a unique design that features rings of tiny glass bubbles that extend outwards from the center of each piece. The droplet enhanced the optical quality of Iittala’s glass recipe resulting in a glass that is like no other. For over fifty years, Kastehelmi has been a beloved Iittala series.

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, a series designed for Iittala 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.