Oiva Toikka is one of the great names of Finnish design. Iittala has had a relationship with him for 50 years, and in 1972 he began designing his now famous BIRDS BY TOIKKA. The birds are a feat of craftsmanship—each bird is mouth blown, and designed as a reminder of the everyday poetry in life. They are brought to life by teams of up to five glassblowers at the Nuutajarvi factory in Finland, where the iittala glass workshops have existed for hundreds of years. It takes approximately 15 hours to create a single bird, and when finished, each one is signed “O. Toikka Nuutajarvi” as a proof of authenticity. You may view the full range of the Birds on Didriks website, and then visit the store to appreciate them in person. We will talk more about Oiva Toikka, the person and his creations, in future blog posts.