Oiva Toikka’s Little Tern became a member of Iittala’s glass bird family in 2005, and in 2014 it changed the color of its feathers to the strong red shade of cranberry.
- Dimensions: 4.3 x 3.9 x 5.1 inches
Oiva Toikka is one of the greatest names in Finnish design. His iconic collection of Iittala Birds by Toikka first took flight back in 1972 with the creation of his small glass Flycatchers. The collection embodies a rich fusion of glassmaking traditions and would not have been possible without Toikka’s hands-on-approach at the glassworks and his keen understanding of each employee’s skills. Drawing from nature and his passion for art glass, Toikka has created more than four hundred birds in the last forty years.
Birds by Toikka are individually handmade, mouth blown glass art objects. A new bird has joined the collection annually since 1972. Like their counterparts in nature, each unique bird has its own personality. The Little Tern is a lively, joyous soprano.
The roots of Iittala date back to 1881 when a glass factory was established in a village of the same name in southern Finland. What started as a glass factory in Iittala, Finland, today celebrates generations of essential objects that are made to enrich people’s everyday lives.