Founded in 1881, Iittala is a Finnish design reference whose philosophy is based on functionality, beautiful design and high quality standards. Initially, the company was a manufacturer of blown glass.
If the glass continues to occupy an important place in the catalog, including the famous Savoy vase designed by Alvar Aalto for Iittala in 1936, production is diversified and includes porcelaine, cutlery, cooking utensils, etc.
Today, Iittala Group consists of a number of businesses within its portfolio of operations: Arabia, Hackman, Iittala, BodaNova, Höganäs Keramik, Rörstrand and Høyang-Polaris. The most famous products to be fabricated by the Iittala company are the glassware designs of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, such as the so-called Aalto Vase (or Savoy vase) from 1936, and the glassware designs of Timo Sarpaneva, who started designing glassware for the company in 1950. In 1956 Sarpaneva designed the Iittala logo.
The company also sells glass birds designed by Oiva Toikka.
