Iittala
Encyclopedia
Iittala is a Finnish
design
company specialising in houseware objects made on the principle of "modern Scandinavian design
". [N.B. The official logo of the Company is all in lower case - iittala.(See the link to the Company's webpage at the end of this article.) Using upper case for the initial i can cause some confusion as it may be mistaken for an L.] The Iittala Group consists of a number of businesses within its portfolio of operations: Arabia
, Hackman
, Iittala, BodaNova, Höganäs Keramik
, Rörstrand
and Høyang-Polaris.
The most famous products to be fabricated by the Iittala company are the glassware designs of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto
, such as the so-called Aalto Vase
(or Savoy vase) from 1936, and the glassware designs of Timo Sarpaneva
, who started designing glassware for the company in 1950. In 1956 Sarpaneva designed the Iittala i-logo. The company also sells glass birds designed by Oiva Toikka
.
Petrus Magnus Abrahamsson. The first workforce had to be brought from Sweden due to the lack of skilled glassblowers in Finland.
In 1917, the company was bought up by timber refinery company A. Ahlström
, who also owned the Karhula glass factory. These combined to become the Karhula-Iittala glass factory up until the 1950s. At first the factory specialised mostly in bottles for chemists and for holding lamp oil, though there was also some production of domestic items.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the company expanded into more experimental and artistic ventures, as well as producing more domestic products. One of the first major successes was the glassware designed by Aino Aalto
, followed later by the glassware of Alvar Aalto.
During the Winter War
and the Continuation War
, part of the Second World War, production came to a halt due to shortages of materials and workforce. Production restarted in 1946. Iittala enjoyed continued success up until the oil crisis of the mid-1970s, when it had to cut back on its operations. Sales of their products in Finland were also continuosuly under competition from the ever growing import of foreign glassware.
In 1987, A. Ahlström
sold Iittala to the Wärtsilä
company, which owned the greater share of the Nuutajärvi glass factory in Urjala
. Iittala was combined with the Nuutajärvi glass factory to become the Iittala-Nuutjärvi company. This company was bought by the Hackman company in 1990 - and at the same time they also bought other homeware manufacturers, Arabia and Rörstrand-Gustavsberg. In 2003 the company became known as Iittala, and in 2004 they came under the ownership of ABN AMRO Capital. Since 2007, Iittala is 97 percent owned by Fiskars
, while its operative management holds 3 percent of the shares.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
company specialising in houseware objects made on the principle of "modern Scandinavian design
Scandinavian Design
Scandinavian design emerged in the 1950s in the three Scandinavian countries , as well as Finland. It is a design movement characterized by simple designs, minimalism, functionality, and low-cost mass production....
". [N.B. The official logo of the Company is all in lower case - iittala.(See the link to the Company's webpage at the end of this article.) Using upper case for the initial i can cause some confusion as it may be mistaken for an L.] The Iittala Group consists of a number of businesses within its portfolio of operations: Arabia
Arabia (company)
Arabia is a Finnish ceramics company, founded in 1873, and currently owned by Fiskars. Arabia has specialized in kitchenware and tableware.The original Arabia porcelain factory is located in Toukola ; it continues to be one of Fiskars Corporation's production centres.Ulla Procopé was a well-known...
, Hackman
Hackman
Hackman was a cutlery and cookware company founded in Finland in 1790. Nowadays the Hackman brand is owned by Iittala Group, which was acquired by Fiskars Corporation in 2007....
, Iittala, BodaNova, Höganäs Keramik
Höganäs Keramik
Höganäs Keramik began its manufacturing operations as far back as 1909. Nowadays, the company is a typical design company and a part of Iittala Group, which is also known for BodaNova, Rörstrand and Iittala design brands, among others...
, Rörstrand
Rörstrand
Rörstrand porcelain was one of the most famous Swedish porcelain manufacturers, with production initially at Karlberg Sea on Kungsholmen in Stockholm.-History:...
and Høyang-Polaris.
