kaj Franck prisma vase crystal glass nuts jar I notsjo Finland 1963
About the Item
- Creator:Kaj Franck (Artist)
- Dimensions:Height: 4.75 in (12.07 cm)Width: 3.5 in (8.89 cm)Depth: 2.25 in (5.72 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1963
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Excellent. No chips etc.
- Seller Location:Farmingdale, NJ
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU9317236869132
Kaj Franck
Kaj Gabriel Franck was a leading figure in 20th-century Finnish design, specializing in ceramics and glass. As the creative director of Arabia Ceramics, now part of Iittala, he, along with fellow Finns Timo Sarpaneva and Tapio Wirkkala, helped popularize the bright, warm and curvy aesthetic of Scandinavian modernism. Design Forum Finland’s Kaj Franck Design Prize, established in 1992 and awarded each year around his birthday, is among the country’s most prestigious honors for designers.
Franck was born in 1911 in the city of Vyborg, which now belongs to Russia, but was then part of the Grand Duchy of Finland. He studied furniture design at the Central School of Industrial Design in Helsinki, and after graduating in 1932, worked as a catalogue illustrator for the Riihimäki glassworks, exploring interior and textile design on the side.
Having served in the Finnish armed forces during World War II, Franck joined Arabia in 1945 as their head of design. He remained with the company for many years, steering its line of tableware in a dynamic new direction. Franck professed an aversion to superfluous ornament. His ceramic designs were nevertheless complex and eye-catching, animated with playful, geometric forms. One of his most famous creations for Arabia was the Origami dish from the early 1960s, a glossy all-white serving piece resembling a subtly folded piece of paper with four shallow sections for holding food.
Although his Arabia ceramics became household staples for consumers in Scandinavia and beyond, Franck is better known among collectors for his glass designs, particularly those he created for Iittala starting in the late 1940s. In a 1947 Iittala-sponsored glass competition, Franck shared the top prize with Tapio Wirkkala. In 1950, he designed the company’s iconic Kartio series of pressed-glass pitchers and glasses, which came in different colors that consumers could “mix and match” rather than having to buy a homogeneous set. In 1977, Franck redesigned the series, renamed Teemaa.
Franck’s designs for Iittala embodied the Finnish concept of pelkistetty, which literally means “reduced” and in the design world refers to the pared-down, minimal qualities of modernism. This principle, evidenced in objects like his elegant, unfussy sets of jewel-toned drinking glasses from the 1960s, informed Franck’s view of the manufacturing process as well. Critical of mass production and consumerism, he was one of the country’s first professionals in his field to advocate recycling. He became known as the “conscience of Finnish design,” a role he embraced as a professor and later artistic director at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki.
In honor of Franck’s 100th birthday, in 2011, Iittala reissued Kartio glasses, Teema tableware and Purnukka jars, among other of his designs that retain their contemporary feel decades after their creation.
Find vintage Kaj Franck glass, vases and other furniture and decor on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Farmingdale, NJ
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Art deco etched Scotty terrier glass vase signedLocated in Farmingdale, NJA very clever composition, jagged edge indicating beard, perfect circluar eyes reminiscent of ‘orphan Annie’ Sunday-comic illustrations. Thick uniform etc...Category
Vintage 1920s Unknown Art Deco Vases
MaterialsArt Glass
- 1930s French glass wedding photo frame largeLocated in Farmingdale, NJRemarkable to find unbroken. Layered glass with wheat-sheath motif etching. Likely French but possibly Italian. Photo indicates this would be from the 1930s.Category
Vintage 1930s European Hollywood Regency Picture Frames
MaterialsCut Glass
- 1970s Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin Burl CredenzaBy Milo BaughmanLocated in Farmingdale, NJExtremely well cared for in its original factory finish. Cabinet is finished with Burl veneer on all sides, chrome is in perfect condition. No pitting or rust. No label present. ...Category
Vintage 1970s North American Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
MaterialsChrome
- 1960s Alvino Bagni Decanter Set MCM BitossiBy Alvino BagniLocated in Farmingdale, NJVery rare example, and in excellent condition! Imported by Raymor in the 1960s.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware
MaterialsCeramic
- Jens Risom for Knoll lounge chair pairLocated in Farmingdale, NJOne of the first commissioned chairs produced by Knoll. This example was manufactured in 2000; and is not currently being manufactured by Knoll. Both retain tags. Sold as a pair. N...Category
Early 2000s North American Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
MaterialsCotton
- 1960s Bkf Hardoy Butterfly Chairs for Knoll in BlackBy KnollLocated in Farmingdale, NJVintage BKF Hardoy “Butterfly Chairs” for knoll. Mid 20th century manufacture (1950-1970s) notice the slightly bent “ears” at top. Presented in their origin...Category
20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsIron
- Kaj Franck Prisma Vase Crystal Glass Nuutajärvi Notsjö Finland, 1964By Nuutajärvi Notsjõ, Kaj FranckLocated in Basel, BSOutstanding glass piece by the Finnish master Kaj Franck, model ‚Prisma‘ for Nuutajärvi in Notsjö, Finland, 1964. Mouth-blown and hand-polished crystal with a blue and yellow laye...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsCrystal
- Vase in Glass, Prisma Kaj Franck, Nuutajärvi Notsjö, 1960By Kaj Franck, Nuutajärvi NotsjõLocated in Stockholm, SEA lovely prisma vase in glass designed by Kaj Franck at Nuutajärvi Notsjö in Finland in 1960. The vase is 16 cm (6.4") high and 14 x 8 cm (5.6" x 3.2...Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Glass
MaterialsGlass
- Mid Century Kaj Franck Cobalt Blue Glass Vase for Nuutajarvi Notsjo, FinlandBy Nuutajärvi Notsjõ, Kaj FranckLocated in Bedford Hills, NYStunning cobalt blue glass vase by Kaj Franck for Nuutajarvi, Finland.Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsBlown Glass
- 1950s Kaj Franck Soap Bubble Glass Orb Nuutajarvi Notsjo FinlandBy Kaj FranckLocated in Hyattsville, MDA beautiful sculptural and fluid piece. The "Soap Bubble" vase in olive glass. Extensive signature, K. Franck, Nuutajarvi Notsjo Measures: 7 inch high.Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vases
MaterialsArt Glass
- Kaj Franck Prism Crystal Vase, Finland, 1960sBy Kaj FranckLocated in Uccle, BEA free blown, cased glass, facet cut Art-object “Prisma”, model KF 249, in blue, yellow and green hues. Designed by Kaj Franck in 1953 and executed by the Nuutajärvi-Notsjö glassworks, Finland in 1963. These vases were made between 1954 and 1968 in four different sizes ranges, this example falls within the medium/large size range. This "Prisma" is in good condition. No cracks or chips and only some minor scratches. It is fully marked underneath the base in diamond pen...Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vases
MaterialsCrystal
- 1957 Finnish Art Glass Vase by Kaj FranckBy Kaj FranckLocated in Chapel Hill, NC1957 Finnish blue grey "Usva" art glass vase by Kaj Franck. Made for Nuutajärvi Notsjö, Urjala. Franck was art director from 1950-1976. 6.5" h., 2.5" x 2....Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsArt Glass