iittala Toikka Ping Bird - BR005452

Toikka’s birds share a lot in common with birds from the real world. His Pulu (Pigeon) is instantly recognizable as a cousin of a real-life pigeon. Like the latter, the feathers on Toikka’s Pigeon reflect the colors of the rainbow back at you when the light hits them, awakening memories of the doves of the storytelling age. The blunt forms of his glass pigeon also make it a very down-to-earth creation. Realism and imagination join hands here.

The first birds created by Oiva Toikka and the glassblowers of the Nuutajarvi Glass Factory, the oldest in Finland, saw the light of day in 1973. Each bird is a unique individual, signed with the artist's name as well as the name of Nuutajarvi. The Birds are cherished and valued gifts, and are irresistible to collectors around the world.


Designed by: Oiva Toikka

Sand, soda, lime and fire. In the heart of the hot shop, in a fiery kiln, elements meld to create the red-hot glass mass. A skilled hand grabs a pipe, lifts a gather of glass out of the oven, and starts working it: calmly, phase by phase. Twirl, lift, blow - a small miracle takes place: the unique idea of an artist appears in the mass. At the iittala glass factory in Nuuttajarvi, a millennia-old tradition of glassmaking is strongly alive. This is the birthplace of iittala's jewels - the glass birds.

Each bird is mouth-blown, and three to five craftsmen work on each bird as it is being produced resulting in each bird being one of a kind. The birds are constructed entirely of glass; their vivid colors come from the glass, not from paint. Oiva Toikka explores the opportunities offered by glass, exploiting the renowned iittala skill with color, and the transparency and opacity of glass. There is great virtuosity in the way filigree and filigree tape have been used to depict the bird's plumage. In his birds, Oiva Toikka uses glass like a painter uses his palette.


Features:

• Individually handmade
• Overall Dimensions: 5.75" H x 3.25" W
• Please Note: Due to the nature of hand-blown glass, actual color may vary slightly from the colors pictured