Tapio Wirkkala defied the conventions of glassblowing with his iconic Ultima Thule collection. Inspired by ice and snow, Wirkkala spent nearly a thousand hours with the glassblowers at the Iittala Glass Factory to recreate this unique piece of Nordic nature. Now, the iconic Ultima Thule Old Fashioned glass and pitcher is available in a special edition colour: copper. The copper hue, inspired by the Northern Lights and sunsets, perfectly complements the icy and snowy feel of Ultima Thule. This special edition colour will be available throughout 2024 and 2025.

Tapio Wirkkala
Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) was a multitalented design genius, widely considered a leading figure of modern Finnish industrial art. Wirkkala’s wide ranging portfolio spans from glass, furniture and product design to sculpture, city planning, art, graphics and even creating banknotes for the Finnish treasury. As his reputation grew internationally, Wirkala exhibited throughout the world but he was a recluse by nature. His favorite place was a spot so remote within the deep woodlands of middle Finland that helicopters delivered prototypes to his hut since no car could reach him. It was in nature that he found his much loved solitude and the inspiration for forms that industry could produce or artwork could create. Throughout his incredibly productive career, Wirkkala received numerous awards including three gold medals at the Milan Triennale, the Lunning Prize, Pro Finlandia Medal and the Prince Eugen Medal.