Iittala

The company was founded in 1881 by a Swede named Petrus Magnus Abrahamsson. Due to Finland’s lack of skilled glassblowers, the original Iittala workforce was brought over from Sweden. The company went through a number of transitions, starting with it being purchased by A. Ahlstöm, owner of the Karhula glass factory. Under Ahlström’s direction, the factory specialized in the production of chemist bottles and other domestic items. It was only in the 1920s and 30s, that the Iittala we know comes in to being with the arrival of artists such as Alvar and Aino Aalto who led the way in producing more artistic pieces as well as beautiful, modern functional pieces a trait of the company that continues to this day. Leading Scandinavian designers have continued to join Iittala bringing their own unique vision to the company and keeing it at the forefront of modern design, these artists include Kaj Franck, Tapio Wirkkala, Timo Sarpaneva, and Oiva Toikka some of whom are still working today.