This is a vintage flower vase from Kastehelmi, the leading Finnish glassware manufacturer. It looks like a drinking glass, but was designed as a decorative piece. Its unique design also doubles as a candle holder when turned upside down.
The series name Kastehelmi means "dew" or "drop" in Finnish, and was designed in 1964 by Oiva Toikka, the king of glass artists. The vintage pieces are characterized by the plump, three-dimensional surface of the beads, and the fineness of each individual bead. They are as beautiful as pearls. Reproductions of Kastehelmi are still being produced today, but the beads are small and flat, and lack depth in their beauty when held up to light. Also, since this flower vase has not been reproduced, it can only be obtained as a vintage piece.
The manufacturer was originally Nuutajärvi, the oldest glass factory in Finland, which later became a joint venture with ARABIA, and the current reproductions are produced under the Iittala umbrella. These are old works, and the unique transparency of vintage pieces is no longer available.
■ Detailed specifications
Manufacturer: Nuutajarvi・ARABIA
Designer: Oiva Toikka Series: Kastehelmi Year: 1964-1988 Country of origin: Finland Condition: ★★★★★ (5: Complete)
This is a deadstock item in perfect original condition with no cracks or chips.
■Size
Height 15.5cm, diameter approx. 7cm, candle inner diameter 2.5cm
Oiva Toikka
Oiva Toikka ( 1931-2019)
One of Finland's great glass designers. His imaginative, tasteful and bold glass art distances himself from the mainstream of Scandinavian design. Toikka's artistic activities extend beyond glass to include stage production, fashion design, and plastic interior design. He has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Kai Frank Design Award and the Prince Eugene Medal, and was awarded the title of Honorary Professor of Art by Finland in 1993. The series ``Bird by Toikka'' designed for Iittala is a combination of Toikka's expertise in the properties of glass and the artist's imagination. The unique and colorful birds are all handmade by glass artisans and attract collectors from all over the world.