Iittala Aalto vase, 180 mm, clear 1937

The narrow Aalto vase by Iittala is based on Alvar Aalto’s original drawings from the 1930s. The 7.09 in (180 mm) high, beautifully asymmetrical vase is smaller than the classic Aalto vase, making it perfect for a single flower or a bouquet of a few stems.

Although the vase looks rather different than the organic form of the classic Aalto vase, it belongs to the same glassware collection Alvar Aalto created for the World Fair in Paris in 1937. Today, the Aalto vases are manufactured in a range of colors and designs.

Like all Aalto vases, the vase is mouth-blown by master glassblowers at the Iittala glassworks in Finland. After the blowing process, the vase is hand-cut and finished to its final form through several polishings. The color ’clear 1937’ is reminiscent of the original Aalto vases – in the 1930s, the vases were made from sand with high iron content, which gave them a light green tint.