Timo Sarpaneva Straight-Sided Bird Bottle
An early straight-sided 'Lintupullo' (Bird Bottle) in green by Timo Sarpaneva for Iittala, Finland, 1957.
This stylishly coloured and elegantly shaped carafe was designed in 1956 as part of Sarpaneva's ‘i-line’ series of fine table glassware. The series was Sarpaneva’s first range of mould-blown glass and was intended to bridge the void between art glass and household/utility glass.
It was marketed at a sophisticated international clientele and sold only in design shops and leading department stores. The range included a number of pitchers, plates, and glasses, and was principally produced in three colours of Sarpaneva’s own making; green, purple, and blue (together with an existing grey and colourless). Examples of the i-400 in the latter two colours can be seen in the British Museum.
The slim circumference of the bottle and its delicately proportioned spout means it sits beautifully in the hand and pours perfectly.
Model number: i-400
Model Name: ‘Lintupullo’ (Bird Bottle) -Straight-sided
Designer: Timo Sarpaneva
Manufacturer: Iittala
Year of Design: 1956
Dates Produced: 1957-68
Colour: Green
Height: 19.5 cm, Diameter 9.5 cm
Condition: Minor age related staining.
Branding: Hand etched ‘Timo Sarpaneva - Iittala - 57’