iittala is popping up all over the place it seems, and happily Rangiora is no exception to this hopefully enduring trend. These Tsaikka two glasses turned up in the salvos 'special-stuff-we're-going-to-overcharge-you-for cabinet' ($10) just this week. Designed by Timo Sarpaneva in 1957 for iitala, Finland, these tea glasses are still sold by the company today. Perhaps mine are modern, possibly they are older; I only wish I had a moment to try to date the box (the wee fella is teething). Either way they scream "UNWANTED WEDDING PRESENT"!
I have to admit I bought them in a "ooh, cool, ittala" frame of mind, rather than a "what am i going to use them for really" frame of mind, and it didn't take long for me to kinda un-want them too. I mean, I'm that person who whines every time a cafe hot chocolate comes in a glass (it's winter for eff's sake, I want my drink to stay warm: and I'd quite like to be able to pick it up too thanks).
The other thing is the handles. Now I'm not sure what the etiquette is on criticising a design classic but, well sod it. Firstly, they lack elegance. The shapley glass and it's filigree holder: all loveliness. The handle: apparently jimmied together by a farmer from number eight wire. And yet, completely contradictorily they induce elegance. In that they force one to stick out ones little pinkie when sipping from them. For which reason Terry totally refuses to drink from them, preferring to sup not sip.
So if i'm not keen and he's not keen, then what to do?
Would it be complete sacrilege to snip of the offending handles with wire cutters to make a pair of classy flower vases instead do you think? Let me know in the comments.
And do let me know if you've ventured into second hand land yourself this week; and if you blogged it do link in too x
