Come on Kivi light my fire
The original tea light holder was first produced by Finnish glassware company Iittala in the 1980s.
Heikki Orvola, who created the design in 1988, said: “When I got the commission, I knew what they wanted from me: a Scandinavian glass candleholder. I gave it some thought and then that ‘blunt piece of tubing’ began to take shape in my mind. When I sketched the shape, I thought, that’s it right there – the only right solution.”
The colours and thickness of the glass enriches the glow as it multiplies the flickers of the flame. Heikki Orvola has received awards and prizes, including the Kaj Franck prize in 1998 – perhaps Finland’s most important design prize. One review calls the Kivi candleholder ‘synonymous with impeccable Finnish design’, noting it is ‘timeless, practical and of unsurpassed quality’.
Stock up before Christmas or simply vote this classic piece of design onto your Timeless 50?