Fabulous Very Rare Vintage Finnish Glass Candleholder by Iittala Glass, from the Arkipelago Series Designed by Timo Sarpaneva, Design Year 1978

I am continuing my effort to downsize, in advance of all our possessions having to go back into storage again in the next few months (the builders keep changing the dates!)

For sale here is a Fabulous Very Rare Vintage Finnish Glass Candleholder by Iittala Glass, from the Arkipelago Series Designed by Timo Sarpaneva, Design Year 1978.

This is a stunning piece of vintage Scandi design which is just as relevant in a 2026 interior as it was in a 1970's/80’s Mid-Century setting.

This Candleholder is a very heavy chunk of sold glass and weighs just under 1.3kilos. The candleholder is cast of clear solid heavy glass featuring lovely air bubbles and a transparent arctic blue (violet-blue) wave-like stripe at the bottom, which lightens in colour as it goes up. The bottom of the hollow part for the candle drops to a point on the inside almost like a whirlpool in water or a vortex, and reflects the blue colour from further down.

This design appears to be a very rare example, and even Google Lens isn’t giving me many examples, But as soon as I saw it, I knew who the maker was, as it has the same vibe as the pair of Timo Sarpaneva for Iittala Glass, candleholders that I have already in my collection. (They are from the series Arktia, model 2795, by Timo Sarpaneva for Iittala. The design of the candlesticks was originally taken from the series called Arkipelago, design year, 1978, which was only made in clear glass mass, but in 1985 items from the series were made with the aquamarine wave section and called Arktia - symbolizing the blue water under the ice in the arctic.) This piece must be from the same collection, but I just cannot identify the model number. This is much larger and heavier than the other pair I have, and I really love the colour of the glass on this one, it’s almost a violet-blue.

This sculptural candleholder works great as a statement piece on its own alone, or it could be grouped with other glass candlesticks for further impact.

This large and rare example measures roughly 7 inches/ 17.5 cm in height. It is very heavy, weighing 1296 grammes. The opening for the candle is larger than a regular dinner candle size, so it would need a pillar candle roughly 1.75 inches/4.5 cm in diameter.

Iittala Glass is an iconic Finnish brand which has always been at the cutting edge of Finnish design, employing famous designers such as Alvar Aalto, Marimekko and Timo Sarpaneva. At the heart of Iittala's design ethos lies a playful yet enduring approach to Finnish glassware craftsmanship. Since its inception in 1881, this spirited company has evolved from a glass manufacturer to a beacon of Finnish design – a creative cosmos of functional beauty.
Although glass still remains at the core of its heritage, Iittala’s collections are nowadays a testament to the joy of everyday living, offering a kaleidoscope of versatile tableware and décor in all colours of glass. Step into the enchanting world of Iittala and sprinkle a little magic into your daily routines!

Timo Sarpaneva (1926-2006) was a Finnish designer who contributed to making Finnish design well-known in the world. He graduated from the Institute for Industrial Arts (the forerunner of the University of Arts and Design Helsinki) in 1948. Even though he was trained as a graphic designer, he spent the majority of his life working as an industrial designer.

This particular model is very rare to find online and I cannot find one for sale at the minute. I can only find one image online, (see the last photo) but it leads to a dead end and a broken link!
But the more common examples such as the model no. 2795 are priced from about €60 upwards for a single candleholder, plus customs and shipping, as they are rarely available in Ireland. One store in New York is looking for €475 for a pair, so this rare example is a bargain at my price.

I am reluctant to sell it, so definitely won’t be entertaining any low-ball offers on this or the other pair I have available.

Check out my other ads and more coming soon! Discounts possible for multiple purchases!