The most famous products to be fabricated by the Iittala company are the glassware designs of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto
Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware...
, such as the so-called Aalto Vase
Aalto Vase
The Aalto Vase, also known as the Savoy Vase, is a world famous piece of glassware and an iconic piece of Finnish design created by Alvar Aalto and his wife Aino Marsio...
(or Savoy vase) from 1936, and the glassware designs of Timo Sarpaneva
Timo Sarpaneva
Timo Sarpaneva was an influential Finnish designer, sculptor, and educator best known in the art world for innovative work in glass, which often merged attributes of display art objects with utilitarian designations. While glass remained his most commonly addressed medium, he worked with metal,...
, who started designing glassware for the company in 1950. In 1956 Sarpaneva designed the Iittala i-logo. The company also sells glass birds designed by Oiva Toikka
Oiva Toikka
Oiva Toikka is a Finnish glass designer. Born in Karelia, he is renowned for his designs for glassware for Iittala the Finnish design company. Originally trained in ceramics, he took up glass design later in life. Along with his glassware designs, Toikka is best known after 1973 for his designs...
.
Brief history
The founding of the Iittala company is said to date to 1881, when a glass factory was founded by SwedeSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Petrus Magnus Abrahamsson. The first workforce had to be brought from Sweden due to the lack of skilled glassblowers in Finland.
In 1917, the company was bought up by timber refinery company A. Ahlström
Ahlstrom
Ahlstrom is a Finnish wood processing firm and a global manufacturer of specialty papers and nonwoven materials, using natural and synthetic fibers to produce roll goods for customers who turn them into hundreds of products. Ahlstrom's shares have been traded on the main list of the Helsinki Stock...
, who also owned the Karhula glass factory. These combined to become the Karhula-Iittala glass factory up until the 1950s. At first the factory specialised mostly in bottles for chemists and for holding lamp oil, though there was also some production of domestic items.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the company expanded into more experimental and artistic ventures, as well as producing more domestic products. One of the first major successes was the glassware designed by Aino Aalto
Aino Aalto
Aino Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer. She was born in Helsinki, and completed her school education in 1913 at the Helsingin Suomalainen Tyttökoulu...
, followed later by the glassware of Alvar Aalto.
During the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
and the Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
, part of the Second World War, production came to a halt due to shortages of materials and workforce. Production restarted in 1946. Iittala enjoyed continued success up until the oil crisis of the mid-1970s, when it had to cut back on its operations. Sales of their products in Finland were also continuosuly under competition from the ever growing import of foreign glassware.
In 1987, A. Ahlström
Ahlstrom
Ahlstrom is a Finnish wood processing firm and a global manufacturer of specialty papers and nonwoven materials, using natural and synthetic fibers to produce roll goods for customers who turn them into hundreds of products. Ahlstrom's shares have been traded on the main list of the Helsinki Stock...
sold Iittala to the Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä is a Finnish corporation which manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy markets. The core products of Wärtsilä include large combustion engines...
company, which owned the greater share of the Nuutajärvi glass factory in Urjala
Urjala
Urjala is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Pirkanmaa region, near Forssa. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
. Iittala was combined with the Nuutajärvi glass factory to become the Iittala-Nuutjärvi company. This company was bought by the Hackman company in 1990 - and at the same time they also bought other homeware manufacturers, Arabia and Rörstrand-Gustavsberg. In 2003 the company became known as Iittala, and in 2004 they came under the ownership of ABN AMRO Capital. Since 2007, Iittala is 97 percent owned by Fiskars
Fiskars
The Fiskars Corporation is a metal and consumer brands company founded in 1649 at Fiskars Bruk , a locality now in the town of Raseborg, Finland, about 100 km west of Helsinki on the old main road from Turku to Vyborg...
, while its operative management holds 3 percent of the shares.
External links
- Iittala Group website
- Iittala history - at FinnishDesign.com